6 Books Published by Cushcity Communications on AALBC — Book Cover Collage

We have all read the headlines featuring a fortunate college-bound student who received $100,000 or more in scholarship awards. Assuming that the scholarships were renewable annually, this amount could easily pay for four years of college at any American college or university. However, these success stories are the exception, not the rule. They are aberrations among the pool of millions of aspiring college students who submit scholarship applications to the hundreds of companies, foundations, and non-profit groups that offer them. The reality is a much different, and sobering, picture. According to the College Board, the average cumulative student debt balance in 2017 was $26,900 for graduates of public four-year schools and $32,600 for graduates of private nonprofit four-year schools. 101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education was written specifically to address the issue of college loan debt, and help students and their parents identify scholarship opportunities, as well as develop strategies for submitting applications and winning awards. This book’s author, Gwen Richardson, is a parent who spent several years carefully researching scholarship sources for her daughter, who attended an out-of-state college at the cost of $30,000 per year. Her daughter graduated in May 2018 with all costs financed entirely with scholarships and grants. The highlight of this book is a comprehensive listing of more than 300 scholarship sources, including award amounts, eligibility requirements, and direct website links. All sources have been vetted and researched for accuracy.

We have all read headlines featuring a fortunate college-bound student who has received $100,000 or more in scholarship awards. Assuming that the scholarships were renewable annually, this amount could easily pay for four years of college at any American college or university. However, these success stories are the exception, not the rule. They are aberrations among the pool of millions of aspiring college students who submit scholarship applications to the hundreds of companies, foundations and non-profit groups that offer them. The reality is a much different, and sobering, picture. According to the 2014 edition of Peterson’s Scholarships, Grants and Prizes, nearly every student who earns a four-year degree graduates with student loan debt, which currently averages about $23,300. 101 Scholarship Applications: What It Takes to Obtain a Debt-Free College Education was written specifically to address the issue of college loan debt, and help students and their parents identify scholarship opportunities, as well as develop strategies for submitting applications and winning awards. This book’s author, Gwen Richardson, is a parent who spent nearly two years carefully researching scholarship sources for her teenage daughter, who entered college debt-free as a freshman. The highlight of this book is a comprehensive listing of more than 200 scholarship sources, including award amounts, eligibility requirements and direct web site links. All sources have been vetted and researched for accuracy.

In 2004, Gallup polls showed that 42 percent of Americans supported gay marriage. Eight years later, by the end of 2012, support had jumped to 53 percent. Public opinion seemed to change at a rapid pace, almost overnight. How did it shift so quickly? The answer is: the media. In the same way that a small cadre of enthusiastic supporters in the amen corner of a church agrees with the preacher’s every utterance from the pulpit, the media have been consistent champions for gay marriage and lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender (LGBT) causes. Through a carefully orchestrated system of selective reporting, slanted coverage and rewards and punishments, national media have gradually nudged public opinion in the direction of approval of gay marriage. Amen Corner: How the National Media Shaped Public Opinion on Gay Marriage examines the methods used by the media to promote gay marriage over the past 20 years, the effects of its promotion on the public discourse, and a plan of action consumers can utilize to be better informed as the debate on this important issue moves forward.

Recent changes in the book industry have afforded new authors the opportunity to self-publish with relative ease. Yet, for newcomers to the industry, publishing a book is still a daunting task. Write It Right: The Guide to Self-Publishing Your Best Book provides both aspiring and seasoned authors with a road map to success. The following questions are answered in the book: * What are ten great reasons to self-publish? * What are ten of the greatest challenges to self-publishing? * What is the primary reason you are writing your book? * How do you determine your book’s topic or subject matter? * What is the target audience for your book? * What is the current state of the book industry? * What are the elements of a best-selling novel? * How does a self-published author obtain a copyright and ISBN? * What are some of the most cost-effective marketing strategies? * How does a self-published author take advantage of social media? * What are some of the costly, time-consuming mistakes authors should avoid? * What are some of the future book publishing trends on the horizon? If you are planning to self-publish, Write It Right includes the comprehensive information that will help you succeed.

Lloyd Palmer is a reporter for the Houston Ledger, a job which should have fulfilled his lifelong dream of being a journalist. But, along with being exhausted from the daily coverage of murders and mayhem in the nation’s fourth largest city, he’s hit a glass ceiling at work, and his editor, Ed Jackson, goes out of his way to make Lloyd’s life miserable. While interviewing potential witnesses to a murder-suicide at a Houston high-rise, Lloyd meets a mysterious stranger who subsequently leads him down a path which changes his life. But Lloyd’s journey is fraught with peril, as both he and his family barely escape a hired assassin. Follow Lloyd Palmer on his quest for the ultimate truth in the provocative thriller, The Genesis Files.

Have you ever wondered why, despite decades of economic development, civil rights legislation and welfare programs, the economic status of African Americans always seems to lag behind nearly every other group? Why do members of other ethnic groups come to America from other countries and, within a few years, own most of the businesses in the Black community and, at the same time, treat Blacks with utter contempt? Even when a few African Americans experience economic success, such as entertainers and athletes, why is it that so many of them end up penniless after generating millions of dollars in wealth for others? For years, the author pondered these same questions. Her research and quest for answers has led to eye-opening revelations about the fabric of American society and the fate of the African-American community. Why African Americans Can’t Get Ahead is a breakthrough book which not only defines the challenges, but presents cutting-edge solutions to these challenges with a group economics approach.