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Friday, September 09, 2005
Tom Joyner Starts College Scholarship Fund for Katrina Victims
Students from Dilliard, Xavier, Southern University of New Orleans EligibleDallas, TX (BlackNews.com) - Tom Joyner, the top ranked nationally syndicated radio and television personality and entrepreneur, has launched The Tom Joyner Foundation 'HBCU Scholarship Relief Fund' to assist students at three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) whose campuses have been shut down due to Hurricane Katrina's devastation.
"We know this is a difficult time for everybody, said Joyner, whose syndicated radio show is aired in 115 markets reaching nearly 8 million listeners. "This fund is designed to try to make sure all those students that transferred out of schools in New Orleans and there are some 9,000 of them -- can stay in school because thats what were focused on here at the Foundation."
Joyner has set aside up to $1 million to help students who have been displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The fund will assist students from Dilliard, Xavier and Southern University of New Orleans and will be distributed to the schools to which the students have transferred.
To be eligible for the money, students must submit their full name, the school from which they transferred, the school they are currently attending and a telephone number (cell or land line) or email address to hbcurelief@blackamericaweb.com. Go to BlackAmericaWeb.com (www.blackamericaweb.com) to make a donation and to get more information. Donations are being accepted online through the website or checks payable to The Tom Joyner Foundation Inc., may be mailed to PO Box 630495, Irving, TX 75063-0495.
About the Tom Joyner Foundation
Since 1998, the Foundation has raised more than $30 million and helped some 80 colleges and thousands of deserving students who attend HBCUs. Since its inception, the foundation has assisted every HBCU, which is defined as "any historically black college or university that was established prior to 1964, whose principal mission was, and is, the education of black Americans."
Movie Stars, Cultural Icons, and Hip Artists Join BET to Raise Funds for Katrina Victims
STARS ALIGN FROM ACROSS GENRES TO SUPPORT BET S.O.S TELETHON TO BENEFIT VICTIMS OF HURRICANE KATRINA ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9"S.O.S (SAVING OURSELVES): THE BET RELIEF TELETHON" Features the Best in Hip Hop, R&B, Jazz, Gospel, Comedy, Television, Cinema and More in United Effort to Help
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Their mission will be a serious one - to do all they can to bring aid and relief to the millions of victims whose lives have been shattered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. BET is bringing together stars of music and entertainment in alliance with the National Urban League, American Red Cross, Hip-Hop Summit Action Network, Essence Communications and major recording labels for a primetime telethon on Friday, September 9, starting with a special benefit episode of 106 & PARK: BET'S TOP 10 LIVE at 6 p.m. ET*, followed by the commercial-free telethon from 7:30 - 10 p.m. ET* (*telethon is tape-delayed to the West Coast; toll-free pledge phone lines will be open). The telethon will also be streamed simultaneously on-line at www.BET.com, with video clips and highlights available on the website after the event.
Queen Latifah along with comedian Steve Harvey are lending their talents as co-hosts for the evening featuring musical performances, testimonials, special presentations, pleas to the public for financial pledges to help the victims and video packages by BET News covering developments from the affected region. Throughout the telethon, viewers can call 1-888-BET-3598 or go on-line to www.BET.com/sos to make their donations.
The telethon boasts a roster of superstar artists, many with ties to the affected areas, including Wynton Marsalis, Master P, David Banner and Juvenile along with Jamie Foxx, Russell and Kimora Lee Simmons, Morgan Freeman, Alicia Keys, Diddy, Jay Z, Kanye West, Ludacris, Mary J. Blige, Island Def Jam Music Group Chairman Antonio "L.A." Reid, Common, Usher, Nick Cannon, Omarion, Pharrell Williams, Ciara, Keyshia Cole, Avant, Lyfe, Twista, Stevie Wonder, Brandy, Wyclef, Erykah Badu, Al and Star Jones Reynolds, Chris Rock, Sheryl Underwood, Chris Tucker, Patti LaBelle, Floetry, Cedric "The Entertainer", Nelly, Rhianna, Big Boi, D. L. Hughley, Marques Houston, Choppa, Twista, Paul Wall, Kirk Franklin, John Legend, Ice Cube, The Game, Bow Wow, Musiq, Monica, Aaron Neville, Samuel L. Jackson, Chaka Khan, Chuck D, Shakim, Swizz Beats, Kem, Smokey Robinson and more. All celebrity participants will give of their time and resources in an inspiring effort to address the tremendous devastation in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and elsewhere.
There will also be special messages from Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Senator Barack Obama (D-Illinois). Representatives from the Congressional Black Caucus, National Black Caucus of State Legislators and the National Conference of Black Mayors will also participate in the telethon.
BET is supplementing the direct fund-raising effort with an on-line charity auction of celebrity-autographed and special one-of-a-kind items and memorabilia. Among the items featured are special edition sports jerseys, rare jewelry, tour jackets, hats, signature clothing pieces and other items. The auction will be promoted throughout the telecast as well on the BET.com website, and lasts until Noon ET on Friday, September 16.
Viewers will also have the option of using mobile telephone and text messaging services as a means of making donations, with cellular carriers Cingular, Alltel, Nextel, Sprint and Verizon Wireless participating in the BET fund-raising effort starting with tomorrow night's telethon and lasting through September 30. Users can donate a minimum of $5.00 to a maximum of $25.00 by sending the text message BET to 24357 (2HELP) and following the on-screen instructions to execute the donation.
In addition to the BET telecast, the telethon will also be radio simulcast on XM Satellite Radio Channel 67 - The City, Sirius Satellite Radio Channel 50 - Hot Jamz and Inner City Broadcasting stations WBLS (107.5-FM) in New York and WWDM (101.3-FM) in Columbia, South Carolina. Radio One will promote the BET Telethon on the nationally-syndicated program The Russ Parr Morning Show and throughout the broadcast day on its radio stations in 19 urban markets across the country. Other radio stations around the country are joining the BET simulcast effort, and there will be further updates on those stations tomorrow.
Making optimum use of its television platform isn't the only way BET is joining in the massive effort to provide hurricane relief. Hundreds of BET employees have also collected more than 1,000 pounds of non-perishable items and dry goods which have already been shipped to Gulf coast locations housing evacuees from the storm-ravaged areas.
ABOUT BET
BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA and VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production; and BET Books, the nation's leading publisher of African-American themed romance novels under the Arabesque imprint which also publishes compelling fiction under the Sepia imprint and inspirational fiction and nonfiction under the New Spirit imprint.
For additional information, log on to www.BET.com
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
LOCKHEED MARTIN CONSIDERED TOP COMPANY FOR BLACKS IN TECHNOLOGY
Greenbelt, MD and Livingston, NJ (BlackNews.com) - The National BDPA (Black Data Processing Associates (www.bdpa.org) and WorkplaceDiversity.com (www.WorkplaceDiversity.com), the source for diversity talent, announced Lockheed Martin as the winner of the prestigious Epsilon Award Top Company for Blacks in Technology.The award was presented at the 27th Annual National BDPA Conference held August 17-20, 2005 at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, MI. The Epsilon Award is presented annually to the top company in the nation that promotes a workplace environment that supports the advancement of Blacks in the information technology industry.
WorkplaceDiversity.com is a job search web site for corporate recruiters who want to make a good faith effort to reach experienced diversity talent. The site bridges the gap between companies that support diversity and experienced diversity candidates by providing one central location to post open positions.
BDPA, a national organization, is the premier organization for African Americans in Information Technology (IT). Founded in 1975, BDPA is celebrating a 30-year commitment to closing the digital divide. "We are very pleased to recognize Lockheed Martin for outstanding contributions to promote Blacks in Technology," said National BDPA President, R. Wayne Hicks. In this tough economy, many African Americans in technology are concerned about opportunities for both employment and advancement. It is important to recognize those exceptional companies that have provided African Americans with challenging and fulfilling career opportunities in Information Technology.
"BDPA is the voice of African Americans in IT," said Dan Honig, Chief Operating Officer of WorkplaceDiversity.com. "WorkplaceDiversity.com is honored to be working with BDPA because it is committed to closing the digital divide and helping African American IT professionals advance."
Added Honig, "We are very pleased to recognize Lockheed Martin because they are truly practicing workplace diversity in their IT departments."
"At Lockheed Martin, we recognize that diversity is not just a short-term trend. It is a business imperative," noted Douglas Ash, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Information Technology Solutions. This award recognizes Lockheed Martin's dedication to a process that listens to the voices of our employees and our partners to help shape our course. It is through this process that we set goals and develop a strategy that will hold us accountable for making Lockheed Martin a place of institutionalized inclusion."
Over 120 BDPA Corporate Sponsors and Supporters were asked to complete a comprehensive survey that rated their performance in the areas of Demographics, Diversity Programs, Diversity (Training, Affinity Groups), Tenure, Promotions and Terminations, Diversity Recruiting, Career Path Programs, Minority Vendor Programs, and Community Outreach. Will Bundy, National BDPA Outside Director, said, "Responses were not unexpected."
Some companies are making significant progress while others are doing what is required to meet minimum standards. Added Bundy, Our BDPA survey questions are the right ones to cause reflection on whether programs value Diversity and build opportunities that work. Our winners have demonstrated a commitment to people and an understanding that Diversity has a bottom line business case value.
About National BDPA
Founded in 1975 by Earl Pace and the late David Wimberly, BDPA is a global member focused organization that serves the professional well-being of its stakeholders. BDPA remains committed to excellence and providing a wide spectrum of resources to members, corporate sponsors, businesses, educational institutions and the African American community. The organization is a catalyst for professional growth and technical development for those in the IT industry. With over 50 chapters across the United States, the BDPA is the premier organization for African Americans in technology. The BDPA national headquarters is located in Greenbelt, Maryland. For more information about BDPA, contact Vercilla A. Brown, executive director, at 1-800-727-BDPA.
About WorkplaceDiversity.com
WorkplaceDiversity.com (www.WorkplaceDiversity.com) is the source for diversity talent. The first career web site for companies that want to recruit experienced diversity candidates, it combines leading technology with diversity and career information from over 2,500 sources.
WorkplaceDiversity.com enables experienced diversity talent to find open positions at companies that support diversity, and to obtain information and resources that will help them attain their career goals. For more information about WorkplaceDiversity.com, please visit www.WorkplaceDiversity.com, or call (973) 992-7311.
The First Black Internet Based Bank
RECENT FDIC APPROVAL BRINGS NATION'S FIRST BLACK INTERNET BANK CLOSER TO GOAL OF BUILDING WEALTH IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITIESFDIC approval clears way for BankBlackwell's national capital raising campaign
Boston, MA (BlackNews.com) - The Organizers of BankBlackwell (in Organization) announced today that BankBlackwell, the first African-American Internet Bank, has received deposit insurance approval from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
The approval clears the way for BankBlackwell to complete its $17.5 million public offering, required to commence operations. BankBlackwell is offering up to 1,664,000 shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $10.00 per share.
The Bank is offering its common shares directly to individual and institutional investors.
FDIC approval was the last regulatory hurdle for BankBlackwell. Earlier this year, BankBlackwell became the first African-American bank to obtain a federal banking charter in more than a decade. The Bank announced the FDIC approval at the kickoff of its national capital raising campaign in Boston and Atlanta last week. BankBlackwell has launched a grass roots capital raising campaign that targets major metropolitan areas with large African-American populations and strong community churches.
For example, the Black Wealth Network is hosting BankBlackwell in Cleveland at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel from 4:30pm to 6:00pm on Tuesday, September 13th. Additional receptions are being planned for Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Washington D.C. and other cities. For information on the Banks investor seminars contact BankBlackwell at 877-226-5229 or visit www.bankblackwell.com
BankBlackwell intends to operate as a savings bank focused on offering selected financial services over the Internet to African-American individuals and churches and to those customers who seek value and convenience. BankBlackwell has received approval from the Office of Thrift Supervision to organize a federal savings bank and from the FDIC for federal deposit insurance.
This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sale, of the common stock in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. The offering of common stock is made only by means of an Offering Circular.
For copies of the Offering Circular, subscription documents or other information on the Offering, please contact:
James R. Mundy
President and Chief Executive Officer
BankBlackwell (In Organization)
580 Harrison Avenue, 4th floor
Boston, MA 02118
Telephone: 877-226-5229
Bank Black Well
