---Black
Sports Agents Association honors Kobe Bryant during TV
special---
Los Angeles Laker's superstar Kobe Bryant will receive
the Black Sports Agents Association's (BSAA) Athlete of
the Year Award during the upcoming Sports Awards &
Music Television Special. The awards show, set for broadcast
later this summer on NBC stations across the country,
will be taped Sunday, July 1, 2001 at 8:30 PM, at Le Theatre
des Arts in Las Vegas (Paris Hotel). The special, hosted
by acclaimed actor Morris Chestnut and actress Gabrielle
Union, will also honor Super Bowl MVP Ray Lewis, boxing
phenom Laila Ali, track stars Alvin and Calvin Harrison
and sports agent Lamont Smith. The one-hour special will
feature appearances and performances by some of today's
hottest entertainers and sports figures including: Steve
Harvey, Jamie Foxx, Carl Lewis, Don King, Sommore, and
model/actor Boris Kodjoe among others. The Sports Awards
& Music Special was created by the BSAA to honor those
individuals who have made outstanding achievements while
demonstrating distinguished characteristics and qualities
within the sports industry. The award show will culminate
the BSAA's Sports & Music Weekend, which includes
the BSAA annual sports conference. The conference brings
together some of the brightest minds and talent that power
all aspects of professional sports. Topics such as: How
To Become a Professional Sports Agent, Ethics and Sports/Athletes
and the Law, New Media/Sports and the Internet and The
Health and Wellness of an Athlete will be led by luminaries
such as Billy Hunter, Gene Upshaw, Bill Strickland, Bill
Duffy, Eddie George, Laila Ali, Gary Payton and Andre
Farr, among others. Workshops will be held June 29 and
30 from 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Reverend Jesse Jackson and
other sports industry professionals founded the BSAA in
1996 to foster African American representation and participation
in management positions within the sports industry. In
1996, the BSAA only accounted for 3% of the NBA and the
NFL combined. Today, the BSAA represents the majority
of the NFL and NBA talent. For more information on these
events, call (310) 858-6565, log on to www.blacksportsagents.com
or
send email to: Damon Oliver (d.t.oliver@usa.net). Media
inquiries should be directed to Kristen Wright at (310)864-3941.
---Connecticut: Conference to examine
"Contemporary African Issues"----
The Department of Business Administration at Eastern
Connecticut State University (ECSU) will host a conference
on "Contemporary African Issues." The day-long
conference will take place on Friday, October 19th.
in Webb Hall, located on ECSU's North Campus. The conference
will examine democracy, business development, education,
women's rights, literature and the arts, technology,
medicine, U.S. African relations, and the media in Africa.
Dr. Chiaku Ndu, professor of business administration
at ECSU and conference organizer, is issuing a call
for papers. "We are looking for balanced papers
on African issues that not only highlight problems,
but also offer solutions" said Ndu, who also seeks
papers that focus on the positive attributes of the
African continent, her natural capacities, and endowments
that can be developed. Conceptual, research and practical
papers describing previously unpublished, original ideas
or research, not currently under review by another conference,
journal, are solicited on the topics listed: Business,
Education, Arts, Technology, U.S./African Relations,
and Social Development. The registration fee for the
conference is $75 before September 1st and $85 after
September 1st. The fee will cover breakfast, lunch,
dinner, and a copy of the conference proceedings. Registration
will continue until full. For more information on the
conference or registration, contact Dr. Chiaku Ndu,
Dept. of Business Administration, (860) 465-5393, nduc@easternct.edu
or Dwight Bachman (860) 465-5114, bachman@easternct.edu.
---Texas: Can I get a loan? ---
ACCION Texas, a nonprofit microlender that provides
loans and business support services to small businesses,
has reached a milestone by disbursing $10 million in
loans to small-business owners and setting a precedent
for microlending statewide. Alice Thibodeaux, who received
the benchmark loan, owns Big Man B-B-Q, a family-run
barbecue restaurant in Garland, Texas. Thibodeaux needed
to purchase more inventory and equipment to keep up
with the demand. She then turned to ACCION Texas for
help after being turned down by several banks. ACCION
Texas promotes the economic self-reliance of individuals
and families by providing credit and other support services
to small, or micro, businesses that are unable to access
capital through typical financial institutions and usually
are not considered good candidates for traditional commercial
loans. FYI, 80 percent of Accion borrowers are Hispanic
or African-American, over half are women, and nearly
all have incomes at or below 150 percent of federal
poverty guidelines. Since the beginning of its program
in 1994, ACCION Texas has made 2,696 loans valued at
over $10 million and is the state's largest microlender.
For more information, call toll-free at 888-215-2373.
---Designer Touch unveils revolutionary
new hair care line---
Luster Products, Inc., the leading African-American
owned manufacturer of hair care products, have prided
themselves on keeping a finger on the pulse of consumers'
needs. Designer Touch, the professional hair care line
for Luster Products, announced a new 3-N-1 Colorlaxer
system that allows salon stylists to relax, color, and
condition in one step. Designer Touch Strait Shades
Colorlaxer has been years in the making. Relaxers, conditioners,
and colors are traditionally performed as a three-step
process, and in many cases done over multiple visits
to the salon to ensure hair safety. Designer Touch is
the first to offer a hair care system that relaxes,
conditions and colors hair in one step. Strait Shades
Color Seal Neutralizer locks in color and conditioners
from the Colorlaxer. To extend color vibrancy and condition,
Strait Shades offers the Color Enhancing Shampoo and
Color Enhancing Conditioner. The Anti Shedding Conditioner
offers an intensive conditioning treatment for hair
that is damaged or breaking. For more information about
the new Strait Shades line, visit the Designer Touch
For Professionals Only Web site at www.designertouch.com
or call 800/621-4255.
---Detroit: Honoring Mayor Archer---
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary
Tommy G. Thompson presented Mayor Dennis W. Archer with
an award for outstanding service to the people of Detroit
at a luncheon held during the U.S. Conference of Mayors
(USCM) 69th Annual Meeting. The award was presented
shortly after Mayor Archer worked with several other
mayors to erect two walls of a house being built for
a family by Habitat for Humanity. More than 400 mayors
from around the country gathered in Detroit for the
organization's 69th annual conference. The USCM is a
non-partisan organization representing cities with populations
of 30,000 or more.
---Santa Monica: Black artists display
new work in "Freestyle"---
Engaging new work by 28 young Black artists poised to
emerge in the 21st Century will be on display at the
Santa Monica Museum of Art from September 28 through
November 18. Freestyle, a title inspired by the popular
musical form, brings together an eclectic group of artists
who are exploring a range of issues and working in a
variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography,
video and digital technology. The exhibition is a reflection
of the current creative moment among a new generation
of Black artists, including Laylah Ali, Rico Gatson,
Kojo Griffin, Dave McKenzie, Julie Meheretu and Kori
Newkirk. Their work is informed by multiculturalism
and influenced by the generation of artists who emerged
in the '80s and '90s. Born primarily after the Civil
Rights movement and having assimilated the discourse
of 'Black art', the artists in Freestyle offer a new
perspective on identity, culture, and aesthetics. For
more information and museum schedule, call (212) 864-4500.
A 72-page illustrated catalogue accompanies the exhibition.
It includes color and black and white illustrations
and artist biographies. Freestyle is sponsored by the
Philip Morris Companies. For more information about
Philip Morris' programs and philanthropy, visit the
company's web site at www.philipmorris.com. Don't miss
this
great exhibit! For more information, contact Adorn Lewis/
Sarah Sharp, (312) 986-1250 or send email to alewis@flowerscomm.com.
Also contact, Laurie Guzzinati, Philip Morris Companies
Inc. at (917) 663-2144.
---Ratings history---
With the live telecast of its First Annual BET Awards
on June 19, Black Entertainment Television (BET) again
set a ratings threshold for the network in what has
already been a stellar ratings season. The BET Awards
landed a 4.26 rating (2.83 million households), easily
making it the most-watched entertainment special in
BET's 21-year existence; and the second highest-rated
show ever on the network. Encore telecasts are scheduled
for June 26 at 8 p.m.ET/PT, including the glitzy red
carpet arrivals at 7:30 p.m.ET/PT; and June 30
at 9 p.m. ET/PT (awards show telecast only).
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