---November is American Diabetes Month---
This November, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is teaming up with NFL sports broadcaster, James Brown, to launch its "Diabetes is a Family Affair" campaign. "My mom is one of the 16 million Americans effected by diabetes", said Brown. "I see how well my mom manages the disease by inspecting her feet daily and I want others with diabetes to know how important it is to do the same." Foot screenings are important for people with diabetes to prevent complications such as slow healing sores, swelling and redness, a loss of sensation in the feet, and infections that could lead to amputations. For more information, visit APMA's Web site at www.apma.org. or call 1-800-FOOTCARE (366-8227) to request a free brochure (available in English and Spanish).

---Abolitionist of the Year Award---
Ajamu Baraka, a human rights activist who has worked to abolish the death penalty for 15 years, will receive the Abolitionist of the Year Award this weekend from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. Baraka directed AIUSA's National Program to Abolish the Death Penalty over the past 12 months, at a time when intense international attention was focused on capital punishment in the United States. Baraka is now the Director of AIUSA's Southern Regional Office in Atlanta. Baraka said "As the public continues to examine the death penalty in a moral context, I believe that support for abolition of the death penalty will grow. He emphasized that this award is for all of the people who have worked to abolish the death penalty in the United States. During his acceptance speech, Baraka called on activists "to stay the course and victory will follow." Ajamu Baraka can be reached at 678/232-3790 for interviews.

---National Diversity Week---
Next Step Magazine's National Diversity Week just concluded and by all measure it was a success. There were events across the country that focused on diversity. In Detroit, Michigan, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition (RPC) Detroit Bureau hosted the 1st Annual Automotive Conference as part of National Diversity Week Celebrations. Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. said, "When money, market, and talent is good - opportunity is diverse." In Louisville, Kentucky, the National Center for African American Leadership (NCAAL) hosted its annual leadership conference in conjunction with National Diversity Week. In New York City, a Diversity Symposium was held at the United Nations. It was sponsored b the Center for Diversity, the Ambassador of St. Lucia, Mercedes Benz-USA and NEXT STEP. Some of this year's sponsoring companies included: Cingular Wireless, Campbell Soup Company, The Bearden Group, National Center for African American Leadership, Business Women's Network, UnityFirst.com/African American Newswire, Center for Diversity, and Global Lead Management Consulting. Next Step Enterprises, Inc. is a Philadelphia-based, diversity media group.

---Autumn Jazz in New York, October 26---
Join jazz vocalist Patricia Adams at Yvonne's Southern Cuisine, an upscale, family restaurant specializing in traditional southern cooking and Westchester's eatery of choice when fine dining and live jazz entertainment are desired. Adams will be joined by Frank Wilkins on keyboards. Frank Wilkins is a popular professor at the Berklee College Of Music in Boston and has played virtually every major jazz and blues venue along the Northeast corridor, other major US cities and internationally. Hear them interpret and improvise on the not so standard jazz and blues standards of Duke Ellington, Arlen & Mercer, Fats Waller and more. Sit back and relax. They'll entertain, while you enjoy the elegant surroundings and soulful entrees. Yvonne's is located at 503 Fifth Avenue @Sixth Street, Pelham, New York. There is plenty of free parking on the well lit street. Make your dinner reservations (recommended) now by calling 914-738-2005. The music begins at 6:30 PM until 10:00 PM. Treat yourself to a relaxed evening of upscale dining and down home cookin' and take home Patricia's latest CD, Out Of This World .

---Pittsburgh: EBONY Fashion Fair---
The world's largest traveling fashion show is coming to Pittsburgh. In its 44th year, The EBONY Fashion Fair is slated for Tuesday, October 30th at 8 p.m. at the Byham Theater in downtown Pittsburgh. Proceeds for this year's event will benefit The Salvation Army and WTAE-TV's Project Bundle-Up. Incepted in 1956 by Mrs. Jessie Dent, wife of President Emeritus of Dillard University, the EBONY Fashion Fair now appears in 175 cities throughout the United States, Canada and the Bahamas. Nearly 325,000 tickets are sold annually. For tickets, call 412-456-6666.

---Philadelphia: Inner City Education---
If more than 100,000 studies on how children learn to read have been conducted, why do only three in 10 American fourth-graders read proficiently? And if researchers and educators have learned through those studies which reading methods are most successful, why are they not being put into action so that ALL young children can learn to read well? These crucial issues will be addressed in Philadelphia -- a hotbed of controversy as its public schools face mounting deficits and a state takeover -- by NBC-TV's Tim Russert, Edison Charter Schools President Floyd Flake, nationally renowned education researcher Barbara Foorman, legal advocate and D.C. Family Literacy Project Director Richard Roe, and John DiIulio, founding director of the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Outreach Initiatives, at the Fourth Annual Gesu Symposium on Inner-City Education. Entitled "Research and Roadblocks to Developing Young Readers," the symposium will take place on November 1 at 2 p.m. at Gesu School, an independent Catholic elementary school located at 17th & Thompson Streets in North Philadelphia and recognized as a national model for inner-city elementary education. For more information, call 215-763-9077.

---Pioneer Awards at Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NY---
The Rhythm & Blues Foundation has announced November 8 as the new date for the 12th Annual Pioneer Awards, which were originally scheduled for October 4. Dionne Warwick and Isaac Hayes will co-host the gala awards event which will take place for the first time at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem, NY. Ed Bradley of "60 Minutes" will participate in the event by honoring Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Reverend Al Green. VIP Tickets for the Pioneer Awards may be purchased through The Rhythm & Blues Foundation, ph: 202-588-5566. Mezzanine tickets at $50.00 and $25.00 are available in-person at The Apollo Theatre box office or by calling Ticketmaster. This marks the first time that the Pioneer Awards will be held at the world famous Apollo Theatre. Having first opened in 1913, The Apollo became the center of African-American entertainment in New York City. From the 1930s through the early 1970s.

---Zora Neale Hurston benefit---
Atlanta will host the first annual Zora Neale Hurston Endowment Fund benefit, "Celebrating Cultural Connections - The Treasures Africa and the Americas, Sunday, November 11(4 - 8 pm), at Wildwood in Colony Square (1197 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA). This silent/live auction party will celebrate the arts and humanities Zora style. There will be auction items that are both practical and for those with eclectic taste. Please consider donating auction items. Your participation will help create a positive profile for your company nationally and offers you the opportunity to market and advertise the donated products or services to a wide market. Tickets are $125 and proceeds benefit the Zora Neale Hurston Endowment Fund. For more information or to donate items for the auction, call 404-346-0410 or send email to newideas@bellsouth.net.

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