Black Woman’s Guide to Beautiful Hair--
Today there are many sisters who do not respect, appreciate or understand their own hair in its natural state. THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO BEAUTIFUL HAIR (Sourcebooks) by Lisa Akbari empowers Black women to succeed in having the kind of hair they have dreamed of having. Akbari, founder of the Hair Nutrition Research Center in Memphis, says that "more than 90 percent of her clients suffer from the same problems—dry scalp and weak hair-- Regardless of whether they had straight or kinky hair, a weave or wore their hair natural." The lack of knowledge in maintaining these styles was causing incredible amounts of damage to their hair!The seven-week program outlined in THE BLACK WOMAN’S GUIDE TO BEAUTIFUL HAIR gives a foundation to build healthy hair now, and in years to come. This program empowers women by giving them new tools and a new road map to ensure beautiful hair. For more information , contact Maggy Tinucci at 630-961-3900, ext. 225.

---Motivation today: Jewel Diamond Taylor---
Small steps toward your goal are better than no steps. Strive for progress, not perfection. Check out Jewel Diamond Taylor’s column on www.unityfirst.com.

---U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao on May 2002 unemployment numbers--U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L Chao issued the following statement on the decrease in the unemployment rate from 6.0 percent in April to 5.8 percent in May 2002. "In May, several leading economic indicators were harbingers of an economic recovery. The unemployment rate edged down 5.8 percent and payroll employment rose by 41,000, with the help supply growing for the third consecutive month, engineering and management growing by 18,000 and manufacturing overtime hours increasing again this month. It is especially encouraging that the unemployment rates dropped across ethnic lines. More African Americans and Hispanics are back at work this month, with unemployment rates falling a full percentage point.”

---Minority homeownership in Orange County, California---
The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco (FHLBSF) and Rep. Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) outlined the challenges working minority families in Orange County must confront in their search for affordable housing. Several lending institutions were represented on the panel on homeownership opportunities for minorities and the underserved, which took place as part of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's (HUD) Third Annual Orange County Affordable Housing Conference. "The median price of a home in Orange County is over $300,000," said Rep. Sanchez. "With home prices so high, only one-third of county households can afford to realize the ‘American Dream’ of homeownership. This housing crisis disproportionately impacts minority and underserved communities who traditionally experience homeownership at lower rates." Latinos and African Americans are the largest minority groups in the U.S. Yet according to recent census figures, only 47.3% of Latinos and 47.7% of African Americans are homeowners, while the White homeownership rate is 71.6%.

---Justice Department on voting problems in Florida---
In a recent letter sent to Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Patrick Leahy, Assistant Attorney General Ralph Boyd explained why the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department has closed the vast majority of its investigations into election misconduct in Florida in 2000. People For the American Way Foundation President Ralph G. Neas called the letter "astonishing" and said the department's action's represented "a destructive abdication of responsibility and a breach of faith with Florida voters." Neas said Boyd's assertion that election reforms passed by the Florida legislature effectively addressed widespread voter registration problems and the illegal purge of thousands of voters from voting lists is "more fiction than fact." People For the American Way Foundation is co-counsel with other civil rights organizations in NAACP v Harris, a federal voting rights lawsuit filed in January 2001, which does seek relief for the statewide purge and voter registration problems that disproportionately harmed African American voters in Florida in 2000.

---Race discrimination retaliation case filed against ARAMARK--
A race discrimination and retaliation lawsuit was filed on May 31, 2002, by a White employee against the nation's largest provider of outsourcing services, ARAMARK Corporation, relating to its operations at Presbyterian Hospital in Philadelphia. This suit follows the filing of a race discrimination class action by African American employees that was filed against ARAMARK/Presbyterian in August 2001.The class action case, filed by ten African American employees on behalf of Black workers in certain departments at ARAMARK/Presbyterian, alleges that the Defendants engaged in ongoing, pervasive racial discrimination in disciplinary actions against class members. In the case filed on May 31, the plaintiff alleges that she was retaliated against in violation of state and federal civil rights laws after she spoke up in defense of the earlier-filed class action, and after she reported to Company management that she was asked to lie to support a disciplinary charge against an older African American employee made by a White supervisor. Prior to these incidents, the suit alleges that as a White employee, the plaintiff was shown favoritism over African American employees by white supervisors in the assignment of hours and overtime, and in the respect and dignity that management showed her.

---Tapes of grocery executives rejecting applications of African-Americans---In a lawsuit under New York City's Human Rights Law, Plaintiffs Shondelle Northe, Nancy Mena, and Gina Healy have released audio tapes confirming their allegations of racism against executives of New York based Key Food Stores Co-Operative, Inc., a company that operates approximately 110 grocery stores, primarily in New York's minority communities. The Plaintiffs' lawsuit, which seeks damages of $45 million dollars, alleges that Key Food Executives have long used race as a factor in hiring, and that racial hostility and bias is commonplace at Key Foods. The explosive tapes contain the voice of Richard Grenard, a Key Food's executive. On the tapes, he is heard rejecting the application of a Jamaican job applicant, uttering the phrase: "Is she a f---ing nigger"?" Marc A. Rapaport, Esq., attorney for the plaintiffs, released the audio tapes to local media. Key Food executives were made aware of Richard Grenard's discriminatory actions and remarks more than a year ago. Yet Grenard remains in his management position at Key Foods, where he oversees the purchase of all produce products sold throughout New York. According to Rapaport, "The goal of this lawsuit is to force change -- to make sure that businesses that serve New Yorkers provide equal employment opportunity to all New Yorkers, and a work environment which treats people with respect and dignity, regardless of the employees' race or ethnicity. Until we see this change, we will continue fighting." For more information, contact David J. Shaffer, 202-789-8188.

---Hospitality's best at Diversity Conference----
The MultiCultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance(MFHA) will honor leading organizations and individuals in the area of diversity at its third national conference to be held August 11-13 in San Diego, CA. A highlight of Conference 2002, Diversity Economics: "Turning Difference Into Dollars" will be the presentation of this year's national awards. The awards were created to recognize the outstanding achievements of the visionary leaders in the foodservice and hospitality industry. Entry deadline is July 12, 2002 . For more information on the 2002 MFHA awards or an entry form, call 401-751-8883 or go to www.mfha.net.

---Jobs This Week: Are you interested in the following positions:
Wellesley College: Director of Classes and Reunion. To apply send email to working@Wellesley.edu .

Wellesley College: Technology Systems Administrator. To apply send email to working@Wellesley.edu .

Wellesley College: Research Assistant. To apply send email to working@Wellesley.edu .

Wellesley College : Academic Administrative Assistant. To apply send email to working@Wellesley.edu.

BJ’s Wholesale Club: Rebuyer, responsible for ordering and replenishing merchandise needs for the Clubs. To apply, send email to jobs@bjs.com.

Lifeline (Personal Response and Support Services): Customer Car Reps, Full, Part-time, day, evening and overnight. To apply, fax to 508-988-1411.

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