---Visit our Home Page at www.UnityFirst.com---
To see one of the greatest afrocentric books for children…..Little Lumpy's Book of Blessings…perfect for a gift this holiday season. The book is a sweet little story, beautifully illustrated, in which Little Lumpy, the main character expresses to the reader her thankfulness for her many blessings -- simple things our children can relate to like parents, grandparents, nature, playmates and puppies. Check it out! Kudos to author L.Carol Lewis for her inspiration.

---Cracker Barrel---
Strongly disputing allegations made against Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc., about racial discrimination, the company's president and chief operating officer, Donald M. Turner, said the allegations were baseless, and "our service is color blind." "The allegations made against Cracker Barrel are simply not true," Turner said. "Cracker Barrel treats its customers with dignity and respect. These baseless allegations are unfair to the thousands of Cracker Barrel employees who work hard to give our guests value and courteous treatment. We take very seriously our commitment to treat all customers fairly. We believe in good service - and good service is color blind." At a news conference in Nashville, Turner and Norman J. Hill, the company's senior vice president for human resources, said the company would vigorously defend itself against the allegations that African- American customers were treated unfairly because of their race. "When all the facts are in, we are confident that these allegations will be shown to be totally false," Turner concluded.

----Changing the face of business school---
The number of minority business professors in U.S. business schools has increased 85% in the past seven years and is expected to triple by 2006, changing the face of business schools across the country. This projection was made by the PhD Project, a non-profit coalition of corporations, foundations and universities dedicated to increasing the number of minority business professors. In 1994, there were only 294 minority business professors. Today, there are 543 minority business school faculty in the U.S. and 406 minority Ph.D. students, most of whom were identified by the PhD Project, an award-winning program that identifies, educates and provides peer support for future minority business professors. For more information on the PhD Project, or to inquire about pursuing your PhD, call 1-888-2Get-APHD.

---United Negro College Fund---
United Negro College Fund (UNCF) supporters ranging from music stars Destiny's Child and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds to UNCF alumni Memphis Mayor Willie W. Herenton and Brown University President Dr. Ruth Simmons will appear on An Evening of Stars: A Celebration of Educational Excellence, the annual television fund-raising event airing on 71 top stations nationwide Saturday, January 5, 2002* (check local listings for station, date and times). Yolanda Adams, Debbie Allen, Bishop T.D. Jakes and Lou Rawls will co-host this year's fund-raiser. An Evening of Stars is a four-hour celebration of UNCF that's packed with powerful performances, poignant testimonials and salutes to extraordinary alumni and students. Over the years, this successful fund-raiser has amassed over $200 million in financial assistance for UNCF students and member colleges and universities. The diversity on UNCF campuses, which are populated by African American, Asian, Hispanic, Native American, White and international students, will be reflected on An Evening of Stars with two salutes. There will be special segments on students Zinnia Jimenez, a senior at Paul Quinn College, who is president of the campus Mexican-American student association and Kenyan twins John and Joseph Ondinyo, seniors who are attending Wiley College on full basketball scholarships. The Ondinyo brothers are among the 1,400 international students enrolled at UNCF's 39 member institutions.

---Urban Wheel Awards---
On Wheels, Inc. will expand its 2002 Urban Wheel Awards program to include the recognition of Latinos in the auto industry and Latino car buyers, announced Randi Payton, On Wheels, Inc. founder and CEO. The Sixth Annual Urban Wheel Awards will be held Wednesday, January 9, 2002, at the Detroit Institute of Arts. Hosted yearly by African Americans On Wheels magazine, the event will expand to include Latinos On Wheels magazine, which published its premiere issue October 2001. For six years, On Wheels Inc., a multicultural, multimedia automotive communications company, has been instrumental in bringing the economic power of African Americans to the forefront of the auto industry. In October 2001, the company united its efforts to incorporate the Latino culture with the launch of Latinos On Wheels magazine. Latinos On Wheels is a consumer-oriented magazine that offers an informative, enjoyable and most importantly, an accurate reflection of the contributions Latinos are making in today's automotive industry. The Sixth Annual Urban Wheel Awards is the largest and most prestigious invitation-only event recognizing the achievements of African Americans and Latinos in the automotive industry.

---Job Opportunity of the Week---
Harvard Law School: Civil Rights Project
Two Research Associate Positions to Co-Direct Major Academic Conference. Two research associates will lead preparations for a multi disciplinary Harvard-based national research conference on the past, present, and future of racial integration and the integration ideal in the United States. The project co-sponsors, and conference steering committee, include The Civil Rights Project, the W.E.B. DuBois Institute, the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, The Joblessness and Urban Poverty Research Program, the Harvard Immigration Project, and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Central responsibilities of the co-research associates will be to: identify scholars and potential organizational partners to collaborate in generating and disseminating new research in key areas, including empirical analysis, history, humanities, public policy, and law. REQUIRED EDUCATION: One candidate with a Ph.D. or equivalent in social science, public policy or related. Second candidate with a Ph.D. or equivalent in history, humanities, law (J.D.) or related. Both with a strong background in empirical research and knowledge of civil rights and race relations issues. To apply, see the Harvard University HR web page (requisition #12116 and #12117): www.workingatharvard.org

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