---National Urban League's State of Black America focuses on the Black family---The National Urban League's 2003 edition of its hallmark report, The State of Black America, examines the current state of the Black family in America. The report details some good news: a slow but steady increase in the number of Black families headed by married couples (47.9 percent in 2001 versus 46.1 percent in 1996); more than two thirds of all African American families have "stable working class to middle class" incomes, and a significant number of Black men and women support equal rights and equal pay. But in light of the 40 years since civil rights groups led a march on the nation's capitol to promote civil rights and economic opportunity for African Americans, the report also calls into question how far African Americans have really come. Additional findings show that 10.9 percent of single Black mothers are unemployed, compared to just 4.9 of White single mothers, and reveal a disproportionate incarceration rate for Blacks, particularly for non-violent offenders: 4, 819 per 100,000 vs. 649 per 100,000 for Whites. According to our report, marriage among African Americans is up, and more families are earning higher incomes. However, one cannot ignore the staggering African American unemployment rate which stands at 12 percent, twice the national average of six percent.

--- J.C. Watts on President Bush's upcoming meeting with the National Urban League---GOPAC Chairman J.C. Watts offered strong praise for President George W. Bush in his decision to attend the National Urban League convention in Pittsburgh. Watts, a former congressman, also had great praise for incoming Urban League President Marc Morial, with whom he has met on several occasions. Watts said that, with President Bush in the White House, and with the strong organization that Watts is building at GOPAC, "it is clear that Republicans refuse to take one vote in the African-American community for granted."

---Acquiring loyal Hispanic customers requires focused strategies---Hispanics value long relationships with their banking, credit card, insurance, and telecom providers -- the average customer relationship lasts over seven years. In fact, the vast majority of Hispanics have remained loyal to their service providers. While much has been written about Hispanics' high levels of loyalty, the study "Customer Service Impact on Consumer Choice, Loyalty, Brand Reputation and Sustainable Growth" by The Santiago Solutions Group and Hispanic Teleservices Corporation, reveals for the first time many traits and distinctions between Hispanic loyals and switchers. For example: switchers are much more likely to have been born in the U.S. and prefer customer service in English only, homemakers tend to be more loyal than decision makers who have full-time employment, and Hispanics are most vulnerable to competitive offers and most sensitive about the quality of customer service during their first two years with a service company. Since the expenditures of Hispanic loyals is 50% higher than that of switchers, accurate targeting and proper selection of bilingual customer service vendors are crucial to achieve high levels of return on investment.

---FYI: African American Newswire noted in Entrepreneur magazine---
Entrepreneur magazine's July 2003 edition noted African American Newswire/UnityFirst.com as a resource to help grow businesses. Give African American Newswire/UnityFirst.com a call at 800-286-3659, and ask how we can help you grow your business.

---St. Louis: Sale marks Wyndham's first minority hotel partnership---
Wyndham International, Inc. has sold the 182-room Mayfair - A Wyndham Historic Hotel located in St. Louis, to Roberts Mayfair Hotel, LLC. The Mayfair will remain in the Wyndham-branded portfolio through a 10-year management agreement with the new owners. The sale to Roberts Mayfair Hotel, LLC, a partnership led by St. Louis businessmen Michael V. Roberts and Steven C. Roberts, marks Wyndham's first minority owner partnership. Nestled in downtown St. Louis, the Mayfair is just steps away from the America's Center and Edward Jones Dome. Founded by Michael V. Roberts and Steven C. Roberts, The Roberts Companies is regarded as one of the top African American owned businesses in the United States. The Roberts Companies is a multi-faceted business organization comprised of an aviation company, television broadcasting properties, the eighth largest broadcast tower company in the United States, a wireless communications company, real estate development entities, a nationally renowned construction management and consulting firm, and most recently Roberts Hotels, LLC, which will serve as the managing member of Roberts Mayfair Hotel, LLC.

---Philadelphia, PA: BDPA Annual National Conference: August 13-17, 2003---
For over 25 years, the Black Data Processing Associates (BDPA) has been a global member focused organization that positions its members at the forefront of the IT industry. BDPA has 3,000 members and over 40 chapters in cities across the country. The theme for this year's conference, to be held August 13-17, 2003 in Philadelphia, is "Information Technology: From the Classroom to the Boardroom." The 2003 National BDPA conference provides a total information technology experience to students (high school and college), information technology professionals, entrepreneurs, IT senior managers, corporations, academia, government agencies and the research community.

---Don't miss Mosaica---
Make sure you, your business/agency are included in this powerful diversity-focused guide highlighting public relations/communications firms/agencies, as well as diversity professionals/consultancies and diverse businesses. For information and upcoming August deadlines for entry into this guide and upcoming networking event in New York City, call 800-286-3659 or send email to: jfondon@unityfirst.com.

---New York: Remembering Nina Simone---
On July 26 at the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, New York, a memorial service was held for Nina Simone. Nina Simone's daughter, Simone, family, artists, activists, community members and fans commemorated and celebrated the life and music of this legendary woman whose artistic, civic and civil rights contributions have left an indelible mark on mankind and have set a standard for musicians the world over. Considered one of the most honest songwriters and finest musicians of her day, Nina Simone was the heart and voice of the people. She was well known during her music career for boldly and unapologetically integrating her political views into her stage performances, especially during the 60s, in which the battle for equal rights in the U.S. became a centerpiece of her musical and personal life. But it was her alto voice, with its rich timbre and distinctive interpretation of standards, blues, folk, classical and soul compositions that shot her to prominence. She rendered an eclectic mix of music with precise diction, moody vocals and a powerful vibrato, inspiring generations of artists. Nina Simone died April 21, 2003, age 70, at her home in Southern France.

---Massachusetts: Roxbury Film Festival presents films by New England Filmmakers of Color---On August 14-17, 2003, ACT Roxbury Consortium and The Color of Film Collaborative are co-sponsoring the 5th Annual Roxbury Film Festival to showcase New England filmmakers of color. Last year's festival drew more than 2,000 film lovers, making it the largest regional festival of its kind. Candelaria Silvia, ACT Roxbury director, said, "Filmmakers want audiences for their work; audiences want films that show a variety of images." The Roxbury Film Festival helps this happen by showcasing feature-length and short films as well as documentaries and student films directed, written, and produced by filmmakers of color. The audience gets to see films that aren't generally shown at other festivals in the Boston area or which are not released in Boston. Highlights for this year's festival include a variety of special guests such as actress Victoria Rowell, Emmy Award winning writer, producer and director Neema Barnette, actress CCH Pounder. There will also be an actor's workshop. For more information, send an email to: kc4info@aol.com.

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