---Employers plan for holiday diversity challenge---
The holiday season has become a diversity challenge for many employers, according to Novations/J. Howard & Associates, a Boston-based multicultural consulting company. "Diversity used to mean adding a Hanukkah Menorah to the holiday decorations," said company President & CEO Mike Hyter. "But with today's more diverse workforce companies have to take into account a wider variety of religious beliefs and practices among employees."
And for some the accommodation has not been an easy one, noted Hyter. "Every diversity consultant has heard of awkward situations and major gaffes such as company-wide holiday parties held on a Friday night, the Jewish Sabbath, or during Ramadan. In some workplaces there's still a Santa Claus giving out presents. Or there's the custom where everyone is expected to contribute a gift, all of which are then randomly distributed among employees…and you guessed, it a Muslim receives a Christmas angel. One large organization had a Christmas party complete with Santa, carols and decorations…only to have a group of important Jewish clients happen upon the scene. These may be merely missteps, but their impact shouldn't be dismissed." According to Hyter, employers should choose activities that won't make non-Christian employees uncomfortable:
--Be aware of the seasonal observances of all religions that may be represented in your workforce. Don't focus just on Christmas, Hanukah and Kwanzaa. (In some years there may be a conflict with Ramadan or Diwali.)
--Be conscious that alcohol at parties may make some Christians and non-Christians uncomfortable. And offer vegetarian alternatives for meals.
--Get wide input from your employees on holiday planning. Include as many groups as possible, or at least solicit their input. Allow employees to opt out of your company's holiday events without either penalty or negative connotation.
--Allow non-Christian employees to offer alternatives sanctioned but not mandated by the company.
"With all the unrest in the world employers have a responsibility not to not let it spill over into the workplace," said Hyter. "They must be sensitive to the religious beliefs of all employees and create more flexible celebrations which will include all employees."
For more information, send email to: pfitzgerald@jhoward.com

---WTG Group Sales offers the best of Broadway and more during the holiday season---WTG Group Sales invites you to experience the magic of live performance during the holiday season! From White Chocolate, off Broadway's hilarious satire about race and class starring Emmy Award-winner Lynn Whitfield, to the highly anticipated return to Broadway by Tony Award winner Phylicia Rashad in August Wilson's Gem of the Ocean, to the Broadway debut of American Idol's Tamyra Gray in the exotic musical Bombay Dreams, to the beauty and artistry of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater -- there is something for everyone to enjoy in the great city of New York during the holidays. WTG Group Sales, a division of Walk Tall Girl Productions, offers terrific group discounts for these and other exciting theater, music and dance productions, including the hottest shows both on and off Broadway. WTG also provides assistance with planning receptions and meet-the-artists events before or after the performance. If you are looking for a great fundraiser or a new way to cultivate relationships, WTG Group Sales will show you how to organize a theater party for your church, school, organization or business. For information about performances and prices, to book your holiday happening, or to find out about super discounts during January and February, call Marcia Pendelton, President, Walk Tall Girl Productions at 718-919-5553, or send an email to: walktallgirl@aol.com.

---CBC Chairman comments on decline in Black enrollment in colleges nationwide---U.S. Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), released the following statement regarding recent reports of the decline in African American admissions at public colleges and universities. "More than a year after the historic Supreme Court decision that upheld affirmative action in higher education admissions, African American students continue to lag far behind Whites in gaining access to a quality education. According to The Washington Post, state universities across the country are recording a decline in African American admissions. The University of Michigan - the institution at the center of the Supreme Court victory - is reporting the smallest class of African American freshmen in 15 years. This troubling pattern of decline represents the polar opposite of what is intended by effective affirmative action policies - and that is to overcome past discrimination and to provide opportunities for learning and cultural exchange that benefit students of all races. The inequality that exists in public college enrollment demonstrates that alternative strategies of inclusion, such as more complex admissions procedures, offer little hope in leveling the playing field for all Americans. Diversity in our institutions of higher education is a compelling state interest. While addressing a conference for journalists of color this summer, President Bush stated that he supports colleges affirmatively taking action to get more minorities in their school. I challenge the President and the congressional Republican leadership to work closely with the Congressional Black Caucus and our allies to implement a national policy of affirmative educational empowerment. We must work together to create a future America in which our leadership will fully reflect the talents, wisdom and strength of all of our people. The future of our country depends on it."

---Be inspired by the words of motivator Jewel Diamond Taylor---Thanks to Jewel Diamond Taylor for the following words of inspiration during this holiday season… "When the Lord healed 10 lepers in Luke 17, only one returned to say thank you. How good has the Lord been to you? Have you remembered to thank God for bringing you through some tough times? Remember His goodness, grace and glory. Remember others in deed and in prayer who are without. Always remember where your strength and supply come from. In spite of your pain or loss, don't live a joyless life. Instead know that it is a choice to rejoice. Thank God for blessings big and small. Develop an attitude of gratitude, service and optimism. It is not happiness that makes us grateful, but the gratefulness that makes us happy.
You cannot be grateful and bitter.
You cannot be grateful and unhappy.
You cannot be grateful and unloving.
You cannot be grateful and without hope."
For more information, contact Jewel Diamond Taylor at: 323-964-1736 To hear the thought for the day, call 310-599-0358. Or visit: http://www.DoNotGiveUp.net or http://www.JewelDiamondTaylor.com.