NATIONAL CONGRESS OF BLACK WOMEN (NCBW) SETS FORTH ELECTION YEAR
AGENDA AT 20TH ANNUAL AWARDS BRUNCH AND ROUNDTABLE
“Recent Census Report on Increased Poverty in America A Major Concern;
Three Women of Courage To Be Honored

WHAT/WHO: NCBW’s 20th Anniversary Annual Awards Brunch and Roundtable during the 34th Annual Black Caucus Legislative Weekend; The Brunch and Roundtable to focus on the impact of the rising poverty rate on African-American women and families as well as other issues as part of the organization’s election year agenda.

Three women who have worked to address equal rights issues for African Americans, particularly women, will be honored by NCBW at the Awards Brunch, “Women Monolithic Strength and Vision”. The honorees are: Xernona Clayton, Vice President for Urban Affairs, Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc., Elaine Jones, Esq., Retired President and General Counsel for NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund; and Marian B. Tasco, President of the National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials and Majority Whip of Philadelphia City Council. Special program participants include Mablean Ephriam, Fox-TV Divorce Court, Yolanda Adams, Gospel Legend and Ingrid Saunders Jones, Senior Vice President, The Coca Cola Company.

Immediate following the Awards Brunch, the Annual Roundtable Forum will begin. The Roundtable Forum will be a powerful and enlightening discussion on the poverty issues in America and the African American 2004 election year agenda. The focus and goal of the forum will be to formulate solutions and pinpoint strategies to address the issues facing Black America and to achieve greater educational, economic and political stability in African American communities. Participants of the Roundtable include of the Roundtable include Congresswomen Diane Watson, Stephanie Tubbs-Jones, Ronald Daniels, Carolyn Kilpatrick, Juanita Millender-McDonald, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Corrine Brown, Congressmen John Lewis, Charles Rangel, Donald Payne and, Honorable Linda Cropp, Renee Amoore, Elaine Jones, Esq., Ron Walters, Ph.D., Dr. Frances Cress Welsing, Melanie Campbell, Hon. Mary Terrell, Dr. Gloria E.A. Toote, Hon. Rosa Whitaker, Hon. Patricia Ware, Dr. Sonja Jarvis, Rev. Walter Fauntroy, Joe Madison, and Martin Luther King, III.

WHEN: Sunday, September 12, 2004 ~ Awards Brunch - 10:00 a.m. – 2:00p.m. Roundtable Forum
– 3:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

WHERE: The Renaissance Hotel, 999 Ninth Street, NW ~ Washington,
DC20012

BACKGROUND: This year The National Congress of Black Women (NCBW) will focus its attention to the raising rate of poverty in American as a major issue in the 2004 Presidential election. The recently released Census Report states that the ranks of the poor and those without health insurance grew in 2003 for the third straight year. The increase of children in poverty rose 17.6 % for those under 18, which represents 800,000 children. Additionally, the wage gap between men and women widened for the first time in four years “These are alarming statistic and indicates that the economy has not turned the corner for a great number of Americans,” stated, C. DeLores Tucker, National Chair and Convening Founder of NCBW. “During this election year the candidates must address the issue of poverty facing our low income Americans. Those who commit to tackling this grave issue deserve our support. “

NCBW is non-partisan and is the first organization that has its primary mission the political empowerment of African American women. NCBW has been participating the Black Caucus Legislative Weekend for the past 25 years and the Bunch and Roundtable has been a major attraction. For more information, please visit the www. npcbw.org or call (202) 669-9139; (301) 562-8000

# # #

NOTE FROM AFRICAN AMERICAN NEWSWIRE: If you run this article, please forward the hard copy news clip or an web address for where the article is posted on the Internet. Send the clips to: African American Newswire, P.O. Box 80837, Springfield, MA 01138 or forward via email, to jfondon@unityfirst.com . All participating publishers will be recognized for their great work. Also, to be included on African American Newswire's preferred list for advertisers, we invite you to send your publication to us on a regular basis. Please call Janine Fondon, if you have questions: 800-286-3659.