There’s a major college competition heating up. Morgan State is set to defend its title at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (HCASC). It is an intense academic competition for students from Historically Black College and Universities (HBCUs). The National Championship Tournament (NCT) will take place April 7 and 8 on the campus of American Honda Motor Co, Inc., a culmination of the year-long program.

More than 250 students from 18 states represent 48 HBCUs. They have spent many months training for their chance at the National Championship by participating in pre-NCT matches.

The students participate for the opportunity to win a share of the more than $300,000 in institutional grants awarded annually by Honda. According to a press release, the two-day competition tests students’ knowledge of history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social science, and popular culture.

Here’s how it works: The competitors will be split into eight divisions and will compete in a modified round-robin format. The top two teams from each division will advance to the “Sweet 16” and will compete in a single elimination playoff. The final two teams that emerge from the playoffs will battle for the title of National Champions and the grand prize of $50,000. The grand prize, along with the other institutional grants, will support academic activities at the participating HBCUs.

The competition has been going on for 24 years, awarding more than $7 million in grants. HCASC is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives in the United  States.

AP Photo/Paul Sakuma

And just as you were losing faith, looking at Apple’s stock price down to around $450 from its $700 high this past September, you almost missed another Apple power move.

The tech company is working with Honda and Chevrolet to add the popular iPhone assistant Siri to some new 2013 vehicles. The new feature will allow drivers to access Siri from any synced third or fourth generation iPhone at the push of a button.

This is a pretty big deal since the existing voice command technology in most vehicles can require you to speak like a robot for your request to register and still many times your command is unsuccessful. With Siri you can talk in a natural voice to make calls, compose text messages, and get directions, although it will not have the capacity to conduct complex commands like changing the radio station or navigating your climate control.

Apple’s new “Eye’s Free” system will be available in the 2013 Honda Accord, Accura RDX and XLI. Chevy will offer it in the Spark and Sonic some time in 2013. However, details have not been given on the specifics of the release date for “Eyes Free” and how much it will cost.

This is a great way for Apple to keep people interested at a time when some of their other moves are a little tired. And it’s a means to possibly expand their market share.  However, I’d presume agreements with automakers to implement Siri will not be enough to revitalize investor confidence.

However, as Forbes mentions, if Apple can actually create an automotive “infotainment” technology suite that doesn’t solely rely on iPhone integration, but can compete with MyFord Touch and Cadillac CUE that might actually be a move that could lead to an uptick in their stock price.

Performers during the Honda Battle of the Bands. Image via Facebook

Black consumers are an attractive target audience for marketers — or they should be. In 2012, Nielsen cited The Selig Center for Economic Growth,  which reported that US black consumers will have $1.1 trillion in annual buying power by 2015 [PDF].

“Marketers have responded to the growing diversification of the U.S. population by increasing their spending to reach multicultural consumers,” said Bob Liodice, president and CEO of the Association of National Advertisers (ANA), in a statement. “These consumers are younger, more acculturated, and more tech-savvy, making the use of newer media platforms more important than ever.” The ANA released its 2012 Multicultural Marketing and New Media Survey Results in October.

Despite all of this, only 54 percent of US marketers are using new media tools — social media, video and mobile, among others — to target black consumers, according to the ANA’s survey. Nearly all marketers, 88 percent, said they were targeting Hispanic customers.

“Statistics show that the Hispanic population in the United States is rapidly increasing and by 2050 they will most likely not be considered a minority,” explained Verna Coleman-Hagler, a brand manager at Procter & Gamble, in an email exchange with Madame Noire. “Considering this trend I think that brands are identifying the need to target this emerging market to build brand loyalty sooner rather than later.”

“Brands are not taking full advantage of social media to reach black consumers,” Keisha Brown, senior vice president and managing director of multicultural agency Lagrant Communications, told Madame Noire. “If you’re going to venture into social media to target the consumer, you have to do it the right way, with authenticity and consistency.”

So are marketers succeeding in their outreach to the African-American community? Let’s look at a couple examples.

Procter & Gamble’s My Black is Beautiful
Procter & Gamble was one of the first major advertisers to leverage social media to create a sustainable program to connect with its black customers, when My Black is Beautiful launched on Facebook in 2009. Launched as a company-wide, on and offline program celebrating the beauty of black women in 2007, MBIB has a multi-city tour and a TV show, and uses social media to discuss topics such as breast cancer awareness month, beauty tips for black women, coupons and deals, and everyday inspiration.

Source: Bossip.com

For a minute there it seemed like things were looking up for T-Boz. Now, now to much. TLC’s money woes are no secret but even an attempt at filing bankruptcy didn’t help this singer because her car is about to be repossessed.

Honda has filed a lawsuit in Georgia against Tionne Watkins for failing to make payments on her 2005 Honda Odyssey. In the suit, Honda asked the judge for permission to take the car back, and if they get the go ahead it could be on for everyone else.

Reason being, last year, T-Boz filed for bankruptcy but when she failed to complete the necessary paperwork, she lost all of the protections that come with the filing. If she’s behind on car payments, it’s likely she’s behind on other things too like her mortgage. As of November, she owed over $740K on her $1.2 million house. According to the court documents, her monthly expenses added up to about $8,800 and she brings in $11,700 per month, although she gets only $1200 per month in royalties. Her health issues, though, have likely put her in this financial predicament. T-Boz been very public about her struggles after a brain tumor. It doesn’t help that she’s owed $250,000 in child support payments from her ex-husband, rapper Mac 10, either.

Hopefully Tionne can figure something out. Besides her home, it doesn’t appear she’s living too lavishly with a 2005 car. This stress on top of her illnesses is not good for her health.

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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There are a number of factors that make fuel-efficient cars an attractive option. Besides having to fill up on gas less, (thus cutting down on the amount of dollars you use at the pump) being eligible for a federal tax credit worth up to $3,400, and being good for the environment, fuel-efficient cars are becoming the go to choice if your looking to combine safety and saving some money. Recently, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety found that small, fuel-efficient cars are becoming safer.

According to CNNMoney, for a vehicle to receive the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s Top Safety Pick Award, a vehicle must earn top scores for front and side impact, as well as rear-impact whiplash protection. The vehicle also needs to have electronic stability control available, and a high-tech system that helps drivers maintain control during abrupt maneuvers. Check out the 10 winners the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety selected, as compiled by CNNMoney.

Chevrolet Cruze ECO

Price: $18,425

Mileage: 28 City/42 Hwy

Equipped with 6-speed manual transmission, the Eco has a number of fuel saving features including aerodynamic body add-ons and super-efficient 5th and 6th gears.

It’s been a tough decade for the auto industry. The recession threatened the big automakers of Motor City and government intervention was mandated in 2008 to save the big three companies from imploding. Two years later, the industry seems to be in much better shape. This year, automakers have sold over 9.6 million cars and trucks, which is an 11 percent improvement from last year. Here is a list of auto sales, based on purchases recorded through end of October, and collected by Forbes.

Hyundai Sonata: 166,628 sold

Chevrolet Malibu: 175,599 sold

Honda Motor Co. will recall more than 410,000 Odyssey minivans and Element small trucks because of braking system problems that could make it tougher to stop the vehicle if not repaired. The recall includes 344,000 Odysseys and 68,000 Elements from the 2007 and 2008 model years.

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