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---Resilient Resistance: The Myers Outstanding Book Awards 2003---
The 19th annual Gustavus Myers Outstanding Book Awards were announced on December 11, 2003 at Simmons College in Boston. The theme of this annual observance of the United Nations Human Rights Declaration speaks of creative resistance to all that oppresses. The Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights is the sponsor of the exhibit and awards. A dozen books and authors were welcomed into the prestigious Myers Outstanding Book Awards Winners' Circle this year that speak to creative resistance and to possibilities for social change. Take a look at the books and full story of the winners on UnityFirst.com

--- YourCreditCounts.com: Building a Brighter Financial Future---
Since the Your Credit Counts Challenge started eight weeks ago, more than 6,000 people a week-for a total of more than 50,000 consumers nationwide-have visited YourCreditCounts.com® to take the first step toward improving their financial future. Though tens of thousands more U.S. consumers are expected to take the challenge before it winds down on Jan. 9, 2004, its sponsor, Household International, Inc., a subsidiary of HSBC Holdings plc (NYSE: HBC), continues to encourage people to visit the site and begin to build a brighter financial future for themselves and their families. "The Your Credit Counts Challenge will help people financially prepare for the New Year by providing tools and tips to understand their credit score, an important first step toward setting and meeting personal financial goals," said Oscar-nominated actress Angela Bassett, who has teamed with Household on this important program. "In fact, Household's national survey revealed that while most U.S. consumers agree it is important to know their credit score, three out of four don't, and many people have never even seen their credit report." The Challenge is a credit education campaign that encourages people to understand the importance of their credit score, helping them become better informed borrowers. Household launched the three-month Challenge in partnership with Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) in October 2003. Consumers have until Jan. 9, 2004 to visit YourCreditCounts.com to:Learn more about the importance of a credit score and find tips on how to improve their score. Take the Credit Score Quiz, and be automatically entered into a sweepstakes to win a grand prize of $25,000, or one of 60 other cash prizes. Obtain a complimentary online copy of their Equifax Score Power® report, which includes their Equifax Credit Profile, Fico® Credit Score - the score most lenders use - and a personalized score analysis valued at $12.95. (Limit one per person; reports only available in English.)

---Boycotting Lord & Taylor?---
The following release is being issued by The Law Offices of Cory J. Rosenbaum, P.C. Recently, a Bronx, New York jury unanimously awarded an African American woman $350,000.00 against Lord & Taylor, Inc. The jury unanimously found that Lord & Taylor's security guards used excessive force against the plaintiff when it suspected her or her sister of shoplifting. The jury's award follows a confidential settlement by the company when its Security Guards caused another African American to die in 2000 in Detroit after the store accused the dead man's 11 year old daughter of shoplifting.

---Examining history---
The History Channel will spotlight some of the country's most critical documents and the drama that surrounds them. SAVE OUR HISTORY: DEFINING DOCUMENTS airing Saturday, December 20 at 8 PM ET/PT showcases five milestones relevant to all Americans. The one-hour documentary features a sting operation involving the Bill of Rights; the heartbreaking tragedies leading up to the Fair Labor Standards Act; the controversy surrounding Brown v. the Board of Education; the awe inspiring transcript of John Glenn's trip orbiting the earth; and the current implications of key Native American-related documents. The Brown versus the Board of Education class action suit, filed on behalf of African-American elementary school students in 1954, not only ignited the Civil Rights Movement of the 50's and 60's but has influenced the Women's Movement of the 1970's and the Gay Rights movement of the 80's and 90's. It took two decades to bring Brown v. the Board of Education to the Supreme Court but its message that no matter his or her race, gender or sexual orientation, everyone deserves an equal chance has changed the country forever.

---News and Latinos---
Despite the enormous growth of the nation's Latino community, Latinos continued to be marginalized on the evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, CNN and NBC in 2002, according to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists eighth annual Network Brownout Report The report found that out of approximately 16,000 stories that aired in 2002, only 120 -- less than 1 percent (0.75) -- were about Latinos. In 2001, only 99 stories (0.62 percent) were about Latinos. Hispanics now make up more than 13 percent of the nation's population. "This year's report once again highlights the dismal progress the networks have made in their coverage of the nation's Hispanic community," said NAHJ President Juan Gonzalez, a columnist with the New York Daily News. "When Latinos are covered by the networks, the stories are too often unbalanced and fail to accurately reflect the role that Latinos play in the United States." This year's study found that two-thirds of all Latino-related stories that aired on the network news were about crime, terrorism and illegal immigration. The qualitative analysis found that Latinos continued to be portrayed as a dysfunctional underclass that exists on the fringes of mainstream U.S. society. Despite the growth of the Latino middle class and resources, Latinos were often depicted as living in poverty and as criminals. Illegal immigrants were depicted as a security threat to the country.

---2004 Calendar---
The DuSable Museum of African American History ( www.dusablemuseum.org ) is offering the 2004 African American Inventors calendar. This 12" x 12" full color calendar provides a month by month education on the contributions from African Americans that help to make our every day lives easier. Each calendar day identifies an invention, the inventor, year invented and patent number. If there is another significant historical contribution or historical leader's birthday, it is listed as well. This limited edition is only available at DuSable Museum (located at 740 E. 56th Place on Chicago's South side) and can be purchased by phone with a credit card by calling (773) 947-0600 x236 or in person during normal museum hours. $12.95 for 365 days of history is a steal!

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