---Best companies for minorities---
FORTUNE has announced its seventh annual list of Best Companies for Minorities. Topping the list for the second year in a row is McDonald's, which FORTUNE cites for having the highest minority-retention rate on the list and for making a concerted effort to purchase from minority vendors. The list and related stories, including a report on how the new African-American power players on Wall Street are those with niche specialties, appear in the June 28 issue. The good news, writes FORTUNE's Cora Daniels, is that "Corporate America is raising the bar, and the best keep on getting better." For example, during the seven-year life of the FORTUNE survey, company boards have become more diverse. People of color made up almost 21% of boardrooms in 2003, compared with 19% the year before and 11% in 2001. Rounding out the top ten: At No. 2 for the second year in a row is Fannie Mae, with 15 minorities--including CEO Franklin Raines--among its 50 best-paid employees. Fannie Mae focuses less on race and more on developing effective leaders, say employees. Half of No. 3 Sempra Energy's workforce are minorities, and through a partnership with Howard University the company is guaranteed a steady influx of MBAs and engineers. No. 4 Union Bank added five minorities to its 50 top-paid last year, most of whom received the money the old-fashioned way: through commissions. Nearly half of No. 5 Denny's franchises are owned by minorities, while one-third of restaurant managers and one-fifth of executives are drawn from the dinner chain's minority ranks. Rounding out the top ten are the U.S. Postal Service (No. 6); Pepsico (No. 7); Southern California Edison (No. 8); Freddie Mac (No. 9); and PNM Resources (No. 10).

---UnityFirst.com Workplace Diversity Survey - Please share your thoughts ---
What is your experience in Corporate America….Are corporate diversity programs really working for African Americans? Are more African Americans being promoted than ever before? Do African Americans still experience discrimination in the workplace? How are African Americans being treated by their managers and team members? Are Black companies getting more business from Corporate America? Is there a gap between the White experience and the Black experience in Corporate America? Please share your thoughts, to be compiled for a UnityFirst.com special report. Send your comments (as brief as possible) to: info@unityfirst.com. Comments are due by Friday, June 25, 2004.

---VoteWatch: Congrats to New Jersey's Jamel C. Holley----
Jamel C. Holley recently gave the residents of Roselle, New Jersey a new hope for the future, as he won the Council-at-Large seat in the Borough of Roselle, New Jersey. He is now the youngest Councilman in Union County New Jersey at the age of 24. In early 2001, he became the youngest Chief of Staff in the State of New Jersey for any of the state's 120 legislators. Recently, Holley was also selected by the New Jersey Democratic State Committee to serve as a Member of the Affirmative Action and Outreach Committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Holley, a graduate of Abraham Clark High School in Roselle, New Jersey, graduated from New Jersey City University with a degree in criminal justice. He is currently pursuing a Masters Degree of Public Administration at Kean University. Jamel who was raised by his grandmother always pays tribute to her by saying, "I am what I am because of my grandmother. My grandmother is a strong woman who loved us, took care of us and gave us her strength and wisdom." Much success to you, Jamel!

---Economic Update by Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones ---
Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones commented on the recently released economic data. Here is an excerpt from her remarks: "This economy has had a disproportionate affect on minorities in this country, particularly African Americans. According to the U.S. Courts, Administrative Office's Bankruptcy Statistics, 1,625,208 households filed for bankruptcy in 2003, a 33% increase from 2000. That is nearly one bankruptcy every 19 seconds. For minorities, the statistics are even worse. According to an article by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi, entitled, 'The Two Income Trap,' African Americans and Hispanics are much more likely to go bankrupt. Hispanic homeowners are nearly three times more likely than White homeowners to file for bankruptcy, and Black homeowners are nearly six times more likely than White homeowners. African Americans are also twice as likely to lose their homes due to foreclosures, often falling victim to the unscrupulous practices of predatory lenders. Additionally, African Americans have higher levels of debt. The typical African American families had debt of 30% of their assets, while the debt of typical White families was 11% of their assets. A census study showed that African Americans and Hispanics spend more on childcare than Whites."

---"It's Better to Know" National HIV Testing Day events---
More than half of all Americans diagnosed with HIV each year are African American, and almost 13 percent are Latino. Members of these two at-risk groups, as well as others at increased risk -- including men who have sex with men, sexually active youth, and those who use injection drugs -- are among the thousands of Americans being urged to seek HIV testing during this year's National HIV Testing Day (NHTD) events now being organized across the country. NHTD is Sunday, June 27. Organized by the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA-US), NHTD is intended to encourage at-risk individuals to seek voluntary HIV counseling and testing in order to obtain appropriate medical care should they test positive. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 180,000 and 280,000 Americans are living with HIV but don't know it. These individuals do not benefit from today's life-prolonging treatments. The following CDC statistics paint the latest picture of the U.S. HIV epidemic:
1) African Americans made up about 54 percent of the new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2002
2) Nearly 13 percent of new HIV diagnoses occurred among Latinos in 2002
3) Almost 30 percent of new HIV diagnoses were among women in 2002, more than three quarters of which were due to heterosexual contact
4) An estimated one-half of all new HIV infections each year are in young people under the age of 25
5) Men who have sex with men accounted for more than 40 percent of new HIV diagnoses in 2002
Health experts point out that many in minority groups do not receive treatment. "African Americans and Latinos continue to be seriously affected by HIV, and far too many are missing out on treatment and support because they're unaware of their infection," said Janet Collins, Acting Director of HIV, STD, and TB programs at the CDC.

---Send your news, events and press releases to editors@unityfirst.com! ---

For more information on African American Newswire, a national press release distribution service targeting the diverse press or UnityFirst.com, call 413-734-6444 or send email to editors@unityfirst.com.

###