Go to UnityFirst.com for the following stories:
1) Read Dr. Willarda V. Edwards' article about National Cancer Institute(NCI) Campaign to Reduce Health Disparities…NCI recently launched a project to educate African American men about the connection between eating more fruits and vegetables and avoiding life-threatening diseases.
2) Mark Williams shares article: Diversity's Moment of Truth… A Call to Action for Today's Leaders, Part 2. Mark Williams, Founder/President of The Diversity Channel and the author of "The 10 Lenses: Your Guide to Living and Working in a Multicultural World, has released the second of his two-part article series: "Diversity's Moment of Truth: A Call to Action for Today's Leaders." He says, ""We need a broader framework, a new morality, and a commitment not to exploit our cultural differences for temporary political gain."
3) Ford Motor Company's PowerNetworking 2003: Collaborating and Building Black Wealth & Resources will be held June 19-22 at Cleveland Convention Center in Cleveland, OH.

---Mumford Center report, "Black Diversity in Metropolitan America---
John R. Logan and Glenn Deane at the Lewis Mumford Center for Comparative Urban and Regional Research University at Albany recently issued an analysis of Census data, "Black Diversity in Metropolitan America." According to the authors, "Early reports from Census 2000 about the growing diversity of the American population have emphasized the large increases in the Hispanic and Asian minorities in many regions of the country. There are also substantial differences within the Black population that are worthy of attention." Here are some highlights from the report:
1) The number of Black Americans with recent roots in sub-Saharan Africa more than doubled during the 1990s. The number with origins in the Caribbean increased by over 60 percent.
2) Census 2000 shows that Afro-Caribbeans in the United States number over 1.5 million, larger than some more visible national-origin groups such as Cubans and Koreans.
3) Africans number over half a million.
4) In some major metropolitan regions, these "new" Black groups amount to 20% or more of the Black population. And nationally nearly 25% of the growth of the Black population between 1990 and 2000 was due to people from Africa and the Caribbean.
5) There is also striking variation within America's Black population. The social and economic profile of Afro-Caribbeans and Africans is far above that of African Americans, and even better than that of Hispanics.
6) Afro-Caribbeans are heavily concentrated on the East Coast. Six out of ten live in the New York, Miami, and Fort Lauderdale metropolitan regions. More than half are Haitian in Miami; Haitians are well represented but outnumbered by Jamaicans in New York and Fort Lauderdale.

---Ford Motor Company presents "Empowerment through Entrepreneurship" Symposium at leading minority conferences and conventions---For the fourth consecutive year, Ford Motor Company is showcasing "Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship" symposiums at major African American national and regional annual conventions and conferences nationwide. The symposium is packed-full of information on achieving and building personal wealth through excellence in workplace performance and small business development. Since the program's launch in the year 2000, over 27,000 participants have benefited from Ford's empowerment message on achieving economic and financial freedom; this year, Ford Motor Company expects to reach over 133,000 individuals. The mission to empower individuals to achieve personal wealth, and its residual effect of building communities through economic development, has been a goal for Ford Motor Company since its inception nearly a century ago. George Fraser, one of the nation's foremost authorities on networking and building effective relationships, is the featured speaker of the "Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship" symposiums. The Ford Motor Company "Empowerment Through Entrepreneurship" tour will also be featured at the 2003 annual gatherings of Jabez in Orlando, June 7, in Atlanta on July 19, in Santa Ana on October 18; Frasernet in Cleveland, June 19-22; Phi Delta Kappa in Las Vegas, July 24; National Urban League in Pittsburgh, July 26-30; Alpha Phi Alpha in Detroit, August 1-5; Bronner Brothers in Atlanta, August 9-11; and the National Baptist USA in Kansas City, September 8-12. For more information, contact Shelley O'Connor via Email: soconnor@uniworldgroup.com.

---National Urban League 2003 Annual Conference, July 26 -30, 2003---
The National Urban League 2003 annual conference will be held July 26 through July 30 at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. This year's theme is The Black Family: Building on its Resilience. Scheduled events include plenary sessions titled The Civil Rights Movement: Passing the Baton; Relationships in the 21st Century and The Future of Affirmative Action.

---Rodnell Collins, nephew of Malcolm X to speak at Harlem's Hue-Man Bookstore on May 19---In honor of the Annual Malcolm X Day, May 19, a remembrance of El Hajj Malik El Shabazz's (Malcolm X) 78th Birthday anniversary, Rodnell Collins is extending an invitation to the community to join him from 5-7 pm at the Hue-man Bookstore in Harlem, New York. Rodnell will share some new insights regarding the family memoir, "Seventh Child: A Family Memoir of Malcolm X." All are welcomed to attend. Please send an email to jfondon@unityfirst.com and let us know you if you are interested in a complimentary, autographed book, while supplies last.

---National Center for Healthcare Leadership's Diversity Initiatives---
The National Center for Healthcare Leadership (NCHL) has received an $80,000 grant from GE Medical Systems to develop and support a Diversity Leadership Academy and Coaches Academy. Effective diversity initiatives are needed to address the problem of underrepresented populations in healthcare leadership roles. Not only is the proportion of healthcare managers nearly four times less diverse than the general working aged population, but studies have also shown that managers of color are paid less and are often less satisfied with the quality of growth opportunity available to them compared to colleagues with equal education and experience. Additionally, studies of U.S. corporations have found that African-Americans, in particular, advanced farthest if they had a strong network of mentors and corporate sponsors to nurture their professional development. The Diversity Leadership Academy will enable aspiring healthcare managers and executives to be change agents within their organizations, creating and fostering environments that encourage and support diversity in healthcare.

---Overweight/Obesity in African American Children---
In the past three decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity in children has more than tripled. The situation is critical for African-American children. While 15% of all children are now obese, 26-37% of African American children are in the category overweight/obese. African Americans Building a Legacy of Health, the Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. and the Association of Black Women Physicians will host a symposium entitled, "The Challenge of Obesity Among African American Youth: 'Can I Have Some More Please?'" on May 17, 2003 from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Marina del Rey Marriott Hotel (4100 Admiralty Way, Los Angeles, CA) for pediatricians, family practitioners and all health professionals or people that care for children For more information on the symposium, AABLH or Community Health Councils, Inc. please call Mia Boykin at (323) 295-9372.

---Book of the week: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd---
Sue Monk Kidd's ravishing debut novel has stolen the hearts of reviewers and readers alike with its strong, assured voice. THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES (Penguin) is the story of Lily Owens, a girl who has shaped her life around one devastating memory-the afternoon her mother was killed. Besides her harsh and unyielding father, Lily's only real companion is Rosaleen, a Black woman. One summer afternoon in 1964 in South Carolina, violence explodes and Rosaleen is arrested and beaten. Lilly breaks Rosaleen out of jail and the two escape, into what quickly becomes Lily's quest for the truth about her mother's life. They are taken in by three Black, beekeeping sisters, May, June, and August, and Lily is consumed by their secret world of bees and honey, and of the Black Madonna who presides over this household of strong, wise women. For more information, send an email to: chamel@penguinputnam.com.

---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.

###