***ELECTION WATCH****ELECTION WATCH***ELECTION WATCH***
****UnityFirst.com wants to stay tuned to activities and news regarding ELECTION 2004….Send your stories and photos to editors@unityfirst.com. *******************

---E/Watch: 2004 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION BOSTON AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMITTEE salutes Atlanta's former mayor Maynard Jackson---On Sunday, July 25, The Democratic National Convention honored the late, great Maynard H. Jackson, Jr. former mayor of Atlanta GA and member of the DNC Executive Committee. The event, featuring performances by Bill Cosby and Gladys Knight, was hosted by the Honorable Maxine Waters and the African American Committee 2000 and Beyond at MIT's Kresge Auditorium in Cambridge, MA. "This soulful salute speaks volumes about the man, how we all love him and cherish his memory" Waters said. Jackson served as Atlanta's first Black mayor from 1974 to 1982 and again from 1990 to 1994. Jackson's leadership helped Atlanta realize successful affirmative action in the development of Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport, now the newly named 'Hartsfield Jackson' Atlanta International Airport. He was National Development Chairman of the DNC and the first Chairman of the DNC Voting Rights Institute "Maynard, a man of impeccable integrity has taken his place in history and will always be remembered for his tremendous contributions to humankind," said Waters who co-chaired the event with Daniel Halpern, best friend and confidant of Jackson, Tavis Smiley who was mentored by Jackson and Camille Cosby of whom Jackson had the utmost respect. Event co-hosts included the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition's Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., NAACP's Kweisi Mfume and National Urban League's Marc H. Morial. Some of the event's sponsors include: BET, Ebony Magazine, Essence Communications, Inc., One United Bank, Delta Airlines, Anheuser-Busch, Inc., PhRMA, Sodexho USA, T.G.I. Friday's, Freddie Mac and UPS. For more information, send email to: johnsonagain@rcn.com.

---E/Watch: African American-disabled woman runs for Senate in George "W" Home District---Dr. Elaine King Miller, the first woman ever to run for Texas Senate from the Texas Panhandle, is running for the Texas State Senate in District 31-- a district of 26 counties, including Midland/Odessa where George "W" hails from. A Democrat, she is African American, an educator, military consultant and as of several years ago, legally blind. King Miller says, "If Senate District 31, the one George 'W" claims as his home, elects a Democrat, think of the message it will send across the nation and world." She is a fighter for the rights of the poor and middle class as well as for equity in the workplace. Going head to head with six good 'ole boys of million dollar oil, steel, cattle and prime grazing land wealth, King Miller, undaunted by their boisterous vocals, waiving of wealth and connections to corporate America, was endorsed by district wide unions and received the nod to win the Democratic primary last March to run against the millionaire Republican candidate. Elaine King Miller, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, has been a community college administrator, Division Dean at University of Colorado, a tenured professor and small business consultant Her campaign website at www.KingMiller4TxSenate.com. For more information or to support the campaign through financial contributions, campaign helpers, providing the use of a car, helping with signs, or phone banks please contact: King Miller at 806-567-5337.

---E/Watch: African Americans find mistrust, disenfranchisement heading into elections---In the most comprehensive election-year study of registered African-American voters ever by a news organization, a BET/CBS News poll shows support is still muted for presumed Democratic Presidential nominee Senator John Kerry (D-Massachusetts), while disdain for the policies of President George W. Bush and his administration is overwhelming. While the trending of some sentiment among the nearly 1,000 African Americans surveyed was not surprising, other results point to mistrust of the overall voting process that stems from the controversial ending to the 2000 Presidential Election. Further revelations identify jobs and the economy as the most important issues to get African Americans to the polls in November; while a whopping nine in ten persons surveyed feel that the war in Iraq has not been worth the financial and human sacrifice. There is also strong opinion that the United States is headed in the wrong policy direction under Bush's leadership.

---Women under-represented in leadership programs---Women are still under-represented in corporate leadership development programs, according to a survey of 1,780 human resource and training professionals by Boston consulting firm Novations/J. Howard Associates. A plurality (36%) of respondents reported that women are under-represented compared to their presence in the organization's workforce. Thirty-two percent indicated women's representation is proportionate, 18% said women's representation is greater, and 13% reported having no leadership program. Despite the continuing lag in their representation, the latest figures probably signal progress for women in the workforce, said Novations/J. Howard Senior Vice President Audra Bohannon. "Even though we still have a ways to go, the trend has been for improved representation by women, and by the end of the decade there may be a healthier balance between women and men. This is crucial since leadership programs are the path to wider work experience and advancement." What professional women value in these programs is the opportunity for building leadership skills, Bohannon observed. "Being selected for such programs is an indication that others see what women themselves see-that they are capable of leadership." Asked to identify the biggest challenges facing women in their organizations, the vast majority of respondents (75.3%) cited the family concerns women must juggle in contrast to most of their male colleagues. "Nevertheless, 20% also reported that women sometimes doubt their abilities since they think they were hired or promoted just to meet diversity targets," noted Bohannon. For more information, go to www.jhoward.com.

---HARLEM BOOK FAIR - SUCCESS BEYOND THE EXPECTATIONS---
Did you attend the Harlem Book Fair this past weekend in New York City with some 40,000+ attendees? If you did, tell us what your favorite books were? If you didn't go, tell us the names of your own favorite books. Send your book suggestions to: info@unityfirst.com by Friday, August 30.

--- Bishop T.D. Jakes: "The Hearts of Men" speaking tour for men and women---Nationally recognized pastor, author and playwright Bishop T.D. Jakes will address thousands of men and women during his Into The Hearts of Men speaking tour July 24 through August 10. Unlike Bishop Jakes' ManPower conferences that attract more than 50,000 attendees, the speaking tour will be in church-like settings for groups ranging from 2,500 to 10,000.In his down-to-earth manner, Bishop Jakes will discuss specific challenges husbands, fathers and single men face and provide anecdotes from the Bible along with personal advice from his latest book, He-Motions: Even Strong Men Struggle (G. P. Putnam's Sons; Publication Date: July 15, 2004; $19.95). Written with intimate personal stories and painful lessons learned as a pastor, husband, and father, He-Motions is a tool for both men and women. During the speaking tour, Bishop Jakes will bring the book to life and provide step-by-step instructions to help men reclaim their lives and discover their true calling, while teaching women ways to support men during their transformation. The speaking tour and the book are Bishop Jakes' response to the cries of men. "So many men are struggling with issues concerning their wives, children, careers and accomplishments. To add to the confusion, the women in their lives don't understand how to help them. The Into The Hearts of Men events are open and free to the public. For more information on the tour or to purchase the He-Motions book, music CD and Into the Hearts of Men Sermon Series CD and DVD packages, please visit the website at www.intotheheartsofmen.com.

---INTERNATONAL: Rights of Women and Girls in Darfur remain an afterthought---Girls as young as eight are being raped and used as sex slaves in western Sudan, despite the international focus on Darfur and guarantees by the Sudanese government to disarm the Janjawid militia, charged Amnesty International in a new 35-page report titled, Rape as a Weapon of War: Sexual Violence and its Consequences. The mass rapes ongoing in Darfur are war crimes and crimes against humanity that the international community is doing little to stop. "While authorities in Khartoum publicly pledge to improve security for civilians in Darfur, the testimony of women from the region tells another story," explained Dr. William F. Schulz, Executive Director of Amnesty International USA (AIUSA). "The sad truth is that if the victims were our mothers, our daughters and our sisters there would be a more vigorous response from the international community."The report reveals how women and girls are being raped, abducted and forced into sexual slavery by the Janjawid-who have acted with full impunity and with the full knowledge or acquiescence of the government army. Not a single member of the Janjawid or of the armed forces has been charged with committing rape or abductions. Amnesty International delegates obtained testimonies from Sudanese refugees in three locations along the eastern Chadian border, including the names of more than 250 women and girls raped in Darfur.

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