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National Network News

--A loving spirit remembered--
A memorial service was held this past weekend for Herbert Woods, the husband of Sylvia Woods. Together, Sylvia and Herbert started New York's world-famous Sylvia's Restaurant in 1963 and later opened a second restaurant in Atlanta in 1997. The New York restaurant is known for its African-American inspired food. The couple also launched a line of canned and bottled food products that is sold in supermarkets across the country. Sylvia and Herbert shared a loving relationship over the 57 years they were married and put their pennies together to create their business success. Together, they worked side by side from their days in Hemingway, South Carolina and created one of the world's most adored restaurants. Woods had prostate cancer and died at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. There was also a service at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. We remember him fondly and salute him for his living testimony of faith, family and leadership.

---A salute to young people fighting discrimination---
Muhammad Ali, along with recording artists Dave Matthew's Band, Destiny's Child, Method Man, and actress Mena Suvari joined President, MTV Group & Chairman Interactive Music, Judy McGrath, President MTV & MTV2, Van Toffler, and MTV President of Programming Brian Graden to announce a search for five special young people -- one from each artists' hometown and one national contender -- who are leading the way in the fight against discrimination. Each of the selected individuals will be granted a $50,000 Fight For Your Rights Leadership Scholarship. The funds will go toward each grantee's education, with an emphasis on the continuation of their anti-discrimination and social justice work. Muhammad Ali, as a representative from the Muhammad Ali Center and SHiNE, will recognize one national winner, while The Dave Matthew's Band, Destiny's Child, Method Man, and Mena Suvari will each award an individual from their own hometown counties -- Charlottesville, VA (and surrounding Albermarle County), Houston, TX (Harris County), New York, NY (New York County) and Los Angeles, CA (Los Angeles County), respectively. Designed to support the next generation of civil rights leaders, the Fight For Your Rights Leadership Scholarship Program, coordinated by SHiNE (Seeking Harmony in Neighborhoods Everyday) and NCCJ (National Conference for Community and Justice), is a component of MTV's year-long pro-social initiative "Fight for Your Rights: Take a Stand Against Discrimination." Applications for the scholarships are currently being accepted until September 15, 2001 and can be obtained along with complete instructions and eligibility requirements at FightforYourRights.MTV.com. The winners will be announced with Muhammad Ali at a SHiNE event in New York City on October 24, 2001.

---Pay discrimination---
Following is a statement by Judith C. Appelbaum, National Women's Law Center vice president and director of employment opportunities: "It has been nearly four decades since President Kennedy signed into law the Equal Pay Act of 1963, making it illegal for employers to pay unequal wages to men and women who hold the same job and do the same work. Despite the obvious fairness of this simple principle, American women today are still finding their paychecks shortchanged because of their sex. "Women still earn, on average, only 72 cents for every dollar earned by men. Women of color fare significantly worse. An African-American woman earns just 65 cents to every dollar earned by a white man, while a Hispanic woman earns only 52 cents on the dollar. Over seventy percent of American women with children are now in the paid workforce, and a growing number of single women provide most or all of their families' support. These families cannot afford a paycheck that is shortchanged just because the worker who earned it is a woman. Numerous studies also show that even when women make the same career choices as men and work the same hours,
they still earn less. That is why we are calling on Congress to act quickly on the Paycheck Fairness Act, introduced by Sen. Daschle and Rep. DeLauro and co-sponsored by many others. This bill would close loopholes in the existing laws against pay discrimination."

---Anti-Defamation League honors---
Former Vice President Al Gore and his wife, Tipper Gore was honored by the Southeast Region of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) with the 2001 Johnny Cash Americanism Award. The award is given to individuals who embody the ADL's fight against racism, prejudice, and bigotry and the defense of democratic ideals. The award is named after its first recipient, music legend Johnny Cash, who was honored in 1989 for his stands against racial and religious bigotry, often at physical risk to himself and his family. The Anti-Defamation League, founded in 1913 fights anti-Semitism and all forms of bigotry around the world, combats international terrorism, probes the roots of hatred, advocates before Congress, aids victims of bigotry, develops educational programs and serves as a public resource for government, media, law enforcement and the public.

---Harvard University names Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow---
Harvard University has named Wisconsin State Representative Johnnie Morris-Tatum as a 2001 Fannie Mae Foundation Fellow for its Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Representative Morris-Tatum is one of 25 community leaders, selected from across the country, who will attend an intensive, three-week course designed to develop leadership skills, stimulate interest in new management ideas and techniques, and develop relationships among public-sector colleagues. Representative Johnnie Morris-Tatum received her honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Trinity College and Seminary of Chicago in 1996. She is a full time legislator and the fourth African-American female ever elected to serve in the Wisconsin State Assembly in the history of Wisconsin. Her memberships past and present include the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and National Conference of State Legislators.

---National Minority AIDS Council ---
The Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus conducted a Special HIV/AIDS hearing. The hearing focused on the activities carried out by the US Department of Health and Human Services to implement the Minority HIV/AIDS Initiative, which has provided an infusion of targeted and tailored funding to address and reduce the disparities in HIV-related morbidity, mortality and to improve health outcomes for people of color highly impacted by HIV/AIDS. The Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tommy Thompson, and other officials from various federal health agencies testified on activities to implement the Initiative, which is intended to build and expand the infrastructure and capacity of minority community-based organizations (CBOs) to provide quality HIV prevention interventions, and health care and supportive services. Since 1998, this targeted Initiative has enabled minority CBOs to access capacity building assistance and the resources necessary to mount an effective response to the epidemic within their own communities. The hearing looked at statistical data on the impact of HIV/AIDS in minority communities. More than 56% of the cumulative AIDS cases have been among people of color: 292,522 (38%) among Blacks/ African Americans, and 141,694 (18%) among Hispanics/Latinos compared to 330,160 (43%) cases among whites. People of color account for 53% of the cumulative AIDS related deaths: 158,892 (35%) among Blacks/African Americans, and 77,698 (17%) among Hispanics/Latinos compared to 206,909 (46%) among whites. For more information on NMAC and its programs, please visit the NMAC website at http://www.nmac.org or call Carlos Velez, JD, Acting Director of Communications at 202-483-6622, ext. 306.

---United Nations General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS---
The United Nations General Assembly unprecedented Special Session on HIV/AIDS will feature a historic event hosted by The Balm In Gilead. A church worship service, themed "Harlem Churches Unite in Praise and Worship for the Healing of AIDS," will be held Monday, June 25 at Harlem's Canaan Baptist Church of Christ at 7:30 p.m. Several hundred international dignitaries will worship with one of the world's most historic communities in a religious service designed to encourage the full participation of faith-based institutions in responding to the AIDS crisis in their respective neighborhoods around the world. "Harlem Churches Unite in Praise and Worship for the Healing of AIDS" is one of many special events being organized throughout New York City during the three-day special session on HIV/AIDS. The Balm In Gilead is a not-for-profit, national organization located in New York City whose mission is to build the capacity of African American churches to become community centers for HIV prevention, treatment and compassion.

---Department of Defense to recognize African-American Korean War veterans---The following was released by the U.S. Department of Defense 50th Anniversary of the Korean War Commemoration Committee: Like most American service members returning home after halting North Korean and Chinese aggression and saving South Korea, African-Americans serving in the armed forces didn't get a rousing welcome when they returned after the Korean War. On July 23 the Department of Defense will give African-American Korean War veterans the thanks they did not receive 50 years ago with a wreath laying and plaque dedication at Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Va. The ceremony, part of the Congressionally mandated, three-year commemoration period from June 25, 2000 to Nov. 11, 2003, will be attended by many veterans service organizations and feature speeches by New York Congressman Charles Rangel and retired Army Lt. Gen. Julius Becton, both Korean War veterans, to name a few. African-Americans served in all combat and combat service elements during the Korean War and were involved in all major combat operations. For more information visit the Commemoration Web site at: http://korea50.army.mil or call toll-free 866-KOREA50.

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