MSS Francois to Headline District 119 Toastmasters Spring Conference 2026 at LaGuardia Marriott

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MSS Francois to Headline District 119 Toastmasters Spring Conference 2026 at LaGuardia Marriott

MSS Francois to Headline District 119 Toastmasters Spring Conference 2026 at LaGuardia Marriott

EAST ELMHURST, NY — April 24, 2026 — A powerful voice in personal transformation, women’s empowerment, and purpose-driven success is set to take center stage in Queens this weekend. MSS Francois—CEO, media personality, and dynamic motivational speaker—will serve as the keynote speaker at the highly anticipated District 119 Toastmasters Spring Conference 2026, taking place Saturday, April 25 at the New York LaGuardia Airport Marriott.

Known for her bold authenticity and magnetic presence, MSS Francois has built a growing platform rooted in resilience, reinvention, and healing. Her name—MSS, meaning “Multi-talented and Super Sexy”—is more than a moniker; it reflects a philosophy of confidence, self-worth, and unapologetic personal growth that she brings to every stage she touches.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago and raised in a single-parent household, Francois migrated to the United States as a teenager and faced significant challenges, including homelessness. Through determination and vision, she transformed adversity into opportunity—earning two master’s degrees, rising into leadership roles within the finance sector, and ultimately building a thriving media and business brand.

Today, she is widely recognized as the creator and host of The Mss Francois Show, a groundbreaking series with more than 75 episodes that blend humor, emotional wellness, and real-life relationship insight. A Toastmasters Humorous Speech Champion, Francois has mastered the art of using laughter as both therapy and strategy—helping audiences break through fear, rediscover their voice, and unlock new levels of personal and professional success.

Get The Scoop On The Next Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit Remix On April 21st - April 23rd

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FREE

The Black Health & Wealth
Virtual Summit Remix Continues to Showcase
The New Dream Team of Medical and
Entrepreneurial Powerhouses

April 21st, April 22nd and April 23rd 7 PM - 9 PM ET

Click or Tap Here For Zoom Attendance Link

The Black Health & Wealth Virtual Summit Remix isn’t just another online event — it’s a strategic gathering of culture, capital, and community.  Curator Kamau Austin shares his overview "this year’s summit is already bringing together a Dream Team of medical innovators, wealth builders, business architects, and movement leaders who are flipping the script on what health and economic empowerment looks like in Black America."

"In a period when over 1.1 million Black people have lost their jobs and Black unemployment hit over 7.2 percent, since the last election cycle, the Black Health and Wealth Virtual Summit 2.0 is a timely and relevant event to jump start an economic reset in our community," adds Austin.   This year's line up of presenters for the virtual summit are impressive to say the least and state the obvious. 

On the wealth side, financier and investor Gary Smith will break down how he has helped Black communities move from being shoppers in the mall to owners of the mall — making major corporations cut the rent check to us.  Gary also has extensive experience in helping Blacks and other entrepreneurs buy and sell viable businesses.

Financier, Business & Commercial Real Estate
Investor and business broker Gary Smith 

Tech titan and multimillionaire Chuck Starks, author of Get Rich While Black!, will share how he scaled an Inc. 500 company and turned distressed properties in our communities into high-value community assets.

Self-Made Millionaire Chuck Starks

The health and innovation lane is just as powerful. Medical researcher Renee Williams is using AI to help Black women achieve better health outcomes, proving that technology can be both culturally competent, enhancing health, and life-saving.

Medical Researcher and
AI and App Innovator Renee Williams 

Afi S. Okon, MPA, founder of the American Obesity Foundation, continues to push solutions and policy conversations around one of the most urgent health crises impacting our community.  Ms. Okon is a Solutions provider with focus on wellness and community empowerment.

Afi is the Creator of Let’s Make Healthy Our New Happy, a nationwide campaign designed to reframe health as joyful, doable and family-centered journey that meet families where they are – at home, school, places of worship and in their neighborhoods. With over a decade of expertise in nonprofit leadership and deep-rooted passion for community well-being, Ms. Okon has dedicated her career to addressing health disparities through education, advocacy and empowerment.

Pierre Clark is a Harvard-trained entrepreneur and will deliver high-level strategies on creative business development and smart investments.  He is the Founder-Editor of The Entrepreneur’s Corner™, Homefree, NuFutures Development Ventures LLC, and NuMillennium Opportunity Capital Ltd.

Pierre is also a well respected writer and publisher on entrepreneurial and business operations.

Marsha Duke is an Award Winning real estate professional and Certified Real Estate Paralegal with over 20 years of experience guiding clients through every stage of the buying and selling process. She combines legal insight, market expertise, and strategic negotiation to deliver results with clarity and confidence.

He approach is rooted in providing full circle support offering guidance, planning, and execution to help clients achieve their real estate goals.

Real Estate Pro Marsha Duke

Op-ed: New York City Parks Finds a New Way to Push SQPA out of Roy Wilkins Park

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New York City Parks Finds a New Way to Push SQPA Out of Roy Wilkins Park

Roy Wilkins Park. Photo by Tdorante10/Wikimedia Commons

By James Johnson

For more than 50 years, the Southern Queens Park Association has been the backbone of Roy Wilkins Park.

Since 1973, SQPA has provided afterschool programming and critical community services to families across Southeast Queens. It is more than a nonprofit – it is a trusted institution built by and for the community.

Today, that institution is being pushed aside.

New York City is constructing a $92 million, state-of-the-art facility in Roy Wilkins Park complete with a gym, pool, indoor track, and modern community space. These are long-overdue investments that our community deserves.

But the reality behind this investment tells a different story.

SQPA, the very organization that sustained this park through decades of neglect, will not have access to this new facility.

Originally, New York City Parks indicated that SQPA would be included. That promise has not been kept.

At this time last year, community leaders, stakeholders, and advocates were raising concerns, asking questions, and engaging in good faith about SQPA’s role in the future of Roy Wilkins Park. Several town halls were organized to get answers and ensure transparency.

The main question was simple: Why are two facilities being built in the same park?

There was a clear expectation that SQPA would be included, not sidelined.

The Souper Bowl Party Rocks Queens With Warm Food and Community Vibes

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The Souper Bowl Party Rocks
Queens with Delicious Hot Artisan
Meals and Culinary Treats

Article By Curator of the Souper Bowl Party Roni Anderson

Far Rockaway, Queens - Despite the blustery chill in the air on the last weekend of winter, it was a cozy, warm atmosphere inside the Conservation Coastal Center where many people came out for our second annual “Souper Bowl Party.”

Families and community members gathered around to enjoy a ladle of warm comfort in a bowl.

We had a variety of delicious soups this year, we had a vegetable pumpkin soup, provided by Beach Dunes Cafe restaurant, and vegetarian sandwich wraps, which were a big hit, compliments of Annie Mohan of Campaign Against Hunger.

Community member Miss Myrtle brought a vegetarian option of pasta chickpea curry soup, so yummy, and community organizer, member of the Feed My Sheep organization, and Eye For Decoration business, Aiysha Simon, decorated the space with soup-related decor, and brought her now famous super yummy broccoli cheddar cheese soup.

This year, I brought my Chicken Tortilla soup, with fresh homemade tortilla strips, I called the “Benito bowl” (a little nod to the NFL Super Bowl’s Bad Bunny performer), and I made an old favorite American-style creamy chicken and dumplings soup.. Scrumptious sweet treats were provided by TraOre Desserts.. and much-appreciated beverages were donated by newly retired EMS worker Mr. Ozzie, and photos by Rockaway’s fabulous photographer Mr. Darryl C. Madison and Qiky Kidz Rohn Boyd.

Get the Scoop On How The Long Island African American Chamber of Commerce (LLAACC) Looks To Expand Our Business Borders

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The Long Island African American
Chamber of Commerce (LLAACC)
Looks To Expand Our Business Borders

Ready to Expand Beyond Borders? Join us for a powerful Global Market Strategy Session designed to help entrepreneurs, professionals, and business owners scale internationally and compete in today’s global economy.

EVENT DETAILS

Date: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Time: 6:15 PM – 8:30 PM

Location: (See registration link below)

Theme: Navigating a Global Future

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN

How to enter global markets

Building strategic international partnerships

Accessing capital & cross-border opportunities

Leveraging AI & innovation for global growth

Positioning your business for scalable success

TSA Pay Crisis Isn’t Over: Back Pay Arrives, But Airport Workforce Still Struggling to Recover

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TSA Pay Crisis Isn’t Over: Back Pay Arrives, But Airport Workforce Still Struggling to Recover

Queens, NY — While Transportation Security Administration workers have finally begun receiving long-awaited paychecks after weeks of working without compensation, aviation experts and workers say the crisis is far from over.

The Transportation Security Administration workforce—critical to the safety and flow of air travel nationwide—has taken a significant hit during the recent government shutdown. And even with back pay now arriving, the ripple effects are still being felt at airports across the country, including here in New York.

Back Pay Arrives—But It’s Not the End of the Story

Following executive action tied to the ongoing shutdown, TSA workers began receiving back pay covering missed pay periods, offering some immediate financial relief.

However, this wasn’t a clean reset.

Many workers report:

• Partial or staggered payments
• Delays depending on banking and processing systems
• Continued uncertainty about future paychecks

👉 In short: Workers got paid—but stability hasn’t fully returned.

The Hidden Cost: Workforce Loss and Burnout

During the weeks of unpaid labor, thousands of TSA employees were forced to make tough decisions.

• Some called out.
• Some took second jobs.
• Some left the workforce entirely.

Estimates suggest:

• Hundreds of TSA workers resigned during the shutdown period
• Call-out rates surged into double digits in key regions
• Remaining workers were forced to cover longer shifts under stress

Because TSA roles require months of training and federal certification, these losses can’t be quickly replaced.

👉 That means even now, staffing levels remain below normal at many airports.

Could The Deadly LaGuardia Airport Crash in Queens NY Been Avoided?

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Tragedy at LaGuardia: Deadly Runway Crash Raises Questions About Warnings, Workforce Strain, and Airport Safety

Queens, NY — A tragic runway collision at LaGuardia Airport has shaken New York City—and now, as more details emerge, the incident is raising deeper concerns about whether this disaster could have been prevented.

The crash, which involved an incoming regional jet from Canada and an airport emergency vehicle, left two pilots dead and dozens injured. But beyond the immediate tragedy, investigators and aviation experts are now examining a broader and more troubling reality: Was the system already under strain—and were warning signs ignored?

What Happened on the Runway

According to early reports, the aircraft was in the process of landing when it collided with a Port Authority fire truck that had entered the same runway.

Preliminary findings suggest:

• Both the aircraft and the vehicle may have been cleared onto the runway
• Communication breakdowns occurred between air traffic control and ground crews
• Critical seconds passed before warnings could prevent impact

Federal investigators, including the National Transportation Safety Board, are now analyzing cockpit recordings and tower communications to determine exactly how such a dangerous overlap occurred.

Were There Warning Signs Before the Crash?

While the investigation is ongoing, some aviation analysts and internal reports had already raised concerns in recent months about runway safety risks and system strain.

These warnings included:

• Increased incidents of “runway incursions” (close calls between aircraft and ground vehicles)
• Concerns about air traffic controller workload and staffing levels
• Operational pressure at high-volume airports like LaGuardia

Although no single report predicted this exact crash, experts have emphasized that these types of conditions increase the likelihood of catastrophic errors.

👉 In other words: the risk environment may have already been building.