Page 2 The Skanner CAREERS EDITION June 7, 2017
Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now
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Opinion
Building a Pipeline of HBCU Students to Washington, D.C.
S
ummer internships are
one important way that
students can explore
passions
they
want
to pursue as a profession.
They are exposed to a form
of learning that goes beyond
the books and may be the best
chance they have to ensure
they are making a wise invest-
ment. I am a strong believer
in the notion that, in order to
have your issues heard, you
need to have a seat at the table;
which is why I applaud HBCU
students who are interested
in pursuing government and
policy and have worked with
both Democrats and Repub-
licans in Congress to ensure
they have summer intern-
ships opportunities on Capi-
tol Hill.
Representative
Bryne
(R-Ala.) and I founded the
Bipartisan HBCU Caucus in
April of 2015; we knew there
needed to be a platform to
promote and protect the
needs and interests of HBCUs
around the country. After
two years, the caucus now
consists of nearly sixty mem-
bers in both the House and
the Senate, who recognize the
importance of HBCUs and ap-
plaud their history of produc-
ing successful graduates. The
more than 100 HBCUs nation-
wide only account for three
percent of all institutions of
higher learning in the U.S. yet
Alma
Adams
Congress-
woman
(D-N.C.)
they produce 20 percent of
African American graduates
with a bachelor’s degree and
25 percent of African Ameri-
can STEM graduates. This is-
sue is personal to me, because
I would not be here today if
“
two HBCU students, one from
North Carolina A&T Univer-
sity and one from Johnson C.
Smith University, traveled to
Capitol Hill for the internship
program. Each student spent
four weeks in my office and
four weeks in Representative
Walker’s office to get a feel
for the differences and many
commonalities we share.
They attended congressio-
nal hearings and committee
meetings, drafted memos and
constituent correspondence,
and met with Members of
Our vision was to create a pro-
gram that brought bright and
driven HBCU students to Capitol
Hill to intern in both a Republican
and Democratic office
it were not for an HBCU that
was willing to take a chance
on me. I am a strong advo-
cate for our schools because
I know, firsthand, the impact
they have on a student’s life.
During the summer of
2016, Representative Mark
Walker (R-N.C.) and I part-
nered together to create the
Bipartisan HBCU Internship.
Our vision was to create a
program that brought bright
and driven HBCU students to
Capitol Hill to intern in both
a Republican and Democrat-
ic office. During its first year,
Congress and their senior
staff to learn from their ex-
periences. Often, Capitol Hill
internships are unpaid and
the prohibitive cost of living
in Washington, D.C. without
an income excludes many
qualified applicants from the
opportunity. To ensure stu-
dents of all backgrounds and
economic levels can partic-
ipate, the Bipartisan HBCU
Internship includes a stipend
to cover expenses during the
eight-week program.
Upon completion of the in-
ternship, students left D.C.
with writing samples, work
experience, incredible memo-
ries and personal connections
to aid them in their job search
after college. But it’s not just
students that benefited from
this experience, Democrats
and Republicans alike got
to hear directly from HBCU
students about their campus
life, challenges they face, and
their pride in their institu-
tions. Their presence made
our fight for HBCUs personal
and reminded Members of
Congress that our similarities
far outweigh our differences.
W.E.B. Dubois said, “Of all
the civil rights for which
the world has struggled and
fought for 500 years, the right
to learn is undoubtedly the
most fundamental.” HBCUs
are rooted in the tumultuous
history of race in America
but their contributions to
modern society go far beyond
their humble beginnings. HB-
CUs play an integral role in ed-
ucating students of color and,
with increased advocacy and
a seat at the decision-making
table, their reach will contin-
ue to grow.
Congressman Walker and
I are proud to continue this
internship for a second sum-
mer to increase the diversity
of opinions and experiences
on Capitol Hill and to build a
pipeline of HBCU students to
Washington, D.C.
info@theskanner.com
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NEW LOCATION!
‘Using Airbnb to Grow My Business, ‘I Bike Harlem’
F
or decades, many travel-
ers to New York City have
limited their excursions
to Manhattan neigh-
borhoods south of Central
Park. Moreover, those who
do choose to go beyond the
traditional tourist hotspots
often see neighborhoods like
Harlem — my home for nine
years — from the top floor of
a tour bus.
This experience cannot pos-
sibly impart the “real” Har-
lem — a vibrant and historic
community with world-class
cuisine, soulful music and a
rich artistic scene that contin-
ues to breathe new life into an
area whose cultural exports
have been changing the world
for over a hundred years.
I want visitors to see the Har-
lem I know up close, not from
behind the plexiglass of a tour
bus window. My business, “I
Bike Harlem,” gives travelers
the opportunity to discover
our handsome brownstones
and vibrant small businesses.
It’s a business I am incredibly
proud of and it’s a business
that would not exist were it
not for the economic oppor-
tunity provided by Airbnb.
I began sharing my home
on Airbnb as a way to earn a
little extra money while start-
ing I Bike Harlem. Through
Airbnb, I was able to raise
the funds I needed to start
my business — investing in
the bicycles, helmets, storage,
Maxine
Daniels
I Bike
Harlem
and insurance that brought it
from an idea on paper to real-
ity. Now, my business is grow-
ing — with customers from all
around the world including
right here in Harlem. In fact,
“
ferent forms, now more than
ever.
For example, I cannot count
on an angel investments or
incubators to help my busi-
ness grow. Rather than rely-
ing on “startup” culture, my
business is grounded in Har-
lem’s culture and the desire
of travelers to experience a
new place from a local’s per-
spective. And the investors
who helped my business get
off the ground aren’t venture
capitalists; they are everyday
I am proud to be an ‘Experience’
host, bringing the Harlem I know
and love within reach of millions
of Airbnb travelers
many of my customers are
Airbnb guests. In that way, I
am part of an “Airbnb busi-
ness cycle”: I started my com-
pany with income earned as
an Airbnb host, and in turn,
Airbnb guests have helped
my business grow and thrive.
Our elected officials often
talk about fostering a “start-
up” culture in New York
City, with millions of dollars
invested in tech campuses,
incubators, and tax credits
throughout the Empire State.
Important as these invest-
ments are, the truth is that
our public policy must recog-
nize that entrepreneurship
and the economic activity it
generates, comes in many dif-
people who chose to stay with
me on Airbnb.
Hosting on Airbnb gave me
the opportunity to start my
business. And guests on Airb-
nb helped build my business.
Now, Airbnb has launched
a new tool that will take my
business to the next level.
Dubbed “Airbnb: Experi-
ences,” this new service al-
lows visitors to partake in
offerings of hundreds of local
entrepreneurs—everything
from a multiple-day dance
immersion to a tour of local
pubs. I am proud to be an “Ex-
perience” host, bringing the
Harlem I know and love with-
in reach of millions of Airbnb
travelers.
In addition, Airbnb helps
visitors identify and patron-
ize authentic local businesses
by publishing neighborhood
guidebooks and partnering
with local business associ-
ations, such as the Harlem
Business Alliance, to hold
“Small Business Socials” and
“Merchant Walks.”
The impact of these ini-
tiatives are two-fold: saving
businesses money otherwise
spent on marketing, while
drawing visitors to neighbor-
hood businesses off-the-beat-
en-path.
In fact, 76 percent of restau-
rants in guidebooks appear
outside of traditional hotel
districts. With these services,
it’s no wonder that Airbnb
guests spent $470 million at
NYC restaurants in the year
ending September 1, 2016,
and more than $1.5 billion in
restaurants over the same pe-
riod in America’s 19 largest
cities.
Airbnb is more than just a
short-term rental website, it
is a dynamic platform that
is proving to be an engine
of economic opportunity. It
helps neighborhoods that
have long been ignored by the
traditional tourism industry,
brings in new customers to
local shops, and gives New
Yorkers like me the chance
to forge a new livelihood by
sharing my home and build-
ing my business.
