---NAACP CENTENNIAL---
 The NAACP celebrates its 100 year anniversary in New York City this week as part of its annual national convention.  The NAACP highlights a century of "Bold Dreams, Big Victories" with a visit from President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder and many icons of the civil rights movement. “For 100 years the NAACP has pushed us to acknowledge the humanity in each other and ensure that our laws will follow suit,"  stated President Barack Obama. "You (the NAACP) have inspired us to strive for that mountaintop even when the climb seemed steep and for that I honor you, I congratulate you, and I wish you another century of accomplishment as extraordinary as your first.  It’s humbling to think of the progress made possible by ordinary folks who refused to settle for the world as it was and instead stood up and fought to remake the world as it should be.”  Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP added, “New York is the birthplace of the NAACP, and it is only fitting that this great city be the host of our 100th anniversary convention. We gather in New York to celebrate the NAACP’s past accomplishments as we look toward the future of our organization.  Together we will celebrate our victories from the past 100 years, from Brown v. Board of Education to the election of Barack Obama.  We will also lay out our bold dreams for 2009 and beyond with new initiatives on the critical issues facing our nation.”

Beyonce Knowles

Bill Clinton

Wendy Williams

Business World Index

---The NAACP special section in Forbes---
Go to UnityFirst.com to check out the issue of Forbes featuring the special diversity section highlighting the NAACP. This special section reflects on the NAACP's legacy, and how, moving forward, the organization will focus on evening out the playing field for all in terms of income, health care and education. If you would like the section forwarded to you via email, send your contact information and email address to info@unityfirst.com. To receive information on the upcoming Forbes Diversity section, send an email to gilerner@verizon.net.

---Clinton inducted into Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity---
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., in session at its 95th Anniversary Conclave in New Orleans, LA, voted to induct the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton, the 42nd President of the United States of America, as an honorary member of the organization. Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity's International President Paul L. Griffin, Jr. commented, "It is a high privilege and a matter of great significance that we the members of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. accept and welcome the Honorable William Jefferson Clinton into our wondrous band." Congressman John Lewis (D-GA), a long-time member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. responded, "I am so pleased and delighted that President Bill Clinton has accepted membership in my fraternity. As a true servant-leader it is fitting for him to join the ranks of civil rights activist and labor leader A. Philip Randolph, Atlanta businessman Herman Russell, former U.S. Secretary of Education Rod Paige, former NAACP Leader James Weldon Johnson and renowned scientist George Washington Carver." Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity is an international organization dedicated to the principles of Brotherhood, Scholarship and Service, founded in 1914 at Howard University in Washington, DC, comprised of college and professional men, predominantly of African American origin.

---NAACP responds to incident at Philadelphia swimming pool---
Benjamin Todd Jealous, President and CEO, NAACP recently commented on the exclusion of children at a Philadelphia swimming pool. Here is an excerpt from his statement: “The NAACP deplores the recent incident of racial discrimination at the Valley Swim Club in Philadelphia, in which a group of black day-camp children were told to leave a pool because they “changed the complexion and atmosphere” of the facility. Is this the year 2009, or 1959? This egregious episode casts us back in time, to the long, shameful era of Jim Crow segregation in America.  It is especially pernicious because it sends a terrible message to black and white children, a message that has the potential to deeply scar their burgeoning identities….Almost a decade into the 21st century, it is inexcusable for an organization, institution, or facility to systematically exclude participation from individuals based on their skin color or gender. It is heartbreaking to witness such an offensive episode of exclusion at this juncture in our history.”

---Wendy Williams launches new daily talk show today---The Wendy Williams Show launches in national syndication today. Taped live in New York, The Wendy Williams Show combines the latest buzz and hot topics with a diverse mix of celebrities from the arenas of film, music, sports and television.  Williams' bold personality and witty commentary on life will make for a groundbreaking talk format that is sure to entertain viewers via honest, enlightening and entertaining television. Check local listings and watch the show!

---Civil rights organizations address Louisiana’s dropout crisis---
 Recent legislation approved by Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal to lower academic standards for high school graduation from public schools is a disservice to the state's students, according to the Campaign for High School Equity (CHSE), a coalition of civil rights organizations advocating for high school education reform. Only 62 percent of Louisiana's students graduate from high school each year with a regular diploma, and in 2005, only 40 percent of Black students, 47 percent of Hispanic students and 49 percent of Asian students graduated from high school compared to 63 percent of their white peers. The new program in Louisiana will allow students 15 and older to opt out of the standard curriculum with parental consent and would allow students in eighth grade to advance to ninth grade without passing the state standardized tests. According to CHSE, lowering academic standards to increase graduation rates will disproportionately affect the state's low-income and minority students, who will leave high school without the quality education they need to succeed in the modern workforce. The National Assessment of Educational Progress Reading Scores indicates that Black and low-income eighth graders in Louisiana are more than two times as likely as their White peers to read below basic levels.

---Essence Music Festival---
The ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL hit a new pinnacle this year when more than 428,000 attendees recently gathered in New Orleans as the annual weekend of entertainment and empowerment celebrated its 15th Anniversary. Last year, the ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL had reported its most successful year ever with more than 270,000 attendees. This year, Friday night's show at the Superdome marked the festival's first sell-out in its history.