Applicants Sought For ICAC Urban Expansion
Nationwide - The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) invites applicants for its Internet Crimes Against Children Expansion-Urban (Phase III) solicitation. The ICAC Task Force Program helps states and local law enforcement agencies develop effective responses to technology-facilitated exploitation of children, including online enticement and child pornography. Applicants are limited to state and local law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies that can develop and lead an ICAC Task Force to operate in an urban area or region underserved by the current program. Application deadline is Aug. 9. Applicants should register at www.grants.gov.
For more information, visit www.ojp.usdoj.gov/ojjdp.
Balm In Gilead Founder Receives Award
Richmond, VA - Pernessa Seele, founder and CEO of The Balm In Gilead, received the 2007 Role Model Award presented by the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc., during the president's annual address of the Congress of Christian Education, held in St. Louis, MO, June 18-22. Congress President Dr. R.B. Holmes presented the award to Seele, who received this award for her service and advocacy in the church community. Other honorees included: Mr. Gregory Anderson, writer, Stomp the Yard; Mr. Chris Cardner, author, The Pursuit of Happyness; The Honorable Glenda Hatchett; and, Mr. Kevin Carter, St. Louis Rams.
For more information, call 1-800-225-6243 or visit www.balmingilead.org.
Beyoncé And Hudson Win Two BET Awards Each
Los Angeles, CA - Mega-star Beyoncé and first-time BET Awards nominee Jennifer Hudson each walked away with two awards from the 2007 BET Awards, the annual mega-salute to music, film and sports from BET Networks. Beyoncé was named best female R&B artist, and won for video of the year for the female-empowering "Irreplaceable." Hudson won for best new artist and best female actress. Rapper T.I. repeated his win from last year's awards for best hip-hop Artist, and Kirk Franklin also came through with a repeat win for best gospel artist. Ludacris and Mary J. Blige were awarded best song collaboration for "Runaway Love," and Gnarls Barkley was named best group.
For the complete list of winners or more information, visit www.bet.com.
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EEOC And Walgreens Resolve Lawsuit
Washington, DC - Naomi C. Earp, Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), announced a $20 million proposed consent decree resolving a systemic race discrimination lawsuit against Walgreens, the Illinois-based national drug store chain. The EEOC's suit alleged that Walgreens discriminated against African-American retail management and pharmacy employees in promotion, compensation and assignment. In addition to the monetary relief for an estimated 10,000 class members, the consent decree prohibits store assignments based on race. A lawsuit alleging similar claims was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois in June 2005 on behalf of 14 former and current African-American Walgreens' employees. Walgreens denied each of the allegations made by the private plaintiffs and the EEOC. The two cases were consolidated in April 2007.
For more information, visit www.eeoc.gov.
Heart & Soul Seeks Cover Model
Baltimore, MD - Heart & Soul magazine, the nation's leading source of health and fitness information for African-American women, has launched a nationwide search to find the "healthy, wealthy and wise" cover model for the publication's December/January issue. The contest runs through Aug. 31, and is open to women who are at least 18 years old at the time of entry and legal residents of the United States. Along with supplying photos, entrants must also submit a 200-word essay describing how they embody the spirit, attitude and lifestyle of a healthy, wealthy or wise woman.
The grand prize-winner will receive an all-expense paid trip to the site of a cover photo shoot, as well as a two-year subscription to Heart & Soul and a two-year supply of products from Crème of Nature, the gold standard for cleansing and conditioning African-American women's hair.
For more information, visit www.heartandsoul.com or www.cremeofnature.com.
New Executive Director Of Sunday School Publishing
Nashville, TN - The Rev. Dr. Kelly Miller Smith, Jr. of Knoxville, Tenn., has been selected to serve as the executive director of the Sunday School Publishing Board of the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. Smith, who was previously the secretary for the Corporate Board of Directors of the Sunday School Publishing Board, assumes the position following the death of the previous executive director, the Rev. Dr. Earl L. Thomas in April 2007. Smith brings over 30 years of religious and business leadership experience to the position. He currently serves as Pastor of the Mt. Olive Baptist Church in Knoxville, TN. Under his leadership, the church has experienced tremendous growth, spiritually, financially and numerically. His accomplishments include the establishment of two church-related academies, one of which will begin this fall as a pre-school.
For more information, call 615-256-2480.
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New President And CEO Of BET Networks
New York, NY - BET Networks, a unit of Viacom Inc., announced that Scott Mills has been named president and chief executive officer for BET Networks. The company also appointed Michael Pickrum as chief financial officer, and named Denmark West to serve as president of digital media. Mills, who was most recently BET Networks' CFO and President of Digital Media, will lead the company's business operations, including advertising sales, content distribution and marketing, legal and business affairs, finance, digital, research, international and administration. Pickrum will be responsible for managing the financial operations for BET Networks and will play a strategic role in the overall management of the company. West will lead the company's expanding portfolio of digital brands,and will oversee the development and implementation of the company's global digital strategy.
For more information, visit www.bet.com.
Tom Joyner Foundation Launches Scholarship
Dallas, TX - The Tom Joyner Foundation kicked off a new scholarship program – "Brothers on the Move" – to help increase the number of Black males enrolled in Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs). The first recipient of the $1,500 scholarship is Joshua Dedmond, a junior at Tougaloo College in Mississippi. To be an eligible to be a candidate for the scholarship, students must attend one of the Foundation's "Schools of the Month", have a grade point average of at least 3.0, be a campus leader, involved in the community, and have a career goal to make a difference in the quality of life for his race while helping others. For information about the scholarship program, students should contact their school administrators directly to determine their eligibility.
For more information, visit www.tomjoyner.com.
Minimum Wage Increased To $5.85
Washington, DC – The U.S. Department of Labor has increased the federal minimum wage to $5.85 on July 24. With this change, workers covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) will be entitled to be paid no less than $5.85 per hour. The law also requires that workers be paid on their regular paydays for all hours worked during a pay period. The Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 amended the FLSA to increase the federal minimum wage in three steps: to $5.85 per hour effective July 24; to $6.55 per hour effective July 24, 2008; and to $7.25 per hour effective July 24, 2009. A separate provision of the bill will bring about phased increases to the minimum wage in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) and American Samoa, with the goal of bringing the minimum wage in those locations up to the general federal minimum wage over a number of years.
For more information, call 866-4US-WAGE (487-9243) or visit www.wagehour.dol.gov.
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