Letters.

KEY INVESTMENT

This is simply a letter of thanks to the staff of a BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine. I have been a faithful subscriber of BE for some time now and will continue to subscribe to a magazine that I see as an important investment.

I am currently in the process of starting my own business. Like most small business owners, my office will be equipped with all the necessary equipment--computer, phone, printer, etc. In addition, I will have a special place for my BE magazines. I will keep my most recent issue on my desk, which is where I also keep my Holy Bible.

I had never considered myself as a small business owner, nor had I a desire to become one. But the more I read BE, the more I gained an interest. I am taking what I love [to do] and what I can do (designing business cards, programs, invitations, announcements, and resumes) and turning it into a small business.

Again, thank you! I look forward to the next issue of BE.

Tanisha S. Irvin
Owner, Tanisha's Printing
Birmingham, Alabama
[e-mail]

MUCHAS GRACIAS

I was greatly encouraged by the article "Two Tongues Are Better Than One" in the May 2000 issue of BE.

I am proud to be a young black American with a foreign language degree (Spanish). It is comforting to know that people who have bilingual skills are in demand by various employers. We have a great number of black doctors, lawyers, engineers and so forth, but I feel we need more black leaders who can communicate in a foreign language for our global economy.

It has been a struggle for me to find a lifelong career, but I am not giving up. I definitely want to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there for bilinguals. And I strongly believe that learning another language, and not just relying on good old English, will give a person a competitive edge in the global market over someone who is not bilingual. The sooner we teach foreign languages to our young children, the better they will be when they reach high school.

Muchas gracias for that article!

Ryan Mayshack
Summerville, South Carolina

ON THE MONEY

Thank for being such an inspirational magazine. Your article on "The Feminine Money Mystique" (May 2000) was very encouraging.

Before I subscribed to BE, I did not feel, as a young African American woman, mother and wife (not to mention provider), that I had interest in or knowledge of investing. Your focus on women managing money made me realize that, even at age 30, it's not too late to set up a solid investment plan.

I really enjoyed the part of the article that observed that sisters spend too much on Clothes, hair, and manicures, yet will not take time to basically secure our future. It is time we all reevaluate our priorities as well as reeducate ourselves about exactly what the benefits--for example, peace of mind (like we all can't use some of that)--of being financially secure are.

Angel Thornton-Barksdale
Phoenix, Arizona

I am a new subscriber to this wonderful magazine. I am a senior in college majoring in finance. I came across BE one day in the school library and was impressed with an article I read, "The Feminine Money Mystique."

I started investing in mutual funds and CDs when I was 18 years old. I have been sort of skeptical of investing in individual stocks, but since reading your article I feel more confident about researching and investing online.

I am pleased with the magazine you put out for African Americans to read [so they can] find out more about investments, and learn how to make their money work for them. I plan to buy gift subcriptions to your magazine for my family members. I also plan to research starting an investment club for my peers and I.

Once again, I am very happy with my subscription and look forward to future issues of the magazine.

Adrienne Brockington
St. Louis, Missouri
[e-mail]

Editor's note: We're happy that you have been inspired to accelerate your accumulation of knowledge of wealth-building, money management, and investing. To assist you in your efforts to start an investment club, we recommend you check out the lastest release from the BE Book Series, The Millionaires' Club: How to Start & Run Your Own Investment Club--and Make Your Money Growl by Carolyn M. Brown (John Wiley & Sons, $19.95).

BE welcomes comments from our readers. Address all correspondence to Letters, BLACK ENTERPRISE, 130 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10011. Fax: [phone]; e-mail: [e-mail]. Letters should include the writer's full name, address, and daytime telephone, and may be edited for clarity or space.