---National Alliance of Market Developers---
At a recent Board of Directors meeting, the National Alliance of Market Developers (NAMD) announced its 2002 annual conference theme, "50 Years of Marketing Success: A Golden Past, A Platinum Future." Marketing success is what the founders of Johnson Publishing, The Uniworld Group, Burrell Agency , Black Enterprise, Essence and the Ophelia Devore Agency all achieved. NAMD membership is what they all had in common. The NAMD was established in 1953 and today its membership includes people from marketing, management, advertising, public relations, sales, urban affairs and other related fields. The 2002 NAMD Conference will take place Arpil 18-21, 2002 in Washington, D.C. Speakers include: BET's Ed Gordon and Kelvin Boston(Shown Above), host of "Moneywise," a PBS television series. For more information, contact Clyde Allen by phone: 908-561-4062.

---Lowe recognized for community revitalization through the arts---For his outstanding efforts to educate and enlighten people through art, Rick Lowe has been jointly awarded the eighth annual Heinz Award for Arts and Humanities. He will receive his medallion and cash award in Washington on March 12. Artist and activist Rick Lowe is the founder of Project Row Houses, a neighborhood-based public art program that renovated 22 "shotgun" houses in the middle of one of Houston's poorest neighborhoods. He saw in these houses an opportunity to create a world-class art project in a low-income neighborhood where such art is rarely seen and experienced. The once-dilapidated buildings are now functioning as art galleries, workshop spaces, offices, and housing for young single mothers where they can learn life skills in child care, money management, and home care. The NEA has since come to consider Project Row Houses a model for similar projects it has funded in other cities. For more information, contact Gladwyn Lopez at 212-843-9231.

---Boston: NAACP Legal Defense Fund Eye-Opener---
The NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) will hold an "eye-opener" event in Boston, MA on Wednesday, March 20 from 8 am to 9:30 am.with the support of Bingham Dana, a law firm, The Williams Agency, a Public Relations/Marketing firm and the LDF New England Committee. The "Eye-Opener" will feature Elaine R. Jones, LDF President and Director-Counsel, and Theodore M. Shaw, LDF Associate Director-Counsel. They will discuss LDF's involvement in the landmark University of Michigan affirmative action case pending before the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and other litigation priorities. The objective of the event is to update Boston-area supporters and the legal community on the status of LDF's current legal battles and public policy efforts. LDF is observing its 61st anniversary as the nation's preeminent civil rights law firm. Its New England Committee cultivates regional support and visibility for LDF's work. For more information, contact: Nathea Lee, 202/833-9771.

---Diversity conference hosts national reception for "Making Connections"---"Making Connections: Success Strategies for Outreach to Diverse Communities," is a reception sponsored by Linkage's Summit on Leading Diversity, one of the nation's leading conferences on diversity, and African American Newswire/UnityFirst.com. The reception will be held on April 10, 2002 (5 pm to 6:30 pm ) at the Crowne Plaza Ravinia in Atlanta, GA, as part of the Summit on Leading Diversity Conference, which runs from April 8-11. This special networking reception is focused on sharing best practice diversity outreach efforts and building partnerships with corporations. "Making Connections" provides an opportunity for corporate organizations attending the Summit to connect with community, media, business, and social resources to develop partnerships that enable the advancement of diversity. The Summit provides a forum to connect with over 650 diversity practitioners representing various corporations and organizations from across the U.S. The Summit on Leading Diversity Conference includes keynote presentations from: Edward James Olmos on finding the champions in all of us, Alexis M. Herman on investing in the current and future workforce, Myrlie Evers-Williams on the courage to succeed, Aida Alvarez on economic empowerment and forging partnerships with women and minority owned businesses, Steve Hanamura on the connection between doing business and serving our communities and Mark Williams on a 21st century approach to managing cultural diversity. To learn more about The Summit on Leading Diversity, please visit the website at www.linkageinc.com/conferences/hr/leading_diversity. To register your organization for the reception, contact Janine Fondon at 1-800-286-3659 or send an email message to jfondon@unityfirst.com.

---Turning Point Magazine targets national business community---Turning Point Magazine, one of the country's leading small business publications, celebrates its 10th Anniversary with its premier national issue which is now available. A bi-monthly controlled circulation periodical, Turning Point Magazine is dedicated to sustaining and growing African American small businesses and communities across the nation. Turning Point Magazine was founded in Southern California after the 1992 Los Angeles uprising as a means to combat the negative images of African Americans portrayed by the media. Business and community organizations wishing to provide the publication to its member companies (no charge) can register at www.Turningpointmagazine.com <http://www.turningpointmagazine.com> or call (310) 821-6910. For more information, contact Damon T. Oliver via email: dtoliver@sbcglobal.net <mailto:dtoliver@sbcglobal.net>

---L'Oreal Researcher, Dr. Victoria Holloway---
Dr. Victoria Holloway, director of L'Oreal's Institute for Ethnic Hair and Skin Research, has been honored with a prestigious Women of Color in Health, Science and Technology award. The award, sponsored by Baltimore's Career Communications Group, recognizes the career accomplishments of minority women and their commitment to helping other minorities succeed in health, science and technology careers. "It's a tremendous honor, both personally and professionally to be recognized for my work at L'Oreal." Dr. Holloway, a graduate of Harvard University, the Yale University School of Medicine and the John Hopkin's School of Hygiene and Public Health is a fitting recipient of this impressive award. Since being chosen to head up L'Oreal's newest Research & Development facility, the Institute for Ethnic Hair and Skin Research, Dr. Holloway has joined the ranks of L'Oreal's more than 1,400 distinguished women scientists and proven to be an invaluable member of the L'Oreal team. Just last September, Dr. Holloway, in partnership with Howard University, organized the first International Symposium on Ethnic Hair and Skin. Nearly two hundred doctors, researchers and scientists from Brazil to France traveled to Chicago to attend seminars that covered topics from the development, safety and efficacy of ethnic hair products to the structure and function of ethnic skin.

---Job Opportunity of the Week---
Benjamin Banneker Charter School Seeks School Leader (Cambridge, MA)
The Benjamin Banneker Charter School is currently seeking a visionary and dynamic individual to serve as an educational leader of a K through 8 six-year old charter school serving three hundred fifty students. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the school has a budget of approximately four million dollars and seventy faculty and staff. The charter was recently renewed by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The school is now seeking a highly motivated, exceptional, results-oriented professional who is committed to the mission of the Banneker and high standards of objective measures of performance, including the use of MCAS as well as other standardized instruments.The successful candidate will have a demonstrated track record of achieving school organizational goals through varying degrees of participatory and collaborative teamwork with senior staff, teachers, parents, the Board of Trustees, and the community. He or she must possess or meet the qualifications to obtain a Massachusetts secondary school principal license; must have a minimal of three years of urban teaching experience, and recent urban school administrative experience. Terms:$95,000+ Base Salary (negotiable), 4 weeks paid leave per year, plus additional fringe benefits including medical and dental insurance. Interested applicants should submit resume, qualification statement, and salary requirement to: Fields Associates, 124 Mount Auburn Avenue, Suite 200 North, Cambridge, MA 02138 Or e-mail at: Fields@banneker.org (No telephone calls, please) For a detailed description of this job, click here.

Thanks for reading Unity First Online. If you know of people who should receive Unity First Online, please encourage them to sign up for the newsletter via www.UnityFirst.com.

###