Black Trumpet Awards
Atlanta, GA – The best and brightest of Trumpet Awards Honorees are slated to receive the 2008 esteemed Trumpet Award and join the list of some of the most celebrated personalities in this nation and abroad. Presented by the Trumpet Awards Foundation, the ceremony will be held at the Atlanta Civic Center on Sunday, Jan. 13. The Annual Trumpet Awards honor African-American achievers in many varied fields of endeavor including law, business, medicine, politics, entertainment and public service.
For more information call 404-505-8188.
Eleven Names Added To Civil Rights Walk Of Fame
Atlanta, GA – The “Footsteps” of 11 new revered civil rights luminaries will be added to the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. This induction ceremony will be one of the featured events of the Annual Trumpet Awards and is scheduled for Jan. 12 at the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site, National Park Service in Atlanta, GA. The program and unveiling of the footsteps are free and open to the public. The International Civil Rights Walk of Fame was created to give recognition to those brave soldiers of justice who sacrificed and struggled to make equality a reality for all.
For more information call 404-505-8188.
NBA Women And Feed The Children Provide Shoes For Children In Africa
Oklahoma City, Okla. – International hunger relief organization Feed The Children has partnered with wives and mothers of NBA players in a project called “Sole to Sole,” to help provide shoes to children in Africa. A group of NBA players’ wives and mothers will travel to Kenya this month with Feed The Children President, Larry Jones, to personally place shoes on children’s feet. In an effort to raise money for the project, shoes autographed by players throughout the league will be auctioned off on eBay with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the cause. For more information, visit www.soletosole.org.
Macy Appoints Marketing Leader
New York, NY – Macy’s Inc. has appointed Aubyn Elaine Thomas as Senior Vice President of Marketing Services. In her new role, Thomas will be responsible for driving growth and service excellence for Macy’s financial services businesses. Her multicultural marketing leadership will enhance the Macy’s brand experience and continued offering of quality, fashion-forward assortments. Formerly, Thomas was vice president of the brand and acquisition marketing group at Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc in Las Vegas. Her team built the framework for the company and developed advertising programs to build equity and distinction. Thomas’s educational background includes a dual degree program in Engineering; a 5-year undergraduate curriculum.
Organization Targets Black Girls Struggles
Nationwide - The struggles of Black girls are often overlooked. Higher rates of obesity, HIV infection and teenage pregnancy are leading factors of why Mocha Sisters Organization senses the urgency to D.R.E.A.M. DREAM (Dedicated to Reaching and Empowering Aspiring Minds), is a mentoring program designed by Mocha Sisters Organization (MSO) to address crucial issues facing Black girls. Participants in the program are exposed to mentors and elements that increase their knowledge of African American heritage, health, dating, etiquette, career choices, self esteem and respect. MSO currently have branches in Georgia, Illinois, Texas, Virginia and branches currently in development in Florida, Alabama and New York.
For more information call 1-877-512-0771 or visit mentor@mochasisters.org.
HUD Charges Alabama Landlord With Violating Fair Housing Act
Washington, D.C. - The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is charging Neysa C. Crim of Decatur, Alabama, with violating the federal Fair Housing Act for refusing to rent her home to a Black man, making unlawful and discriminatory statements and falsely representing that a house was unavailable to rent.
According to HUD's investigation, Jimmy Lewis Crump responded to an advertisement for a two-bedroom home on East Moulton Street and left several messages for the landlord. After telling his white supervisor about the situation, she offered to call on his behalf. Crim allegedly told the supervisor she did not want to rent to Blacks. The hearing on the charge is scheduled for Feb. 5, 2008 in Decatur, Ala.
HUD's Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity (FHEO) and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate approximately 10,000 housing discrimination complaints a year.
For more information call 1-800-669-9777 or visit www.hud.gov/fairhousing.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Celebrates 100-Year Milestone
Chicago, IL – This month Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., became the first African-American sorority to reach its 100-year milestone. In commemoration, from January 12-15, thousands of members will make a solemn pilgrimage to their founding Home of Howard University. There, in a series of joyous and solemn tributes, they will salute Alpha chapter on its Centennial and reflect on the journey that took them from nine founding members of Alpha Chapter in 1908 on one campus of Howard University, to 200,000 members in 975 chapters worldwide.
For more information, visit www.aka1908.com.
NAACP Appoints Leading Civil Rights Attorney
Washington, D.C. – John Payton, an attorney known for his successful record in some of the most important and visible civil rights cases in the U.S., has been named Director-Counsel and President of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF). Payton brings a wealth of experience, including cases brought before the U.S. Supreme Court, in leading the LDF in its fight for racial and social justice. As lead counsel for the University of Michigan, Payton argued the affirmative action admissions case successfully before the trial court, appeals court, and ultimately before the Supreme Court.
For more information call 212-965-2783 or visit mgagarin@naacpldf.org.
National Urban League Calls for Increased Aid for Struggling Homeowners
New York – At a Wall Street rally addressing the subprime mortgage crisis last month, National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial Monday called for increased assistance for homeowners in foreclosure as a result of adjustable-rate, high-interest and high-cost subprime mortgage loans. Around the nation there has been an estimated 1.7 million foreclosures and another 2 million expected in the coming years. Morial blamed this on the way brokers use loans to exploit and taint the dream of homeownership for countless urban residents.For more information call 212-558-5315 or visit nul.org.
Aviators, Bikers And Entrepreneurs Come Together In A Historic Event
Tuskegee, AL – For the past 40 years, the Negro Airmen International, the oldest Black civilian aviation organization in the world, has sponsored a "Fly-In," during the Memorial Weekend, at Moton Field, Tuskegee, Alabama. It is one of the most celebrated events of the South. The theme for this year is OPERATION HOMECOMING: From Selma to Tuskegee, Making an Economic Impact. Coming to take part in this year's event will include The Atlanta Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce and members of the East Coast Bad Boys Sport Bike Club. The celebration begins May 22 in Selma and will end on May 25 in Tuskegee, Alabama.
For more information visit www.blackwings.com
Victory In Challenging The English Only Initiative
Anchorage, AK – On Nov. 2, 2007 the Alaska Supreme Court struck down the unconstitutional provision of the Official English Initiative on the grounds that it violates speech rights protected by the federal and Alaska Constitutions. The English-only Initiative was adopted in 1998 and required the state, its political subdivisions and all state employees to use only English in all government functions and actions at the state and local levels. Twenty-seven plaintiffs from the Yup’ik villages of Quinhagak, Manokotak, Kasigluk, Chefornak, and Atmautluak brought suit against the state to block the Official English Initiative’s implementation.
Veterans Struggle To Get Health Insurance
Atlanta, GA – The health crisis in America, which has left 47 million people without health insurance, is devastating veterans and their families. A study by Harvard Medical School recently documented the plight suffered by veterans and their families because of the health insurance debacle. Of the 47 million people without health insurance, one out of every eight, or 12.2 percent, is a veteran or member of a veteran household. Specifically, the study said 1.8 million veterans and 3.8 million household members are uninsured. And the number of uninsured veterans increased by 290,000 since 2000.
For more information, e-mail mike@frisbyassociates.com.
Black Investigative Newspaper Awards Community
New York, NY – The Black Star News, New York's leading African American investigative newspaper honored 11 outstanding individuals from the community at its 2007 Annual Awards Dinner at Harlem's famed Nubian Heritage, on Nov. 30, 2007. The 2007 lineup of stellar honorees included Lillian Roberts, who heads District Council 37, New York's largest municipal employees union, and legendary journalist Gil Noble, host of "Like It Is," news and current events show on ABC Television. The Black Star News is a weekly newspaper focusing on investigative news in New York City.
For more information, visit www.blackstarnews.com.
Microsoft Donates Software To The National Society Of Black Engineers
Redmond, WA – Microsoft will donate developer software to all National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) educational chapters in the U.S. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft Corp., made the announced in November at the NSBE Region VI Fall Regional Conference. The software grant provides NSBE educational chapters with a three-year membership subscription to the Microsoft Developer Network Academic Alliance. Through the memberships, faculty and student NSBE chapter members will have access to more than 100 Microsoft software products. NSBE has more than 270 chapters on college and university campuses.
For more information, visit www.nsbe.org.
National Association Of Black Accountants, Inc. Names New Executive Director
Greenbelt, MD – The National Association of Black Accountants, Inc. appointed Gregory Johnson, CPA, a seasoned Accounting professional with more than 20 years of public accounting and professional experience as the organization's new Executive Director last month. A longtime member of the NABA, Johnson brings more than 20 years of diverse business experience, serving in key positions in public accounting and at the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. NABA is one of the premier professional organizations in the nation. The organization currently boasts more than 200 professional and student chapters across the country. For more information call or visit www.nabainc.org.
TCA Announces Study In Turkey Scholarships For Black Students
Washington, DC – The Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) announced the launch of a Study in Turkey Scholarship Program for African American students last month. The program will be administered in cooperation with Diversity Abroad and other Black institutions. TCA, through Diversity Abroad, will award up to 50 grants per year in the amount of $2,000 for full-time Black undergraduates, who have been accepted to a study abroad program for a semester at a Turkish university. The key objective of the program is for Black students to foster friendship, understanding and cooperation between the United States and Turkey.
For more information, visit www.diversityabroad.com/scholarships.
National Black Boycott Website Changes Domain Name
Denver, CO – The National Black Boycott Information Bureau (NBBIB) has acquired a new domain name and can now be found at www.nbbib.org. The new .org domain name was made to better fit the nonprofit organizational structure. The NBBIB serves as an online resource center designed to provide information regarding boycotts by Black Americans. The main function of this website is to improve the effectiveness of boycotting as a strategy for social change by providing the key elements of communication and information.
For more information, visit www.nbbib.org.
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