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---Marking 2004 an anti-slavery year, UNESCO urges renewed fight against racism---As the United Nations gears up to mark 2004 as the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition, the head of the world body's cultural agency called for a universal recommitment to combat all contemporary forms of enslavement. "Aside from looking at the past, the intention is to sound the alarm about all forms of contemporary racism, discrimination and intolerance, and thus to set the stage for a greater awareness of the need to respect human beings," said the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Koïchiro Matsuura. The UN General Assembly also proclaimed 2004 as the celebratory year to mark the bicentenary of the Haitian Revolution, which led to the establishment of the first Black republic in the Western hemisphere, and, by extension, to the liberation of the peoples of the Caribbean and Latin America from slavery. In 1791, Haitian slaves - with the leadership of Toussaint Louverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines--- battled over some 13 years to defeat the European armies. Matsuura cautioned that the commemoration must foster a more meaningful dialogue among cultures and civilizations. He said, "By retracing the cultural interactions brought about by the slave trade, which transported so many African men and women far from the land of their birth, we can indeed celebrate the extraordinary meeting of cultures born of this enforced dialogue. Knowing and recognizing the major imprint of African cultures on the world's cultures and civilizations will be the second objective of the commemoration." The UNESCO chief called universal awareness of the tragedy "essential," and urged that school textbooks throughout the world cover the issue of slavery.

---Haitian Bicentennial celebration in Washington, D.C. and New York City---
On January 1, 2004, the Embassy of the Republic of Haiti and the Haitian community of the Greater Washington-Baltimore area will usher in the New Year by celebrating the Bicentennial of Haiti's Proclamation of Independence. The Independence Day festivities will begin with a solemn Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, in the upper church, at 2:00 p.m. Following the Mass, a gala reception is scheduled to take place at the Marriot Metro-Center, located at 775 12th Street, N.W. from 4:00 to 11:00 p.m. A special Cultural Soirée is also planned, which will feature noted local Haitian musical artists. On Saturday, January 3 in New York City, there will be a bicentennial concert, "1804-2004: Happy Birthday Haiti" at Carnegie Hall. The show will star Harry Belafonte and Danny Glover, as well as other dignitaries and performers.

---San Francisco, California Labor Council sends greetings to Haiti---The San Francisco Labor Council recently voted to send "warm greetings of solidarity to the working people and government of Haiti, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the Haitian Revolution, which abolished slavery and ended colonial rule in Haiti" on January 1, 1804. The resolution by the Council, adopted unanimously, hailed the 13-year rebellion that threw off the yoke of slavery and French rule in Haiti as "an earth-shattering development in the struggle for the emancipation of labor all over the world." The Labor Council, representing over 80,000 members in 141 affiliated unions, and part of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, noted that the United Nations has declared 2004 the "Year of the Abolition of Slavery" on the occasion of Haiti's Bicentennial and "to honor the Haitian people as valiant pioneers in the struggle for the emancipation of labor." It was a general strike in 1791, by the enslaved labor force in Haiti, that set in motion the "armed rebellion that defeated the pro-slavery French army of Napoleon Bonaparte at a time when the trans-Atlantic slave trade was at its height," according to the Labor Council statement. "The Haitian people on January 1, 1804 victoriously declared their independence; abolished the slave system; renamed the country Haiti in honor of the original indigenous population of the island; and declared Haiti as the first free republic in the Americas." The Council, voice of organized labor in San Francisco, had earlier passed a resolution calling for an end to the current US government-led embargo on international financial aid to Haiti, and demanding release of the approximately $500 million in blocked humanitarian and developmental aid.

---Haitian-Americans plan Haiti bicentennial commemoration in Miami---A South Florida Steering Committee created by a recent resolution of the City of Miami will coordinate all the major events for the whole year, including a consideration of Haitian Heritage Month (May 2004). As part of activities to take place on the occasion, is the unveiling of a 10 feet high bronze statue of Toussaint Louverture to be erected in the heart of Miami's Little Haiti section. The unveiling is scheduled to take place in April 2004.

---Oprah Winfrey---
Having witnessed on national television Oprah Winfrey's personal commitment to raising awareness of the global AIDS pandemic, thousands of newly inspired Americans have contacted the U.S. Fund for UNICEF so that they too can help millions of children in Africa who have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS. Oprah's effort to raise awareness about the AIDS pandemic and to inspire Americans to help is bringing much needed visibility to this crisis. Today, over 11 million children under the age of 15 living in sub-Saharan Africa have lost at least one parent to HIV/AIDS. UNICEF estimates that seven years from now the number will have grown to 25 million. At that point, anywhere from 15 percent to over 25 percent of the children in a dozen sub-Saharan African countries will be orphans -- the vast majority of which will have been orphaned by HIV/AIDS.

---First African-American captain in 40-year history of Fed Cup---USTA President Alan Schwartz selected Zina Garrison as Captain of the 2004 United States Fed Cup team. Garrison, who has served as the squad's coach since 1999, succeeds captain Billie Jean King, who will continue her long-standing Fed Cup involvement as U.S. Fed Cup team coach. Garrison becomes the first African-American captain in the 40-year history of the women's international team competition and the 18th U.S. Fed Cup captain. She will make her debut as captain when the United States faces Slovenia in the 2004 World Group First Round April 24-25 in Slovenia. Garrison, 40, represented the U.S. on eight Fed Cup teams from 1984 through 1994, helping the United States win three titles during that period. As team coach, Garrison helped steer the U.S. team to Fed Cup World Group Championships in 1999 and 2000.

---Robeson to be 27th Stamp in Black Heritage stamp series---Paul Robeson remembered not only for his prodigious talents as a performer but also for his tireless and uncompromising commitment to civil rights and social justice -- will soon receive one of the nation's highest recognitions when the U.S. Postal Service issues a new commemorative postage stamp in his honor. Free and open to the public, the first day of issue ceremony for the Paul Robeson stamp is scheduled for 10 A.M. on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2004, at Richardson Auditorium in Alexander Hall, on the campus of Princeton University, Princeton, N.J. The stamp will be the 27th stamp in the Black Heritage series. Robeson was born on April 9, 1898, in Princeton, N.J. His broad range of talents was evident as early as high school, where he was an outstanding student and athlete. In 1915, he entered Rutgers College (now Rutgers University) on a scholarship and became the third African American to attend the school. He graduated as class valedictorian in 1919. Robeson was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and an All-American football player. From 1920 to 1923, Robeson helped pay his way through Columbia Law School in New York City by working as an athlete and a performer. He was best known for his interpretation of the title character in Shakespeare's "Othello." He became well-known for performing "Ol' Man River," from the musical "Showboat." Discouraged by the limited roles available to Black actors in Hollywood, Robeson announced in 1942 he would no longer appear in films. Well-known as an activist, Robeson was an outspoken participant in labor and peace movements, and his public appearances were infused with his strong political beliefs, especially his principled stand against racism in the U.S. and around the world. In 1945, the NAACP awarded him its highest honor for achievement among African Americans, the prestigious Spingarn Medal. Robeson died on Jan. 23, 1976, at the age of 77.

---Check out special news sections: Send your news to UnityFirst.com---There will be several UnityFirst.com news specials over the next few months. Send in your news and events for our special news section in honor of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day (deadline: January 9) and Black History Month (January 25, 2004). Send news and events via email to: editors@unityfirst.com or call 413-734-6444.

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