---Update: Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project-----
The Washington, D.C. Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc. recently hosted an Atlanta ‘Dream Dinner’ in support of the four-acre memorial soon to be built on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The Memorial Foundation presented Dr. Christine King Farris, author and Dr. King’s sister, and Isaac Newton Farris, Jr., Dr. King’s nephew and President and CEO of the King Center in Atlanta, with a miniature replica of the Stone of Hope, the centerpiece of the Memorial. “The King Family wholeheartedly supports the National Memorial and the artist who is sculpting a portion of it,” said Isaac Newton Farris, Jr. “It is the first national memorial to a peaceful and non violent warrior on the National Mall. Generations to come need examples of confrontation and boldness. Dr. King was confrontational and it is appropriate that he be portrayed in that way.” The Memorial Foundation announced several major donations including a Nationwide Foundation donation of $1 million, a Delta Air Lines donation of $250,000, and a CVS Caremark donation of $250,000. The Memorial Foundation also announced that Angela Fortson, the African American owner of Southeastern Granite Company based in Elberton, GA, will serve as the granite broker to identify granite from domestic sources. For the full story and photos, go to UnityFirst.com.

MLK Project

Hillary Clinton

Hope Masters

Business World Index

---New national UnityFirst.com E-Magazine---
FYI, UnityFirst.com will be issuing its new national online magazine next week to share even more news, information and resources. If you have information or photos to submit, please send to jfondon@unityfirst.com by Firday June 27, 2008.

---Clinton, Obama and McCain address the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials--- In her first major public appearance since suspending her presidential campaign, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton will address nearly a thousand elected and appointed Latino officials at a national leadership luncheon on Thursday, June 26, at 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C. The address will take place during 25th Annual Conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO), the nation's leading Latino political organization, from June 25-28. NALEO announced that Senators John McCain and Barack Obama, the presumptive Republican and Democratic presidential nominees, will participate in separate forums with Latino elected officials on Saturday, June 28. The group will also honor New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson with its Award for Outstanding Public Service on the evening of June 28.

---Unemployment Crisis Among Minority Teens---
The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) recently drew attention to teen unemployment. EPI reports that, “Sadly, African-American teen unemployment is nearly six times the national average and almost twice that of teens in general.” It also notes that the national unemployment rate jumped to 5.5 percent in May from 5 percent in April driven in large part by the 3.3 percentage point jump in teen unemployment. Researchers at Northeastern University, who described Summer 2007 as "the worst in post-World War II history" for teen summer employment, recently concluded that 2008 is poised to be "even worse."

---Leon H. Sullivan Summit---
In what was called the "Mother of all Summits," the eighth edition of the Leon H. Sullivan Summit hosted by President Jakaya Kikwete this June brought more than 4,000 participants to the beautiful landscape of Arusha, Tanzania. By the last day of plenary and workshop sessions, what was promised to be the "Summit of a Lifetime" turned out to be what many may consider a week of transformation for Tanzania, as delegates from Africa, America, the Caribbean, and other parts of the world pulled together to donate much needed funds, supplies, and infrastructure to the citizens of the host city. “The spirit of my father has definitely moved through this year's Summit and I am truly inspired by all of the selfless displays of generosity and support that were shown during the week," stated Hope Masters, President and CEO of the Leon H. Sullivan Foundation. With forty seven nations represented, the spirit of Reverend Sullivan was alive and well during the week-long conference. Remaining forever committed to the goals of the Summit-- to provide a platform for Africa's political, economic, and cultural leaders--the Sullivan Foundation has completed yet another piece of the ever evolving bridge of hope, change and inspiration towards the vision and legacy of an extraordinary man, The Reverend Leon Howard Sullivan.

---Commemorating Juneteenth---
DNC Chairman Howard Dean and DNC Black Caucus Chair Virgie Rollins issued the following statement: "One hundred and forty-three years after the emancipation of the last slaves in Texas, we celebrate Juneteenth as a commemoration of the struggle for freedom, equality, and justice. It is also an opportunity to reflect on the progress our nation has made, and serves as a reminder that the cause of social justice and civil rights requires our constant vigilance. With Senator Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President, we celebrate the historic opportunity before us to elect the first African American to our nation's highest office, and bring real change to Washington -- change we can all believe in."