---President Obama announces launch of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate---The President has announced the launch of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate. The Major Economies Forum will facilitate a candid dialogue among key developed and developing countries, help generate the political leadership necessary to achieve a successful outcome at the UN climate change negotiations that will convene this December in Copenhagen, and advance the exploration of concrete initiatives and joint ventures that increase the supply of clean energy while cutting greenhouse gas emissions. President Obama has invited the leaders of 16 major economies and the Secretary General of the United Nations to designate representatives to participate in a preparatory session at the Department of State on April 27-28 in Washington, D.C.  The preparatory sessions will culminate in a Major Economies Forum Leaders’ meeting, which Prime Minister Berlusconi has agreed to host in La Maddalena, Italy, in July 2009. The 17 major economies are: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.  Denmark, in its capacity as the President of the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the United Nations have also been invited to participate in this dialogue.

John Hope Franklin

Peniel E. Joseph

Michelle Obama

Aretha Franklin

Business World Index

---Remembering  historian Dr. John Hope Franklin---
 NAACP Chairman Julian Bond and NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous released the following statement on the passing of noted historian and activist John Hope Franklin: "America has lost a real treasure with the death of John Hope Franklin. He was a pioneer in democratizing American history, giving black Americans a proper place in the development of the United States. His magnificent work, From Slavery to Freedom, insures people of color will not be forgotten when the American story is told. He was more than America's most prominent historian - his civic activism set a high standard for academics, marching in Selma, serving on numerous commissions and advising presidents. He is irreplaceable and will be much missed. John Hope Franklin was the 1995 recipient of the NAACP Spingarn Medal, the Association’s highest honor, given for distinguished merit and achievement among Americans of African descent."

---Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture explores Black Power movement---Sponsored by the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC), "1968 and Beyond: A Symposium on the Impact of the Black Power Movement on America" to be held on March 30 -31 will examine what African-American history scholar and Brandeis University professor Dr. Peniel E. Joseph calls "the classical period" of the civil rights movement by placing it in the broader context of American and African-American history. The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. ushered in a new era in the civil rights movement. Buoyed by the slain leader's fierce urgency of now, organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, the Nation of Islam, and the Black Panther Party began to gain prominence. "Indeed America's patchwork heritage, as President Obama referenced in his inauguration speech, is a strength, not a weakness. The black power movement fits squarely into the fabric of American history because it is telling of the American paradox of our ideals," said Joseph.

---First Lady Michelle Obama to deliver Spring 2009 commencement addresses---
The Office of the First Lady announced that First Lady Michelle Obama will serve as commencement speaker at two graduations this year.  Mrs. Obama will give the commencement speech to high school graduates of Washington Mathematics Science Technology Public Charter, in Washington D.C. She will also deliver the commencement speech to University of California, Merced’s first full senior class – the University opened in 2005.

---Happy Birthday, Aretha---
The Queen of Soul recently celebrated her birthday at a party held at Seldom Blues, a premier jazz restaurant overlooking a breathtaking view of the Detroit River and Canadian skyline.  To help celebrate, Franklin was presented with a specialty birthday cake in the shape of her now infamous grey-bowed Inaugural Hat. 

---Hispanics and Plastic Surgery ---
Tough economic times may have caused a decline in some areas of cosmetic surgery, but procedures among ethnic patients are up. According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), ethnic cosmetic procedures increased 11 percent in 2008, with more than 3 million performed, while procedures among Caucasians dropped 2 percent. Cosmetic procedures among Hispanics, the largest and fastest growing ethnic group in the U.S., experienced the greatest growth: up 18 percent. "We're seeing a rise in Hispanics opting for cosmetic procedures that coincides with the growth we're seeing in the nation's population," said ASPS President John Canady, MD. "Less social stigma, as well as, advances in procedures allow patients to maintain their ethnic look. While the majority of patients continue to be Caucasian, the profile of the typical patient is changing." Hispanics comprised 10 percent of the 12 million cosmetic plastic surgery procedures performed in 2008, with nearly 1.3 million procedures; African Americans made up 8 percent with 910,000 procedures, up 10 percent; and Asians accounted for 7 percent with 866,000 procedures, up 5 percent. The most commonly requested cosmetic minimally-invasive procedures for all ethnic groups were Botox, injectable fillers, and chemical peel.