DETROIT, May 15 /CNW/ - The International Detroit Black Expo, Inc. (IDBE)
will present the first Buy Black Weekend; a four-day marketplace full of
business resources, networking, educational panels, media personalities,
literary arts and health information for people of all ages, Friday, May 25
through Monday, May 28, 2007, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. at COBO Hall in
Detroit.

The event is the largest expo of its kind in the country and represents a
culmination of more than three years of strategic planning and preparation.

Native Detroiter Ken Harris, Founder and CEO of the International Detroit
Black Expo, Inc. is a young, entrepreneurial-minded visionary with a dream of
fusing the philosophical ideologies of the 1920s Black Wall Street era (when
small business and self employment were plentiful) with the technological and
world market mindset of today.

International speaker and author George Fraser will serve as moderator
for the Town Hall Meeting held on Friday, May 25th, 2007 from 7:00 p.m. -
10:00 p.m. at COBO Hall in Detroit. World renowned actor, social activist Dick
Gregory as Keynote Speaker will address the audience on Saturday, May 26th,
2007 from 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. at COBO. All panels and discussions are free
and open to the public.

Harris feels that education and a focused approach to networking is the
key for entrepreneurs to survive and thrive in today's challenging global
marketplace. He hopes that Buy Black Weekend will be an effective mechanism in
spreading a fiscal gospel of change, empowerment and progress.

"Connecting generations of entrepreneurs through mobilization, education
and empowerment is the goal for Buy Black Weekend and I am excited to see that
this vision is coming to fruition," he said.

Buy Black Weekend will present a multitude of events over the four day
period that highlight the business community, empower start-up and small
businesses and provide a boost to both the city and state economic
infrastructure. Economic Empowerment, Generational Wealth, Kingdom Building
and Global Commerce represent the core focus of the panel discussions to be
held throughout the weekend.

The Entrepreneurship 100 Series Workshops provide 100 comprehensive,
business-related classes that cover a variety of topics including marketing
your business, obtaining a small business loan, how to start a 501(c) 3 and
many more.

General admission to the Expo is FREE to the public and a $10 per day
pass is available for the Next Detroit Entrepreneurship 100 Workshop Series.
Tickets can be purchased onsite and through ticketmaster.com. Some additional
weekend event highlights include:

-- Black Marketplace with 200+ vendors

-- Black Wall Street Awards Gala

-- Buy Black Town Hall Meeting

-- Entrepreneurship 100 Series

<<
-- Discussions
-- Celebrity Panels
-- Workshops
>>

The International Detroit Black Expo (IDBE), Inc., a 501 (c) 3 org.,
represents over 20,000 African American businesses worldwide and is growing.
IDBE has established itself as "the premier networking organization" and
economic empowerment engine for black-owned businesses. IDBE hosts monthly
Black Business Expos, which provide networking opportunities, business
resources and educational opportunities for entrepreneurs and future business
owners.

For more information or to register for classes log on to:
www.buyblackweekend.com.



For further information: The Wilmore Agency Lisa Wilmore, 313-980-4766
Lwilmore@DetroitBlackExpo.com