– This Market Leader in Afrocentric Gifts Offers Over 250 Products and Fundraising Opportunities –

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Sacramento, CA (August 29, 2011) — African American Expressions (www.black-gifts.com), the largest black-owned greeting card company in America, released its new Holiday Fundraising catalog today, containing over 250 items.

The company is known for its large selection of quality gifts at affordable prices, all designed for the African American consumer, and this year’s catalog shows why: shoppers can choose from dozens of Christmas and Kwanzaa cards, eleven new 2012 Calendars, and hundreds of gift items, including Bible Organizers, Journals and Christmas decorations.

The catalog’s release brings more than just new products; it starts a season of fundraising for African American Expressions’ customers. The company’s fundraising program is very similar to candy drives or Avon sales: fundraisers use the Fundraising catalog to take orders in their community, selling products at the retail price. Once they gather over $200 in sales, African American Expressions ships the products at a 40% discounted price to fundraisers, who keep the profits to help fund their causes.

Company owner, Gregory Perkins, designed the fundraising program two decades ago to help the African American community and worthwhile organizations make money. In these tough economic times, African American Expressions’ fundraising program is particularly influential in helping many individuals and groups stay afloat.

From its inception in 1991, when the company sold just three greeting card designs, African American Expressions has grown into a multi-million dollar enterprise that sells over 2.5 million greeting cards per year. Perkins, a born again Christian, attributes his company’s success to his own personal faith in God. “I could not have done this without Jesus looking out for us,” he says. “Anything is possible when you have faith.”

For more details, visit www.black-gifts.com or call 888-586-9766.

PRESS CONTACT:

Gregory Perkins, President

African American Expressions

888-586-9766

perkins@black-gifts.com

Talk with anyone who is heavily involved in fundraising for their church or their children’s private school and they will be more than eager to explain why the activity and their participation in it is so important.  Non-profit organizations such as churches and private schools play a significant role in our communities in that they provide specific services, which are a part of their commitment to others and are a part of their mission statement.  In any case, fundraising generates needed income when state funding is not available.

Creative fundraising

In order for any fundraising event to be successful, it has to be creative.  Believe it or not, creativity has become necessary because there are so many non-profit organizations in every community, not just churches and private schools.  Assuming that fundraising events have gotten fairly competitive, creativity has become a necessity where these activities are concerned.  The more of these non-profits there are in a community, the limited the amount of financial resources there are to go around.

Creative fundraising is most easily defined as asking for financial support in a manner that goes beyond traditional means.  One example of creative fundraising might be having a well-known celebrity participate in a golf fundraiser.  Another example might be to allow a financial supporter the chance to interact with those that benefit from the fundraiser, such as a program that contributes food or toys to families.

Proven fundraisers

There are literally hundreds of different fundraising ideas that can be utilized for generating revenues for non-profit entities.  However, not all of them are appropriate for churches and private schools.  Therefore, you need to screen these fundraisers carefully before deciding on the ones to use.  The following are a couple fundraising ideas with a proven and successful track records as well as being appropriate for churches and Christian or private schools.

The ever-popular discount card – discount cards made a big splash from the moment they hit the fundraising scene.  There are currently hundreds of fast food and standard restaurants, pizzerias, retailers, and sandwich shops that participate in this program.  The cardholder receives discounts on whatever they purchase from the participating companies.  Best of all, the discount card program is one of the most profitable fundraisers there is.

Themed bake sales – these are nothing new, but they have a proven track record.  You can have monthly bake sales that feature cakes, candies, and cookies, but they will become commonplace if you do not get creative with them.  Make them a little more interesting by adding a theme such as the anniversary of the church or school opening.  Focus on the seasons as well and your bake sells will not get boring.

Getting the word out - If you don’t have a graphic designer in your congregation, there are templates within Microsoft Office that are created with you in mind. Don’t foreget to send the information to your local newspaper and rasio station for free PSA listings.

Visit http://www.black-gifts.com/ for more information and ideas to help you get started on your next big or small fundraiser.

Black art constitutes a very diverse legacy, although many observers have a habit of generalizing what black art is.  We are talking about a continent that is filled with civilizations, people, and societies, each of which has a special culture.  Defining black art also requires that you take into consideration the art of the African Diasporas, which includes the art of African Americans.

Thematic elements

Despite all the diversity, there are some artistic themes that are unifying in nature when you are considering the totality of the African continent from the visual culture.  Black art contains 5 thematic elements as follows:

Emphasis on the human body – the human body has always been the focal point of most African art.

Emphasis on the performing arts – much of traditional African art that you find is crafted for use in performing contexts instead of static ones.  It is an extension of the three- dimensionality and utilitarianism of traditional African art.

Emphasis on sculpture – African artists have always favored three-dimensional art forms over two-dimensional ones.

Nonlinear scaling – oftentimes, a small portion of an African art design will be similar in appearance to a larger one.  This is also described in fractal geometry terms.

Visual abstraction – rather than favoring naturalistic representation, African art tends to favor visual abstraction.  This is because black art generalizes stylistic norms.

Black art history

Black art has been influenced by cultural backgrounds of Africa, Europe, and the US.  The more common or traditional black art of the African-American community includes:

• woodcarving
• quilting
• pottery
• plastic arts
• paintings
• basket weaving

Black art has been a vital contribution to US art and has played a significant role in it from its early origins in the slave community to the end of the 20^th century.

From the 17^th to 19^th century in the US South, black art came in a wide diversity of forms including the following:

• ceramic vessels
• quilts
• small drums
• wrought-iron figures

Most of these black art pieces displayed the characteristics and similarities of Central and West African crafts, the primary areas of the continent where many skilled African artists were captured as slaves and brought to the US.  During the slavery period, white slave owners purchased these African artisans.

Artists such as the Baltimore portrait painter Joshua Johnson and the New England engraver Scipio Moorhead created black art that displayed Western European overtones.  Many slave owners allowed these artists to keep some of the wages they earned from their crafts.  In many cases, they were able to save enough money to buy their own freedom as well as the freedom for their children and spouses.

Black Art in Print

African American Expression offers a wide selection of Black art depicted on a variety of products and greeting cards.

Get tips for finding Black art and start collecting today.

The main reason that Christian jewelry is a great gift in that it is a great way for the wearer to express their faith and their commitment to it.  There is a wide range of gifts to choose from including angels, crosses, crucifixes, Jesus pendants, saint medals, and much more.  Wearing Christian jewelry is the perfect way to show that you are faithful day in and day out.  Suffice it to say, it makes for a very thoughtful gift that can have a very positive and spiritual impact on the recipient.

Additionally, Christian jewelry makes for a special gift that can become an heirloom and handed down from one generation to the next and will always be remembered.  Christian art plays a significant role in Christian jewelry and serves as a reminder of all the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us.  It is an expression of praise as well as thanks.  There are a number of other themes where Christian jewelry is concerned such as the Bible, praying hands, and other Christian symbols such as the dove.

Christian jewelry is manufactured out of numerous materials including bronze, ivory, gold, silver, and even glass.  Pieces range in price from inexpensive sterling items such as charms or necklaces to high end jewelry items that are manufactured out of gold or platinum.  There are Christian jewelry retailers both offline and online, all of which carry a wide range of gift ideas for literally any occasion.  In any event, Christian jewelry enables the wearer to share their faith with those around them.

Blending faith with fashion

Today, Christian jewelry is the ideal combination of faith and fashion.  There are a number of different kinds of Christian jewelry (see above), but the most recognizable is still the cross.  It is the ultimate symbol of Christianity in that it reminds us of how Jesus died.

Another symbol that has become extremely popular in Christian jewelry is the fish.  The symbol was first used during the first century AD and quickly became the way to identify other Christians in society, especially where persecution was concerned.  It was extremely dangerous for Christians to display or speak about their faith in ancient times so they would let others know by drawing a fish in the dirt.  Today, Christians proudly let everyone know their faith by wearing the fish symbol.

To view a wide selection of beautiful pieces visit http://www.black-gifts.com/product/accessories/jewelry/

African-American figurines are some of the more popular and sought after collectible art items that you can include in your collection or give as gifts.  Collectible art such as these figurines have always been a primary favorite among those individuals who enjoy collecting African-American art.  The primary reason for this is because it is a great way to bring smaller pieces of art into the home as well as the perfect way to display endearing and sweet characters that everyone will fall in love with.

It’s no surprise that African-American figurines keep gaining in popularity with every day that passes.  Some of the most recognizable collectibles of African-American art are these figurines.  However, the more traditional African-American art includes many diverse items such as:

• woodcarvings
• quilting
• pottery and sculpture
• plastic arts
• paintings
• basket weavings

As a comparison, African-American figurines are known for their appeal and popularity in similar fashion that Walt Disney figurines have been recognized.  His cartoons and movies naturally led to many series of collectible figurines that have depicted his classic characters in all types of mediums such as pewter and porcelain.  So it stands to reason that the same holds true with African-American figurines.

Figurines are so much more than art

Granted, African-American figurines are excellent pieces of art and have high collectible values in many cases, but they also make the perfect gift for the person who has an extreme interest in African-American art.  In the Western World today, African-American figurines are some of the more popular and sought after pieces in the sculpture industry.  Additionally, they exhibit the 5 thematic elements that African-American is characterized by which includes:

Visual abstraction – African-American art tends to favor visual abstraction rather than favoring naturalistic representation.  This due to the fact that black art generalizes stylistic norms.

Nonlinear scaling – this is typically described in fractal geometry.  In this case, a small portion of an African art design will be similar in appearance to a larger one.

Emphasis on the performing arts – most of the traditional African-American art that exists today is crafted for use in performance contexts rather than static ones.  It is considered an extension of three-dimensionality and utilitarianism that exists in traditional African-American art.

Emphasis on the human body – African-American art has always placed an emphasis on the human body and uses it as the primary focal point.

Emphasis on sculpture – throughout history, African and African-American artists have always favored art forms that are three-dimensional instead of two-dimensional.

Despite all the diversity that is common with African-American, these themes will always be found in African and African-American artwork, no matter what type it is.

Visit the following link to view a variety of beautiful African American figurines: http://www.black-gifts.com/product/home-decor/figurines/

The meaning and significance of July 4th to Americans

For most Americans, July 4^th is a day of celebration and commemoration of our independence from England in 1776.  It is referred to more commonly as Independence Day and is a federal holiday in the US.  July 4^th is typically associated with barbecues, baseball games, carnivals, ceremonies, concerts, fairs, family reunions, fireworks, parades, picnics, political speeches, and public and private events.  All of these are geared to celebrate the government, history, and traditions of the United States.

The significance of Independence Day to African-Americans

But what does July 4^th mean to the African-American? What is the significance of this day where Black History is concerned? You have to go back to 1852 when Frederick Douglas was a guest speaker at an Independence Day celebration.  In the speech that Douglas gave, he made it brutally clear as to how much he despised the treatment of slaves as well as the hypocrisy and irony that was clearly obvious on this day.

He made it well known that this particular hypocrisy was aimed at the African-American population and was quite evident on several fronts.  In his speech, he sarcastically refers to Independence Day as “the birthday of your National Independence and your political freedom.”  However, Douglas was not a man to lose hope.  Despite the fact that he alludes to how detestable and horrid slavery is, the man always saw a silver lining with this issue.

Douglas saw the Declaration of Independence as one of the most significant factors to shape America’s destiny and felt that the principles contained in the document should always be adhered to.  He also believed that any political documents that were written after the Declaration of Independence did not adhere to or keep the ideologies that were set forth in the Declaration.

Other considerations

Initially, the celebrations and freedoms of Independence Day were not for all to enjoy.  Originally, it was only the affluent white males of society who benefited from our independence from England, as women were yet to be treated equally.  Also, Native Americans did not regain their lost tribal lands, and poor white men could not enjoy all the rights discussed in the Declaration of Independence and backed by the Constitution.

Most importantly, the ethnic group that was the worst off was the African-Americans of the day, the majority of which were still enslaved by white businessmen and plantation owners.  Ironically, the “Land of the Free” had a significant portion of its population still in bondage.

The Constitution and the Bill of Rights were written by imperfect men, and that goes without saying. But, the ideals and words they thought and wrote developed a country that has fostered and fought for equality time and time again. It is true that in their time slavery was accepted by many, but most of the Founding Fathers knew they were setting the stage for eventual abolition of the detestable practice, and that they couldn’t right every wrong at once. Let us all celebrate on the 4^th of July those ideals of equality and freedom of religion and the right to pursue one’s happiness, and the selfless sacrifice over the past 235 years of brave Americans of every ethnicity.

Many clubs, groups, and organizations rely on fundraising almost exclusively for the money they need to operate.  People participate in these fundraisers because they rely on them.  For example, some individuals have extensive medical expenses and insufficient health insurance to cover them, so they rely on these fundraisers to help them pay for their expenses.  Non-Profit fundraisers help many individuals in need through the generous volunteerism of people across this great country.

The key reasons for unique fundraising ideas are not solely related to the amount of  money raised.  Naturally, the funds that are raised are important, but what is more important initially is that the fundraiser is not boring or monotonous.  You need to keep the “fun” in fundraiser.  If you don’t, you will probably lose volunteers that get bored and want something more challenging.  This of course affects your potential donors.

Don’t Keep Doing the Same Old Thing

One of the primary reasons that donors diminish in numbers is that they get tired of the same old thing.  In other words, they get tired of seeing the same type of fundraiser.  This is why it is so important to come up with unique fundraising ideas.  The bottom line is that you do not want your charity, church, or school fundraisers to get boring.  Remember that it is far easier to hang on to your current donors than it is to find new ones.

Unique fundraising ideas for church and school

Churches and schools rely heavily on fundraisers, especially private schools that do not have the benefit of state funding.  Here are four unique fundraising ideas to consider for your next event:

Gift brochures and/or catalogs –  Brochures and catalogs should not look the same from year to year.  It is best if they are redesigned every year so that annual donors do not get bored or tired of looking at them.  This is a great way to promote candles, Christian gifts, cookie dough, flower arrangements and much more.

Discount cards – The current state of the US economy is uncertain and discounted cards can spell success for your church or school fundraiser.  These are one of the more unique and innovative ideas that have garnered great success where fundraisers are concerned.  The more common discount cards feature pizzerias, restaurants, sandwich shops, and a variety of different retailers who offer discounts to the cardholder that uses them.

Dinner and a movie cards – Another unique fundraising idea that is relatively new are dinner and movie cards which are easy to sell and can generate a considerable amount of profit for churches and schools.  They can be used at restaurants and theaters nationwide. There are over 100,000 restaurants, stores, and theaters participating in this program throughout the US today.

Visit http://www.black-gifts.com/ for more information and ideas to help you get started on your next big or small fundraiser.

Most African Americans Share a Common History

Most of the African-Americans in the US today are descendants of Africans that were captured and enslaved in this country between 1619 and 1865.  Caribbean blacks whose ancestors emigrated there from Africa, or who immigrated to the US, are traditionally considered to be African-Americans as well.  They all share a common history of Central or West African roots as and the Middle Passage and slavery.  In the past, these people were referred to collectively or self-identified as the American Negro.

As was mentioned above, the majority of the African-Americans in the US today are descendants of the slaves.  They wound up in slavery by virtue of being sold into it as prisoners of war by states in Africa or were kidnapped by African, American, Arab, or European slave traders.  The majority of the slaves that came from Central and West Africa came from the following tribes:

• Akan
• Bakongo
• Fon
• Igbo
• Makua
• Mandé
• Wolof

As time progressed, these different tribal peoples did away with their differences and forged a new culture and history that was a “creolization” of their past and present histories.

The First Slaves in America

Jamestown, Virginia was the sight of the first slaves arriving in America (1619).  The slaves were treated as indentured servants by the English colonists and were eventually released after several years.  This system would eventually be replaced by the Caribbean system, which is race-based in nature.  As slaves were freed or released, they competed for resources.  Not only this, but they had to be replaced.  In 1641, Massachusetts was the first of the US colonies to legalize slavery.

Despite the Civil War and emancipation, Black Americans would continue to struggle until the civil rights movement of 1955 to 1968.  In 1954, Brown versus the Board of Education led to the dismantling of segregation throughout the US.  During the latter part of the 20th century, African-Americans continued to make progress and considerable strides were made in the political arena.

Political Accomplishments of African Americans

Reverend Jesse Jackson ran for the Democrat Presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, the first black governor was elected in 1989, and the first black woman was elected to the US Senate in 1992.  The crowning moment occurred in November of 2008 when Barack Obama, an African-American senator from the state of Illinois was elected the 44th President of the United States.

Black art in America also tells a story of African American history and contributions to our society. Black History Monthwas established in February of 1976. During this time many organizations and individuals accross the country display and enrich us with art from our history to the present.

Explore the product gallery at http://www.black-gifts.com/ for more gift exchange ideas that depict black history in America.

A brief overview of Black History Month

Black History Month originated in 1926 when a gentleman named Carter G. Woodson established Negro History Week (later changed to Black History Week).  Woodson was a renowned African-American historian, author, and journalist as well as the founder of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.  It became known as Black History Month as of February, 1976.

Canada and the US celebrate Black History Month every February while the UK celebrates it in October.  It commemorates the historical events of the African diaspora (migration to other countries of the world).  However, the original goal of Woodson’s Black History Week was educating Americans about the cultural background of African-Americans as well as their reputable achievements.

The History of Black Art

Black art is a broad term that describes the visual arts of the black community in the US.  It has been influenced by various African, American, and European cultural backgrounds.  The more traditional art forms of the African-American community include:

• basket weaving
• paintings
• plastic arts
• pottery
• quilting
• woodcarving

Suffice it to say, Black art has been a vital contribution to and played a significant role in US art from its early slave community origins up to the end of the 20^th century.

During the 17^th to the 19^th centuries in the US southern states, Black art came in many forms which included items such as ceramic vessels, quilts, small drums, and wrought-iron figures.  Most of these artifacts displayed the characteristics and similarities of Central and Western African crafts.  This was due to the fact that many skilled artisans were captured as slaves and shipped to the US.

Conversely, the Black art that was created by Joshua Johnson (Baltimore portrait painter) and Scipio Moorhead (New England engraver) display western European art market overtones.  During the slavery period, it was not uncommon for white slave owners to hire these artisans.

In fact, many owners allowed them to keep some of the wages they earned from their crafts.  Many of these artisans were able to save up enough money to purchase their freedom and the freedom for their spouses and children.  So being able to earn wages for their efforts proved to be of great benefit to some.

Renowned Black artisans

From 1773 to 1887, the following were some of the more famous artisans of the day:

Robert M. Douglas, Jr.

G.W. Hobbs

Joshua Johnson

Scipio Moorhead

Patrick H. Reason

William Simpson

Harriet Powers (born 1837, died 1910) – the African-American folk artist who was a skilled quilt maker as well.

If you are looking for the perfect gift, www.black-gifts.com provides black art and a large collection of black gifts.

Anyone involved in the education field or with their church is aware of the significance of fundraising. In many ways, fundraising is the lifeblood of success where churches and schools are concerned, especially in the face of an unstable economy.

Why church and school fundraising is so important…

The importance of church and school fundraisers cannot be emphasized enough.  Fundraisers are critical component where a well-rounded education is concerned. By well-rounded, we are talking about enriching programs which, due to financial stress, have become rare or non-existent. Music and art programs, clubs, extracurricular activities, field trips and competitive sports provide children invaluable opportunities to experience the world and grow as individuals, yet these programs are quickly disappearing from schools. When fundraising is not sufficient to support these extras, participation fees are eventually implemented, or they are simply cut from schools.

The bottom line is that in this unstable economy, financial hardship trickles down from organizations to individuals; when schools and churches are financially pressed, resources and programs shut down and parishioners, families and children suffer. But there is a solution in fundraising!

Church and school fundraising projects are a great solution in times of financial hardship. When you contribute what you can or volunteer a few hours of your time you will be surprised at how much your church or your child’s school benefits from those few dollars you earn and hours that you contribute.

Fundraising ideas for both church and school…

Here are some fundraising ideas to consider for church and school in addition to the standard ones (i.e. auctions, bake sales, or yard sales):

• Candy sales (Sees is a popular one!)
• Catalog gift sales, like the program African American Expressions offers
• Restaurant discount cards, like the program offered by Restaurants.com

African American Expressions offers a unique fundraising programs that allows you to fund raise while selling products that celebrate and spread your faith. AAE has over 20 years experience helping churches and schools to raise thousands of dollars. Simply have your child take the catalog to school or around to the neighbors when they have some free time. Parents can take the catalog to their jobs and show it to their fellow employees, as well. There are all types of applications for fundraising when using our gift catalog.

Follow the link if you would like more information about our 2011 Catalog for your next fundraising project, call us at (800) 684-1555, or click here to contact us!