---Workplace Discrimination--
Older people, gays and lesbians and people with disabilities are perceived by many to be frequent victims of workplace discrimination. Other groups viewed as frequent victims of workplace discrimination by smaller, but still substantial, numbers of people include women, African Americans and Muslims. On the other hand, relatively few people believe that Jews, Asian Americans or Hispanic Americans are often discriminated against. This survey also finds that workplace jokes about women, gays and lesbians, and older people are relatively common, while fewer (but still substantial numbers) recall hearing jokes about Asian Americans, people with disabilities, Muslims and Jews. These are some of the results of The Harris Poll, which is based on online interviews with adults surveyed between August 26 and September 2, 2002. These results show that African Americans are much more likely than the general public to see Blacks as victims of discrimination, while gays and lesbians are also significantly more likely to see themselves as discriminated against. When it comes to jokes, gays and lesbians and Hispanics are more likely than other groups to report hearing jokes against people like them. Women, on the other hand, are less likely to recall hearing jokes about women, presumably because men are more likely to make these jokes to other men when no women are present. Some specific findings about the perceptions of discrimination are: (1) Fully 50% of African Americans feel that blacks are "often" victims of workplace discrimination, but only 18% of all adults believe this to be true (2) Almost half of gays and lesbians and bisexual adults (45%) feel that they, as a group, are often discriminated against at work. Nearly a third of all adults (29%) perceive this level of discrimination against gays and lesbians, and (3) Relatively few people perceive Jews (5%), Asian Americans (5%), Hispanic Americans (12%) or Muslims (14%) as frequent targets of discrimination. When it comes to jokes told in the workplace about minorities, more people recall hearing jokes about women (53%), gays and lesbians (44%), older people (38%), African Americans (37%) and Hispanics (32%) than about the other groups.

---Boycott against Knight Ridder's Philadelphia Daily News---
Inspired by the African-American community's two-month-long boycott against Knight Ridder's Philadelphia Daily News, publishers of six of the largest-circulation black newspapers in Philadelphia, have launched a joint promotional campaign to promote the viability and reach of the Black press in that city. As a first step in the effort, the publishers have begun to run an ad in each of their respective papers, promoting the names and phone numbers of each publication and touting a combined weekly readership of 1.2 million persons. In a direct reference to the African-American community's concern about the lack of fairness and racial insensitivity of the Daily News, the headline of the ad reads: "More than 1.2 million readers every week get the truth about our community from the Black Press."The publishers say their joint efforts and cooperation in reaction to the boycott are unprecedented, and they are exploring additional opportunities to work cooperatively to enhance the visibility of the black press in the Greater Philadelphia area. On September 9, 2002 the Coalition for Fair News Coverage, announced a boycott of the Philadelphia Daily News in response to a decades-long pattern of racially abusive and anti-Philadelphia news coverage at that paper. The Coalition now comprises more than 100 community, business, civic, civil rights, grass roots and religious organizations including the Pennsylvania State Baptist Convention, the Black United Methodist Pastors and the Philadelphia Masjid. Other members include the Philadelphia NAACP; the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware; the Daughters of Fine Lineage; Laborers Local # 332; and attorneys Charles Bowser, Michael Coard and Luther Weaver.

---New Jersey's increasingly diverse population---
As New Jersey's population becomes increasingly diverse, realtors are working harder than ever to accommodate the specific needs of individuals from a wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds. According to the 2000 U.S. census, the Garden State is the ninth most ethnically diverse in the nation, with fully 34% of its citizen describing themselves as African-American, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander or as a member of some other non-white minority group. And as an international hub of commerce, New Jersey also attracts a steady stream of workers from every corner of the globe, here on assignment. "If you're going to sell real estate in New Jersey, you absolutely have to be able to work with people from other backgrounds, from other cultures," observes Elizabeth Mills, director of relocation for East Brunswick, NJ-based Prudential New Jersey Properties. "In recognition of this fact, every single one of our offices has at least one agent who has participated in our company's diversity training program." The Prudential New Jersey Properties program, held at the company's East Brunswick headquarters, lasts a full three days, and provides agents with specific information on how to meet the needs -- and be conscious of the sensitivities -- of many different groups. Participating agents learn who is likely to be made uncomfortable by a casual pat on the back or be offended by a particular type of clothing, business card etiquette.

---The American Podiatric Medical Association's Annual Diabetes Campaign---This November, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) launched its annual diabetes awareness campaign in an effort to inform consumers on how to prevent diabetes-related complications, particularly neuropathy and lower-limb amputations. According to APMA President Richard Viehe, DPM, "Diabetic neuropathy is the impairment of nerve function due to increased blood sugars." Individuals suffering from diabetic neuropathy may not be able to feel open sores, infections or blisters that need to be treated; often the end result will be amputation of the lower-limb. This year's campaign, "It's What You Don't Feel That Can Hurt You," will provide free information on diabetes and the feet, as well as quizzes and monofilament foot-screening tests that assess sensation in the feet. For more information on diabetes and the feet or to obtain a free brochure and foot-screening test, visit www.apma.org. For additional details, contact, Allison Brewer via email: ajbrewer@apma.org or phone: 301-581-9221.

---Baby boomer update---
Many Baby Boomers are heavily burdened -- sandwiched, in fact -- between financial obligations to children and aging parents. They also expect more of the same to continue into retirement, according to the second annual Allstate "Retirement Reality Check" survey. Despite shrinking savings and growing financial concerns, surveyed Baby Boomers are not shying away from providing financial support to family members. More than one-third of those surveyed (38 percent) said they would be financially responsible for parents or children/grandchildren during retirement. Nearly ten percent said they would be sandwiched by responsibilities for both parents and children. At the same time, these Boomers expect to have a number of other financial obligations during retirement, including car payments (36 percent), mortgages (27 percent) and credit card bills (28 percent).Surveyed Hispanics will be supporting family members at rates sharply higher than the general population, with 53 percent anticipating obligations to children or elderly parents in retirement, and 19 percent expecting to have responsibility for both children and parents.

---Economic Empowerment Training Workshops---
Prudential Financial, Inc. announced that it is co-sponsoring an economic empowerment workshop in partnership with the National Center for Faith Based Initiative (NCFBI) to help develop the financial viability of urban African American communities. The theme of the workshop, which is led by Bishop Harold Calvin Ray, senior pastor at Redemptive Life Fellowship Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, is "Closing the Economic Divide." The NCFBI designed the workshop to help forge a national coalition of churches and other faith-based organizations that can work together to enhance the economic environment of urban communities. Bishop Ray will bring the NCFBI tour to 60 cities over the next two years. Prudential Financial is participating initially in 11 cities - Chicago, Dallas, Dayton, Detroit, Los Angeles, Newark, Pittsburgh, Raleigh, San Bernardino, Washington, DC, and West Palm Beach.

---Honoring Barbara Jordan---
The first, life size Barbara Jordan memorial statue was unveiled in the Barbara Jordan Terminal, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in Texas. The first such major, public sculpture in the country to honor Jordan, it is the landmark for the terminal which bears her name. Jordan, a legendary U.S. congresswoman, orator, and civil rights leader, is fondly remembered by many Austinites as an educator at The University of Texas at Austin/LBJ School of Public Affairs and, respectfully as former Governor Ann Richards' counsel on ethics. The late Jordan represented the people of Texas as state senator then U.S. congresswoman for more than a decade. During this time, her achievements included being the first African-American to serve in the Texas Senate since Reconstruction. She is now commemorated with a life-size, bronze sculpture in the terminal which bears her name.

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