---Business Exchange: 2004 Tour for Success to be held in New York City, April 29, 2004---The launching of the eight-city Business Exchange: 2004 Tour for Success presented by Volvo Cars of North America and produced by the Global Diversity Group begins in New York City on April 29, 2004 at the New York Marriott Marquis hotel. The tour offers workshops that concern mature businesses as well as Business Basics workshops for startups. Tour headliners for New York City include: Entrepreneur, Restaurateur and Author B. Smith, Ramon Rodriguez, Host of Hispanics Today and CEO of US Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and Shin Choi, Designer and Owner of Shin Choi Designs. Renowned lawyer Willie E. Gary, owner of MBC Network in Atlanta will be the guest speaker at the Legacy Award Luncheon. Noreen Carro of LNM Printing and "The Queen of Soul Food" Sylvia Woods will be honored with the Legacy Award recognizing their achievements in running successful family businesses. On-site event registration opens at 8 a.m. The program begins at 9 a.m. with a series of workshops…." Winning at the Contract Game," "Marketing Your Way to Success" and "Gaining the Competitive Edge via Technology." The workshops are free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register for the event, go to www.mpbnetwork.com. The New York event is sponsored by Citibank, Foxwoods Resort Casino and Office Depot. FYI, to register for the event, go to www.mpbnetwork.com. Also, for information on tickets for the Economic Empowerment Networking Reception and the Legacy Luncheon call 1.888.265.6480.

---Landmark Race Relations Survey marking 50th anniversary of Brown vs. Board of Education---On behalf of AARP and the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR), Gallup conducted its largest and most comprehensive race-relations survey of blacks, Hispanics and whites to date and discovered among other key findings that over half of each group supports affirmative action for blacks and Hispanics and a majority of Americans approve of interracial marriage. The survey, entitled "Civil Rights and Race Relations," marks this year's 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education -- the Supreme Court decision that jumpstarted the American Civil Rights Movement and appears in the May-June issue of AARP's Magazine. The AARP/LCCR Gallup survey found astounding progress in two areas that hit close to home for most Americans: interracial relationships and the neighborhoods we live in. Eighty-six percent of blacks, 79% of Hispanics and 66% of whites said they would not object to a child or grandchild marrying someone of another race. Further buttressing the idea that different races are increasingly comfortable living together was the finding that a majority of Americans prefer to live in mixed neighborhoods. Seventy-eight percent of blacks, 61% of Hispanics and 57% of whites supported this notion. There was also widespread support for affirmative action, with the majority of Americans voicing their support for programs for blacks (57%) and Hispanics (57%).But there were vast gulfs between different groups' perceptions of how minorities are treated today. Seventy-six percent of white respondents thought that blacks are treated very or somewhat fairly, while only 38% of blacks agreed with them. And while 61% of whites believed that blacks have achieved the same job opportunities as whites, just 12% of African-Americans concurred.

---Careers in Financial Planning/Urban Financial Services Coalition Conference(May 31- June 6)---Urban Financial Services Coalition (formerly known as the National Association of Urban Bankers) will hold its 30th anniversary conference at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada during the week of May 31-June 6, 2004. During the conference, the Urban Financial Services Coalition (UFSC) and Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP) will collaborate to provide greater career opportunities for minorities in the Financial Services industry. This move is in light of the recent bank consolidations and the negative impact on minorities in the industry. The collaboration will also allow the two organizations to develop joint financial literacy programs while providing information on careers in financial planning, and CFP certification. Both organizations are committed to the advancement of minorities in the financial services industry. The CFP Board is a nonprofit regulatory organization that owns the certification marks CFP, and Certified Financial Planner. These marks are awarded to individuals who successfully complete CFP Board's initial and ongoing certification requirements. CFP Board fosters professional standards in personal financial planning so that the public values, has access to and benefits from competent and ethical financial planning. Beginning January, 2007 a bachelor's degree will be required in order to obtain CFP certification. Urban Financial Services Coalition, a nonprofit organization, is the oldest and preeminent professional trade association for minority professionals employed in the financial services industry. UFSC President Damita Barbee explains that the collaboration will provide UFSC membership the opportunity to learn more about the CFP certification process. "What is really exciting about this cooperative effort is CFP Board will be conducting a workshop at our conference in Las Vegas on how to become a CERTIFIED FINANAICAL PLANNER professional. For more information on Urban Financial Services Coalition and its upcoming conference contact Melodie Cunningham at 1.410.730.6906.

---Damita J. Barbee to lead Urban Financial Service Coalition---
Damita J. Barbee, Vice President, Senior Sales & Product Manager for The Mechanics Bank of Hercules, CA., begins a two-year term as President of the Urban Financial Service Coalition (UFSC). Urban Financial Services Coalition (formerly known as the National Association of Urban Bankers), a nonprofit organization, is the oldest and preeminent professional trade association for minority professionals employed in the financial services industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the UFSC is comprised of 38 chapters nationwide and in Toronto, Canada. The organization's primary focus is to increase the number of minority professionals in the financial services industry, in particular senior management positions; to provide financial literacy to under-served communities and assist with economic empowerment development programs; and, to provide scholarships to deserving minority college-bound students pursuing careers in the financial services industry. Ms. Barbee's goals include increasing the overall membership by 20%; develop new corporate partnerships with traditional and non-traditional companies; promote their nationwide financial literacy program and to officially launch the student chapter concept nationwide. If you would like contact information for Damita J. Barbee, send an email to info@unityfirst.com.

--UCLA Study on Prime-Time Television---
Network prime-time programs during the fall 2003 season included more minority regular characters than in the previous year, but the number of Latino regular characters remained constant, according to a new study by UCLA's Chicano Studies Research Center. Overall, 25 percent of all regular characters, or 172, in fall 2003 were minorities compared with 23 percent, or 151, in fall 2002, according to the study, entitled "Looking for Latino Regulars on Prime-Time Television: The Fall 2003 Season." White characters accounted for more than 75 percent of all regular character roles on prime-time television and can be found on 95 percent of all prime-time series. The study found that although Latinos make up 13 percent of the U.S. population and represent the largest minority group, the percentage of Latino regular characters remained constant at 4.1 percent. The study counted 690 regular characters/hosts on prime-time television, and only 28 were Latinos. Furthermore, Latino regular characters appeared on only five out of 12 genres identified in the study.

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