---Go to UnityFirst.com for the following stories---
1) Deliverance: Expressions in Fabric by Urban African American Quilters---
The unique artistry of the urban quilter has turned fabric into a vision of awe as the Harlem Girls Quilting Circle (HGQC) illuminates The Cork Gallery at Avery Fisher Hall 65th Street and Broadway. Many of the quilts on display tell the story of such greats as historian Dr. John Henry Clarke and Nelson Mandela or share the visual beauty of a "Tenebere" - a Senegalese dance party in a village.
2) Black Public Relations Society of Greater New York honors Theater Marketing and PR Professionals: Irene Gandy, Marcia Pendleton and Donna Walker Kuhne---
Three of the most accomplished marketing and public relation professionals on today's performing arts scene Irene Gandy, Marcia Pendleton and Donna Walker Kuhne were recently honored by the Black
Public Relations Society of Greater New York at the Manhattan headquarters of Burson Marsteller.

---New York:United Parcel Service and Discrimination---
Ten United Parcel Service drivers from Long Island and Queens filed charges of discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on May 17, 2004. The employees, many of whom have been employed by UPS for ten years or more, are alleging a pattern and practice of discrimination at UPS on the basis of race, gender, national origin and retaliation. "At the New York UPS Uniondale location, a White male management team continually subjects minority employees to a hostile and discriminatory work environment." according to Leeds, Morelli & Brown. Black and Hispanic drivers are steered into territories and accounts based on their race and national origin. Specifically, they are sent into urban areas such as New Cassell and Roosevelt and are told "they can handle those types of areas." In addition, several of the minority drivers have been subjected to violence and profanity by their supervisors, and they are routinely set up for failure. Those that survive the initial attempt to drive these minorities out, then must endure baseless allegations of stealing or drug abuse, and unmanageable workloads that have led to injuries taking them out of the workplace. While these employees have voiced their concerns of discrimination to management, as well as to their union, their complaints have been ignored and there has been no action by management to correct these serious wrongdoings. "These employees are hardworking, dedicated individuals who have been subjected to unacceptable working conditions at the hands of an insensitive and negligent management team," said Lenard Leeds, senior partner of Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. and counsel for the 10 charging parties. "We are putting the Company on notice that disparity in the workplace will no longer be tolerated and we will continue to pursue this action until the proper changes are accomplished."

---Americans with Disabilities Act---
The United States Supreme Court recently reaffirmed, by a narrow 5-4 majority, the power of Congress to require that the 50 states respect the fundamental rights of all Americans, including those with disabilities. In Tennessee v. Lane, No. 02-1667, the Court ruled that Congress had the power to enact Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and thereby require that courthouses be made reasonably accessible to the disabled. The plaintiff in the case, George Lane, ordered to answer to criminal charges on the second floor of a county courthouse that had no elevator, crawled up two flights of stairs to get to the courtroom. When he returned for a second hearing, he refused to crawl again or to be carried by officers, and he was subsequently arrested and jailed for failure to appear. The Supreme Court recently held that Congress has the power under the Fourteenth Amendment to remedy this blatant and outrageous violation of Mr. Lane's fundamental right of access to the courts. The Supreme Court decision affirmed that Congress has "broad power indeed" under Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment to prevent and remedy unconstitutional discrimination.

---Detroit Branch NAACP and Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking---
The Detroit Branch NAACP, in conjunction with the Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking, will be meeting with executives from the banking industry in the wake of a $6.2 million Fifth Third Bank settlement brokered by the U.S. Department of Justice recently. "This settlement is a very good first step in the right direction," said Reverend Wendell Anthony, Detroit Branch NAACP President. "But we cannot afford to wait for legal remedies to force banks to do the right thing when it comes to providing equitable access to capital and service in urban areas." The move comes on the heels of a recently announced settlement between Cincinnati-based Fifth Third Bank and the U.S. Justice Department. The federal lawsuit charged that executives at Old Kent Financial Corp. unlawfully avoided making business and residential loans in African-American neighborhoods. Old Kent Financial Corp. was bought by Fifth Third Bank in 2001. Redlining practices such as these are what prompted the Detroit Branch NAACP to co-found the Detroit Alliance for Fair Banking in 1989. The group is charged with monitoring the local banking industry to guard against unfair banking and lending practices such as redlining, predatory lending and monitoring of compliance with the Community Reinvestment Act.

---Outstanding Massachusetts women leaders, including UnityFirst.com President and CEO Janine Fondon, will be honored by the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus--- The Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus (MWPC) has announced the 2004 recipients of the prestigious Abigail Adams Awards to recognize and honor outstanding women leaders who have demonstrated through their work and/or community activism a commitment to the political, economic and social advancement of women. The 2004 award recipients are:
Cheryl Cronin,Esq.- Partner, Brown Rudnick BerlackIsraels LLP
Janine Fondon -President and CEO, UnityFirst.com and African American Newswire
Jane Wallis Gumble - Director, MA Department of Housing & Community Development
Janice Loux - President, Hotel Workers Union
The Honorable JoAnn Sprague - MA State Senator, Districts of Norfolk, Bristol & Plymouth
Roni Thaler - President, Center for Information & Study on Clinical Research Participation
The Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus (MWPC) is a multipartisan organization that promotes the participation and involvement of women of all ages in the political process. The organization was founded in 1971 for the purpose of increasing the number of women elected and appointed to public office and public policy positions. The 17th Annual Tribute to Abigail Adams, will be held on Wednesday, June 16, 2004 at the Fairmont Copley Hotel, Boston. For information on the event, send email to: info@unityfirst.com.

---Brown v. Board of Education and School Choice---
The Independent Women's Forum has declared school choice to be the unfinished agenda of Brown v. Board of Education. "The struggle of African American parents in Kansas, South Carolina, Delaware and the District of Columbia to have their children attend the schools of their choice forever changed our nation and led to the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education," says Michelle D. Bernard, senior fellow with the Independent Women's Forum. "As we celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark decision, American public education is still largely separate and unequal. Our public school system is dangerously close to creating a permanent underclass of African American, Hispanic, and low income children with little if any hope for the future. "Since 1970, spending on public education has more than doubled, yet there has been little improvement in nationwide test scores and little reduction in the black-white education gap. Today, parents and policy makers are increasingly embracing school choice as a tool for improving American education.

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