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---Kwanzaa---
Dr. Maulana Karenga, Creator of Kwanzaa, has shared that "Kwanzaa is a season of celebrating, embracing and reaffirming the good in the world… the good of the world and …the good for the world. It begins as an ancient African celebration of the good harvest. So, as we come again this year to this holiday of harvesting and reaffirming the good, we must pause and think deeply about the world around us and ask how do we as persons and a people address the critical issues of our time? Kwanzaa is also a time of serious and sustained reflection on the meaning and awesome obligation of being African in the world. In the midst of our ingathering, reverent thankfulness, remembrance, recommitment and joyous celebration, there is a special time set aside for us to sit down and think deeply about the world and our role and responsibility in it as those chosen to bring good in the world. This, of course, is the meaning of the often repeated teaching of our foremother Mary McLeod Bethune who taught us that 'we are heirs and custodians of a great legacy' and thus we must bear the burden and glory of this legacy with strength, dignity and determination."

---Teens need parents' presence more than presents this holiday season---The holiday season is often associated with frenzied activity, but it is also a time when parents have the opportunity to spend more quality time with their children. When asked to pick one or two areas of their life in which they would like to spend more time, half of the teenage students involved in the 2003-2004 State of Our Nation's Youth survey said they would like to spend more time with their family. This year, the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign is urging parents to give their teens the priceless gift of time by remaining involved in their lives and scheduling meaningful family time throughout the holidays. "Parents remain the most important influence on children, particularly when it comes to decisions about drugs," said John P. Walters, Director of National Drug Control Policy. "Research shows that spending time with your kids and talking to them about the dangers of marijuana and other illicit drugs are proven strategies for preventing drug use. The Holidays provide a great opportunity for families to open dialogue with teens through activities like cooking, shopping, traveling, or volunteering together." In a world where 60 percent of us feel pressure to work too much and 80 percent want more family time, finding time to spend with your kids may seem challenging. Much time is eaten up in a rush to buy presents and prepare for the holidays, despite 84 percent of us saying we would like a less materialistic holiday.

---Colgate-National Dental Foundation Scholarship Fund awards $5,000 to Morehouse College---Colgate-Palmolive Company and the National Dental Association Foundation (NDAF) presented a $5,000 pre-dental scholarship award to Morehouse College during the Atlanta Tom Joyner Sky Show. The award was made in partnership with the Tom Joyner Foundation, and extends Colgate's support to the youth and families of the Atlanta region, the nation's Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU's) and global commitment to oral health education. Dr. Walter H. Massey, Morehouse College President, accepted the award at the Georgia International Convention Center. Since 1990, the NDAF/Colgate- Palmolive Scholarship Fund has awarded $1.8 million to 1,100 underrepresented minorities pursuing careers as dentists, dental hygienists and dental assistants, thus increasing the pipeline of African American students in the field. For more information about Colgate's global business, visit the Company's website at www.colgate.com. To learn more about the Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program, visit www.colgatebsbf.com.

---Dr. Wanda J. Nelson heads the industry in promoting hair care for women of color---Dr. Wanda J. Nelson's national goal is simple---to help women of color look good and feel good. It is a mission of the historic National Beauty Culturists League (NBCL)), of which Dr. Nelson has been president since 1996. She is described as "an accomplished icon of the hair, skin, and nail care professions." Founded in the spirit of Madam C. J. Walker, America's first self-made millionairess and pioneer of the beauty care industry, the National Beauty Culturits League (NBCL) was organized in Philadelphia in 1919. With a membership of over 10,000, the NBCL has focused on professional training and continuing education to help thousands of hair care specialists, beauticians and barbers develop skills to provide high quality services to millions of discriminating customers of color. As president of NBCL, Dr. Nelson has doubled its membership, while introducing new technology to the profession and computerizing the organization. She maintains the historic mansion in Washington, D.C. that serves as the organization's headquarters. In conversation, Dr. Nelson is concise about the future outlook for the NBCL and for African American women in hair and beauty care. "We want to arrange affordable day spa treatment programs specifically designed to pamper women of color, to increase the selection of natural hair care products produced from organic sources, and provide easier access to hair care maintenance resources online."

---Council of Presidents sues Converse---
The Council of Presidents is comprised of the heads of the nine predominately African-American fraternities and sororities, which includes Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity Inc. The Council of Presidents announced that they have sued sports apparel company Converse, Inc. for trademark infringement and deceptive trade practices. "We were concerned that Converse, using unfair competition and infringing upon our groups' intellectual property, had deliberately and callously decided to target the members of our organizations for sales of its shoes without obtaining any sort of permission from our groups," said Helen Owens, Chair of the Council of Presidents and national president of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. The lawsuit, which has been filed in the United District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, maintains that Converse has been manufacturing, marketing, and selling athletic footwear, called the GreekPak, to members and supporters of African-American fraternities and sororities and that this conduct constitutes trademark and trade dress infringement, as well as unfair competition and deceptive trade practices. As indicated by Harry Johnson, national president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., "The Converse shoes we're looking at contain the identical founding year and organizational colors as our respective organizations and was an obvious attempt by Converse to capitalize on the goodwill our groups have worked so hard to develop. This was no coincidence."

---Philadelphia African American Chamber of Commerce---Here is an excerpt from a statement provided by A. Bruce Crawley, Chairman, Philadelphia African American Chamber of Commerce: "In September 2000, the Milken Institute and the U.S. Commerce Department's Minority Business Development Agency reported that minority-owned firms across the country are surpassing the growth of all U.S. Businesses, growing at a rate of 17 percent, six times the growth rates of all firms. While it is clear that the U.S. Commerce Department understands the importance of minority business development, it is also clear that the message - three years later - has still not been clearly heard right here in Philadelphia. Regrettably, African-American and other minority businesses have been marginalized, denigrated and subjected to constant attack by The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News - especially since the recent mayoral election in early November. They have left this business community no other option than to step forward to set the record straight and to encourage this community to join together to finally include businesses of color in the local and regional economy. Those papers have produced more than 30 stories and columns that have focused negatively on African-Americans businesses, giving the impression that those firms and their principals have been involved inappropriately with the Administration of Mayor John F. Street, or have been included in city contracts only because they have made political contributions to the Mayor. This "profiling" of black businesses has done much to discredit the efforts and reputations of the more than 9,000, good black-owned businesses in the city of Philadelphia." Included in the Chamber's several recommendations, it advised that: the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Philadelphia Daily News immediately discontinue its mean-spirited focus on Black businesses and exclusive focus on contributions made to the city's Black mayor. In light of the Daily News' ongoing campaign against improved coverage quality of African Americans, that the boycott of that publication by African Americans - led by our churches, labor unions and other leadership organizations, be continued and intensified.

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