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  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

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  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

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  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

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  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

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  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

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About iZania

iZania.com is the outgrowth of a life-transforming experience of Roger Madison, founder and CEO. Near the end of a 28 year career with IBM, Mr. Madison was deployed on a special assignment to help re-establish IBM South Africa. During the three years following the end of Apartheid (1995-1998) he and his wife lived in South Africa, and he witnessed the transformation of an oppressed people who embarked on a path of self-determination that has reshaped the political and economic possibilities of the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa. One of the political parties promised to rename South Africa “Azania” if elected. This term means “the people of Africa,” and is frequently used to reference the southern regions of the continent.

At the core of the transformation process was a deeply rooted pride in the heritage of the peoples of South Africa, and the result was a sense of unity based on the “Spirit of Ubuntu – that profound African sense that we are human only through the humanity of other human beings.” This spirit of interdependence has resulted in people who were former adversaries working together for the benefit of all.

So, upon retiring from IBM Roger Madison set out to create a “virtual Black community” that embraced the Spirit of Ubuntu, and sought to connect the descendents of Africa to act in our self-interests. The goal is not a separatist movement, but a community fully integrated into the global village that celebrates the unity of the people of African descent.

We provide practical tools for our members to make collaboration a reality, and not just a concept.

  • The iZania Black Business Directory helps visitors find black-owned businesses online.
  • The iZania Networking Forum is a repository of solution-oriented dialog, blogs, featured articles, and ideas that address the issues of Black people.
  • iZania Market provides an online marketplace to buy and sell almost anything.

This community is sustained by the inspiration of progressive leaders throughout the history of Africans in America. What makes iZania unique is the priority placed on the vision of making us all proud of our African heritage. We share a common bond of thought leaders, business leaders, and progressive advocates for the self-interests of the descendents of Africa.

"We are Africans not because we are born in Africa, but because Africa is born in us. Look around you and behold us in our greatness. Greatness is an African possibility; you can make it yours." Chester Higgins Jr.

Our vision is built around the members of our community -- entrepreneurs, professionals, and consumers with different backgrounds and diverse skill sets, looking to express their ideas, meet new challenges and lead the Black community to the next level of economic growth. We invite you to join us as we shape the future for generations to come.

Roger Madison Jr.
CEO, iZania