Indiana University Bloomington will remember Martin Luther King Jr.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington will remember Martin Luther King Jr. and celebrate his legacy with activities beginning Thursday (Jan. 13) and running through Jan. 21.

Highlights will include the presentation on Sunday (Jan. 16) of an original, one-woman play by actress and playwright E.P. McKnight, entitled "I Question America," which chronicles the life of civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer.

The university also will help to present the Bloomington community's celebration on Jan. 17, which will feature as keynote speaker Sonia Sanchez, a poet, activist and international lecturer on black culture and literature, women's liberation, peace and racial justice. The theme for IU Bloomington's celebration is "Sustaining the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr."

Other IU events include a day of activities for elementary school children at the IU School of Education, an interfaith prayer service, a leadership breakfast, a unity summit and a series of films that will be presented in campus cultural centers and residence halls. With the exception of the breakfast, all IU events celebrating King's life are free and open to the public.

Classes are not held on the King holiday, and many IU Bloomington students use the day to honor King's legacy by volunteering in the community. "A Day On, Not a Day Off" -- a massive volunteer effort organized in cooperation with a number of nonprofit agencies, IU and the city of Bloomington -- will be all day on Jan. 17. Also on Jan. 17, the IU School of Optometry, in collaboration with the Salvation Army, will provide eye exams and eye glasses to members of the Bloomington community who do not have access to vision care. Eligible patients are required to sign up with the Salvation Army prior to the holiday. The event will begin at 9 a.m. at the Community Eye Care Center, 803 N. Monroe.

The IU Office of the Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Multicultural Affairs and the MLK Jr. Day Celebration Planning Committee are coordinating many events. They are working closely with Residential Programs and Services, the Kelley School of Business and the IU schools of education, journalism and optometry and the sociology department in the IU College of Arts and Sciences.

E.P. McKnight's "I Question America"

McKnight's performance of "I Question America" will begin at 3 p.m. on Jan. 16 in Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St.

McKnight, a graduate of Fordham University and author of Words "N" Action, a book of inspirational and motivational poetry, wrote the play to help others become more familiar with Hamer's role in history. Her on-screen credits include roles in "Once And Again," "ER," "Passions" and "Another World" and "All My Children."

Inspired by organizers from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Hamer began to strive for equal rights in 1962 and later co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. She represented the organization in 1964 at the National Democratic Convention and challenged Mississippi's all-white and anti-civil rights delegation.

"If the Freedom Democratic Party is not seated now, I question America," Hamer said in a nationally televised speech. "Is this America? The land of the free and the home of the brave? Where we have to sleep with our telephones off the hook, because our lives be threatened daily?"

Hamer also helped to organize the "Freedom Summer" in Mississippi that summer and was seated as a member of Mississippi's legitimate delegation to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and again in 1972.

In a 1970 lawsuit, Hamer v. Sunflower County, she demanded school desegregation in her local community. She ran unsuccessfully for the Mississippi state Senate in 1971 and published To Praise Our Bridges: An Autobiography in 1967. Hamer died in 1977.

McKnight also will speak at a reception that follows her performance, which is free and open to the public.

"Jazz Service for Peace"

Keith McCutchen, director of the IU African American Choral Ensemble, is coordinating a program, "Jazz Service for Peace," on Sunday (Jan. 16). The program will begin at 7 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington, 2120 N. Fee Lane. The service will allow the Bloomington community to experience the universal power of jazz music interwoven with the words of King's principles of freedom, community, non-violence and cultural exchange. The performance will feature local church and school choirs and other community organizations, a jazz quintet and the African American Choral Ensemble, conducted by McCutchen.

The musical service will feature the jazz arrangements by Duke Ellington, John Coltrane, Hall Johnson and McCutchen. The musical also will feature the reading of King's Opening Address at the 1964 Berlin Jazz Festival along with other readings and ecumenical prayers for peace.

Sonia Sanchez

Sanchez is a poet, playwright and educator noted for her black activism. She received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Hunter College in 1955 and briefly studied writing at New York University. In the 1960s, Sanchez was introduced to the political activism of the times and published poetry in such journals as The Liberator, the Journal of Black Poetry, Black Dialogue and Negro Digest and has written more than 16 books and plays.

She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the National Endowment for the Arts Lucretia Mott Award in 1984, the Outstanding Arts Award from the Pennsylvania Coalition of 100 Black Women, the Community Service Award from the National Black Caucus of State Legislators; the Peace and Freedom Award from Women International League for Peace and Freedom for 1989 and a Pew Fellowship in the Arts for 1992-93.

The Jan. 17 community event, which also will feature musical performances, will begin at 7 p.m. in the Buskirk-Chumley Theater, 114 E. Kirkwood Ave., and is free and open to the public. For more information, go to www.bloomington.in.gov/, or contact Craig Brenner at 812-349-3471.

Other events centered around the holiday include:

An annual Leadership Breakfast that brings the IU community together to focus on King's ideals, beginning at 8 a.m. on Jan. 17 in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union. Winners of IU's MLK Day essay contest and Building Bridges Award will be announced and receive special recognition. Attendance is by invitation only and an RSVP is required to mlkjr@indiana.edu.

An Interfaith Prayer Service scheduled for 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., Jan. 17, in Whittenberger Auditorium of the Indiana Memorial Union. The program celebrates and increases awareness of various faith traditions through reflective prayers, music and the spoken word.

A Unity Summit in the Willkie Auditorium, 150 N. Rose Ave., Jan. 17, noon to 3:30 p.m. The event brings IU students together for a program that promotes civil dialogue and explores ways to improve the campus climate for all IU students.

The IU Bloomington School of Education's Eighth Annual King Activity Day with Children, Jan. 17, in the School of Education Atrium. Elementary-age students from the community will participate in a variety of educational activities, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information or to volunteer, contact Leana McClain at 812-856-8160 or lemcclai@indiana.edu.

IU's Race and Ethnic Relations Committee will screen the documentary, "Citizen King," at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 17 at La Casa Latino Cultural Center, 715 E. Seventh St. Fabio Rojas, IU associate professor of sociology, will moderate a discussion afterwards.

A discussion will follow a presentation of King's "I Have a Dream" speech at 7 p.m. on Thursday (Jan. 13) at the Kelley School of Business.

"Speak to Me: Open Mike Night" will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday at the Union Street Center Auditorium.

At 7 p.m. Sunday in Ernie Pyle Hall, visiting journalism professor Marty Pieratt will discuss his book, First Black Red: The Story of Chuck Harmon, the First African American to Play Baseball for the Cincinnati Reds. The book is a biography of Chuck Harmon, a Washington, Ind., native and one of 12 children who was the first African-American to suit up for the Reds on April 17, 1954.

A series of films which deal with civil and human rights, including "A Time to Kill," "Crash," "Remember the Titans," "Invictus, "Freedom Writer" and "Gran Torino" will be shown across campus. For details, go to www.indiana.edu/~mlkjr

"Have We Lost Sight of Dr. Martin Luther King's Dream?," a luncheon discussion at noon on Jan. 21 at the Asian Culture Center, 807 E. 10th St.

Complete information about all IU King Day events is available at a special Web site at www.indiana.edu/~mlkjr/.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 10, 2011

Double Exposure: African Americans Before and Behind the Camera

EXPLORATION OF AFRICAN AMERICANS EXPERIENCES THROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY TO BE PRESENTED AT THE DAVID C. DRISKELL CENTER.

COLLEGE PARK, MD. – Double Exposure: African Americans Before and Behind the Camera, showcases 90 vintage photographs from The Amistad Center for Art & Culture’s historical collection of art and artifacts with photo-based art by contemporary African American artists. The exhibition organized by the Amistad Center for Art & Culture at Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of art in Hartford, CT, opens to the public at the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland on Thursday, January 20, 2011, with an opening reception on Wednesday, January 19, 2011, from 5pm to 7pm. The exhibition will stay on view until Friday, March 11, 2011.

Double Exposure, curated by guest curators Lisa Henry and Frank Mitchell, illuminates the persistent interplay between the past and the present in African American photography. The exhibition highlights and explores the African American experience by bringing together photographic works from the 19th and 20th centuries by artists who expressed the experience of race through the use of personal, cultural and historical images. The exhibit delves into the interconnected reality of the past and the present for African American photography as well as concepts of identity and memory through visually theorizing the shifting relationships between black cultural memory and contemporary photographic storytelling

Willie Middlebrook Portraits of My People #246, 1991. Gelatin silver print © Collection of the artist, Long Beach, CA

Double Exposure presents the history of African American photography in thematic sections rather than a strict chronology. The major themes include: the influence of historical and family photography on contemporary African American art; the multiple uses of photographic appropriation, a technique that has been used since the 1970s to commemorate as well as to critique;

the importance of the portrait tradition in African American photography from the earliest studio portraits of the 19th century to the mural size color and digital portraits made today; and the influence of master photographers such as Augustus Washington and James Van Der Zee. The techniques represented in the exhibit include: daguerreotypes, tintypes, cartes de visite, traditional silver prints, Polaroids, digital prints, assemblage, and photographs printed on linen, wood and felt.

The works of a variety of African American photographers are represented; in addition to those mentioned earlier, also included are J. P. Ball, Napoleon Sarony, Cornelius Marion Battey and Addison Scurlock as well as contemporary photographers such as Leslie Hewitt, Carla Williams, Clarissa Sligh, Lorna Simpson, Carrie Mae Weems, Albert Chong, and Myra Greene. Varying greatly in age and life experiences, as well as having different artistic, photographic and cultural interests, these artists display the daily lives of African American individuals and families in the Antebellum and Post Antebellum periods across the United States. This exhibition displays a range of works that cover significant events and periods throughout the history of the African American community such as the Reconstruction period to the Harlem Renaissance and beyond. This exhibition was sponsored by Aetna.

About the David C. Driskell Center: The David C. Driskell Center celebrates the legacy of David C. Driskell – Distinguished University Professor Emeritus of Art, Artist, Art Historian, Collector and Curator – by preserving the rich heritage of African American visual art and culture. The Driskell Center is committed to preserving, documenting and presenting African American art, as well as replenishing and expanding the field of African American art. This exhibition is supported in part, by a special fund from the Office of the President at the University of Maryland, College Park, and a grant from the Maryland State Arts Council.

All exhibitions and events at the David C. Driskell Center are free and open to the public. The facility is wheelchair accessible. The Driskell Center Gallery hours are Monday through Friday from 11:00am to 4:00pm with extended hours on Wednesday until 6:00pm. The Driskell Center observes all UMD closings including snow days and holidays; for closing due to Inclement Weather, visit www.umd.edu/umnews/weatherprocedures. For further information regarding this exhibition and future activities at the Driskell Center, please call 301.314.2615 or visit www.driskellcenter.umd.edu.

NEWS RELEASE Date: January 3, 2011 Contact: Ms. Dorit Yaron Title: Deputy Director Phone: 301.405.6835 Email: dyaron@umd.edu

Sleeping Through a Great Revolution

"Sleeping Through a Great Revolution" to be keynote address of Jan. 13th celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Sleeping Through a Great Revolution" will be the keynote address Thursday (Jan. 13) at a community celebration of the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Open to the public, the free 7 p.m. program will be held at West Virginia University at Parkersburg in the college's multi-purpose room.

The celebration is co-sponsored by DuPont Washington Works and WVU Parkersburg.

Keynote speaker will be Joseph Bundy, founder and artistic director of the Afro-Appalachian Performance Company.

The program will also feature performances by the Martin Luther King Jr. Male Chorus.

Bundy is an actor, writer and humanities scholar. He has been active in the arts in West Virginia and the mid-Appalachian region for several years. As a dramatist, Bundy has directed and performed in numerous plays for the Afro-Appalachian Performance Company and has been a guest artist for various theatrical groups.

The Martin Luther King Jr. Male Chorus

He is known for his Chautauqua impersonations of James Weldon Johnson, Booker T. Washington, Martin R. Delany, A. Phillip Randolph and others. Bundy was selected by the Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Commission as one of five to receive the 2010 “Living the Dream Human and Civil Rights Award.” The Martin Luther King Jr. Male Chorus includes approximately 40 men, both clergy and lay leaders, from 26 denominationally diverse congregations from St. Albans to Oak Hill.

Under the direction of Marshall Murray, the ensemble sings both contemporary and traditional African-American gospel music.

Also, as part of the program, winners in student essay and art contests will be announced. A reception will follow in the multi-purpose room.

The program is being presented with financial assistance from the West Virginia Humanities Council, a state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusion or recommendations do not necessarily represent those of the West Virginia Humanities Council or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Jan. 6, 2011

For additional information, contact: Connie Dziagwa WVU Parkersburg Executive Director. Institutional Advancement (304-424-8203 - Office) E-mail

Panel discussions to focus on legal issues, historical significance of UGA’s desegregation

Athens, Ga. – Two panel discussions on the University of Georgia’s desegregation 50 years ago will take place Jan. 10-11 on campus.

“We believe that it’s very important for students to know about this history—even though we are five decades removed from 1961,” said Derrick Alridge, director of the Institute for African American Studies and co-chair of the 50th Anniversary of Desegregation Committee. “The desegregation of UGA ushered in an era of change that paved the way for UGA to become a world-class university.”

A panel discussion about the legal issues involved in UGA’s desegregation and progress the university has made over the past five decades will be held Jan. 10 at 5 p.m. in Masters Hall of the Georgia Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel.

Participants will include Horace Ward, the first African American to challenge UGA’s discriminatory admissions policies after being denied admission to the School of Law in 1950, and Robert Benham, who was one of the first African Americans to receive a law degree from UGA in 1970 and later became the first African-American chief justice of the Georgia Supreme Court.

Horace T. Ward

Specifically, the group will discuss Ward’s experiences with his court case and the court case surrounding Hamilton Holmes’ and Charlayne Hunter-Gault’s 1959 application to UGA. Ward, currently a senior district judge, served on Holmes’ and Hunter-Gault’s legal team. He also is the first African American to sit on the federal bench in Georgia. “Horace Ward was the first African American to apply to the School of Law and his case helped pave the way for Hamilton and Charlayne’s case to come along a few years later,” Alridge said. The panel discussion “Chronicling UGA’s Desegregation” will be held Jan. 11 at 4:30 p.m. Room 101 of the Miller Learning Center.

It will feature five authors who have written about the desegregation. From UGA’s faculty, the authors are Maurice Daniels, dean of the School of Social Work, who wrote Horace T. Ward: Desegregation of the University of Georgia, Civil Rights Advocacy and Jurisprudence; Robert Pratt, a history professor who chronicled UGA’s desegregation in We Shall Not Be Moved; and Thomas Dyer, a history professor emeritus who included a chapter on the event in his bicentennial history of UGA.

Robert Cohen, professor of history and social studies at New York University’s Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, who also has written about UGA’s desegregation in the Georgia Historical Quarterly; and Calvin Trillin, who wrote An Education in Georgia and was a reporter for Time magazine at the time of the desegregation, also will participate in the discussion.

“These are the most prominent scholars on UGA’s desegregation,” said Alridge. “Their scholarship comprises the major historiography of UGA’s desegregation.”

Betty Jean Craige, director of the Willson Center for the Humanities and Arts and University Professor of Comparative Literature, will moderate the discussion. She will ask about the importance of UGA’s desegregation in the history of the university and higher education in the U.S., about students reaction to the presence of Charlayne Hunter and Hamilton Holmes and about when white student attitudes toward black students and faculty begin to change.

For more information about the desegregation of UGA and anniversary events, see desegregation.uga.edu/.

South Mountain Community College annual production of Black Women Walking

SOUTH MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE PRESENTS BLACK WOMEN WALKING ~ Popular Production Returns to Highlight Black History Month ~ Shows Set For Feb. 11-12, 2011

WHAT:

To observe and celebrate Black History Month, South Mountain Community College, the SMCC Black Student Union and Seek First Entertainment will present their third annual production of Black Women Walking, the popular one-act play spotlighting the achievements of eleven notable African-American women, February 11-12, 2011.

SYNOPSIS:

From the living room of three friends, playgoers venture back in time to meet such historic figures as Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, and other Black heroines of history, and witness the courage, character, and brilliance of these women who impacted the American landscape with their powerful journeys toward freedom, justice and equality.

WHO:

Sojourner Truth

The play is written by Karen F. Williams and directed by Kevvin Taylor. The complete cast will be announced at a later date. WHEN: * Friday, February 11, 7 p.m. * Saturday, February 12, 7 p.m. WHERE: Black Women Walking will be presented in the South Mountain Community College Performance Hall, 7050 S. 24th Street in Phoenix, just north of Baseline Road.

TICKETS:

General admission tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students, and $5 for seniors age 55 and older.

INFORMATION:

* Call 602.315.8178 (Seek First Entertainment)

• Email smcc@smcmail.maricopa.edu
• Visit www.southmountaincc.edu

2011 Jan 04 For Immediate Release Contact: Robert Price (602) 243-8030 robert.price@smcmail.maricopa.edu

Civil Rights Icon Joins Speaker Series

Carlotta Walls LaNier who, along with eight other students, integrated Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1957 at the age of 14, will speak at Fayetteville State Univeristy (FSU) on January 20, 2011. LaNier’s appearance is part of the Chancellor’s Speaker Series. The presentation begins at 6 p.m. and is fee and open to the public.

The oldest of three daughters, LaNier was born on December 18, 1942. She made history as the youngest member of the Little Rock Nine, the nine courageous African American students who integrated Little Rock Central High School. The world watched as these children and their families braved constant intimidation and threats.

Inspired by Rosa Parks and the desire to get the best education available, LaNier enrolled in Central High School. White students called her names and spat on her and armed guards escorted her to classes, but LaNier concentrated on her studies and protected herself throughout the school year. Governor Orval Faubus stopped the public schools from opening in September of 1958, and after a year of closure and controversy, the schools re-opened in 1959. LaNier returned to Central High, graduating in 1960.

Carlotta Walls LaNier

LaNier attended Michigan State University for two years before moving with her family to Denver. In 1968, she earned a B.S. from Colorado State College (now the University of Northern Colorado) and began working at the YWCA as a program administrator for teens. In 1977, she founded LaNier and Company, a real estate brokerage company. Her experience in real estate extends from constructing and remodeling properties to marketing and selling them. Cherry Creek Realtors hired her in 1987. LaNier was awarded the prestigious Spingarn Medal by the NAACP in 1958. She has been a member of the Colorado Aids Project, Jack and Jill of America, the Urban League and the NAACP, as well as the president of the Little Rock Nine Foundation, a scholarship organization dedicated to ensuring equal access to education for African Americans.

She has also served as a trustee for the Iliff School of Theology. In 1999, President Bill Clinton bestowed the nation’s highest civilian award, the Congressional Gold Medal, to the members of the Little Rock Nine. In 2009, LaNier completed her book, A Mighty Long Way, a biography with forward by Bill Clinton. LaNier and her husband, Ira

(Ike) LaNier, have two children, Whitney and Brooke.

FSU is the second-oldest public institution in North Carolina. A member of the University of North Carolina System, FSU has more than 6,300 students and offers degrees in 70 undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

Fayetteville State University News and Information For more information, please call (910) 672-1474.

IPFW Brings the Community Together for Martin Luther King Jr. Day

FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Great music and an inspiring keynote speaker will mark Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne’s (IPFW) annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. In observance of the civil rights leader’s birthday, the IPFW Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs will sponsor “Bringing the Community Together: A Discussion on Civility,” Tuesday, Jan. 18, at 7 p.m. in the Auer Performance Hall in The Rhinehart Music Center. The event is free and open to the public.

Bishop John R. Bryant will serve as the keynote speaker. Bryant is the presiding prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), which includes AME Churches in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and Canada. Bryant also led the initiative that planted AME churches in India.. He was a Martin Luther King Jr. Fellow and holds honorary doctorates from Paul Quinn College, Wilberforce University, Payne Theological Seminary, and Virginia Seminary. Ebony Magazine included him on its Honor Roll of Outstanding African American Preachers and 100 Most Influential Black Americans.

In addition to the keynote address, the world-renowned Wilberforce University Choir will perform.

The event is part of the week-long 2011 MLK Celebration “IPFW and Beyond.” The event is co-sponsored by the Turner Chapel, the Gomez Temple African Methodist Episcopal Church, and the IPFW Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs. For more information, e-mail Christopher W. Riley, assistant director of multicultural services and career and technical education coordinator, or call 260-481-6847 For Immediate Release.

Eating Less Healthy Fish May Contribute to America’s Stroke Belt

ST. PAUL, Minn. – People living in the “stroke belt” states eat more fried fish than people living in the rest of the country, which may contribute to the high rate of death from stroke in those states, according to a study published in the December 22, 2010, online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish, may reduce the risk of stroke. Research has shown that frying fish leads to the loss of the natural fatty acids.

The study also found that African-Americans and people living in the stroke belt eat more fried fish than Caucasians and people living in the rest of the country. The stroke belt includes the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. People living in the stroke belt are more likely to die from a stroke than people living in other parts of the country.

“These differences in fish consumption may be one of the potential reasons for the racial and geographic differences in stroke incidence and mortality,” said study author Fadi Nahab of Emory University in Atlanta and a member of the American Academy of Neurology.

The study involved 21,675 people participating in the Reasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, with an average age of 65. Of the participants, 21 percent were from the “stroke buckle,” which is the coastal plain region of North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia with stroke mortality rates even higher than in the rest of the stroke belt.

Another 34 percent were from the rest of the stroke belt and 44 percent were from the other 40 contiguous states.

Participants were interviewed by phone and then given an in-home physical examination. They took a questionnaire asking how often they ate oysters, shellfish, tuna, fried fish and other fish not fried.

In the entire study, fewer than 1 in 4 participants consumed two or more servings of non-fried fish per week. The American Heart Association recommends that people eat fish at least two times per week with an emphasis on fatty fish. Those in the stroke buckle were 11 percent less likely to meet the recommendations than those in the rest of the country. Those in the rest of the stroke belt were 17 percent less likely than those in the rest of the country.

African-Americans were more than three-and-a-half times more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish per week than Caucasians, with an overall average of 0.96 servings per week of fried fish for African-Americans compared to 0.47 servings for Caucasians.

Those in the stroke belt were 30 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish than those in the rest of the country. Those in the rest of the stroke buckle were 17 percent more likely to eat two or more servings of fried fish. Overall, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 0.68 servings per week, compared to 0.64 in the stroke buckle and 0.62 in the rest of the country. For non-fried fish, those in the stroke belt ate an average of 1.45 servings per week, compared to 1.52 servings in the stroke buckle and 1.63 servings in the rest of the country. The study was supported by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Health and Human Services. Funding was provided by General Mills for coding of the food frequency questionnaire.

The REGARDS study enrolled participants across the United States, age 45 or older, between January 2003 and October 2007.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 22,500 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to promoting the highest quality patient-centered neurologic care. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, migraine, multiple sclerosis, brain injury, Parkinson’s disease and epilepsy. For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit www.aan.com.

Media Contacts Angela Babb Media & Public Relations Manager ababb@aan.com (651) 695-2789

Rachel Seroka Media & Public Relations Administrator rseroka@aan.com (651) 695-2738

IMAGE CREDIT: Army.mil Images Images on the Army Web site are cleared for release and are considered in the public domain. Request credit be given as "Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army" and credit to individual photographer whenever possible.

DU hosts events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday

Dominican University will host a lecture, “Rivers, Waves and Dreams: Metaphors of the African American Sociohistorical Experience,” on Thursday, January 20 in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday week. Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua, president of the National Council for Black Studies, will present the lecture at 4:30 p.m. in Rosary Chapel, 7900 W. Division Street, River Forest.

Cha-Jua, associate professor of history and African American studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will discuss the river, waves and dream metaphors used by Langston Hughes, Vincent Harding, and Martin Luther King, Jr. The dream was King’s central metaphor for African Americans’ aspirations for freedom, justice and equality. Cha-Jua will look at how the river analogy applies to African Americans’ long, winding sojourn in the U.S. Cha-Jua argues that the modern Black liberation movement is best conceived as a series of dialectically related, surging waves whose advances are followed by the ebbing waters of retrenchment and regression.

Cha-Jua is the author of America’s First Black Town, Brooklyn, Illinois, 1830-1915 (2000); Sankofa: Racial Formation and Transformation, Toward a Theory of African American History (2000); and co-editor of Race Struggles (2009). He serves on the editorial boards of The Black Scholars, Journal of African American Studies, and Journal of Black Studies.

Sundiata Keita Cha-Jua

In addition to the lecture on January 20, Dominican will hold a panel discussion on “King’s Legacy: Civil and Political Rights and Nonviolent Resistance” on Tuesday, January 18 at 2:30 p.m. in the Rosary Chapel. Panelists will include Sister Clemente Davlin, professor emerita of English; Gilmer Cook, assistant professor of English; Hugh McElwain, professor of theology; Dianne Costanzo, lecturer in arts and sciences; and Megan Graves, class of 2014. The university will also participate in Chicago’s city-wide day of service on Monday, January 17. On Thursday, January 20, at 6:30 p.m., the university will host a spoken-word gathering for students and members of the community in the campus Underground.

Re-igniting the Dream will feature spoken-word performances inspired by King’s writings and speeches. A jury headed by Oak Park River Forest High School teacher Peter Kahn will award a $100 prize. For more information, contact Trudi Goggin, dean of students, at (708) 524-6822.

All events are free and open to the public. For more information, contact Janice Monti, chair of the sociology and criminology department, at (708) 524-6771 or janicemb@dom.edu.

Contact: Jessica Mackinnon jmack@dom.edu (708) 524-6289 December 28, 2010

Tying activity to spirituality may help some people be more active.PODCAST

From the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, I’m Ira Dreyfuss with HHS HealthBeat. HHS HealthBeat Download MP3 for PODCAST

Tying activity to spirituality may help some people be more active. Researchers checked how that works by enrolling about 60 African-American women over 60 years old in physical activity programs through their churches.

For half of the women, the programs included Scripture readings that focused on making their lives better; the others got non-religious health material.

The researchers say the group that got Scripture did more walking at six months. O. Kenrik Duru at UCLA led the research, and says:

I’d really advise people to ask around. If it’s not in your church, then maybe a church in your community is offering physical activity with a faith-based component.’’ (7 seconds)

The study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

Learn more at HHS.gov

HHS HealthBeat is a production of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. I’m Ira Dreyfuss.

Statement by the President and First Lady on Kwanzaa

Michelle and I extend our warmest thoughts and wishes to all those who are celebrating Kwanzaa this holiday season. Today is the first of a joyful seven-day celebration of African American culture and heritage. The seven principles of Kwanzaa -- Unity, Self Determination, Collective Work and Responsibility, Cooperative Economics, Purpose, Creativity, and Faith -- are some of the very values that make us Americans.

As families across America and around the world light the Kinara today in the spirit of umoja or unity, our family sends our well wishes and blessings for a happy and healthy new year.

The White House Office of the Press Secretary For Immediate Release December 26, 2010.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, along with daughters Sasha and Malia, sing during services at St. Michael's Chapel at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in Kailua, Hawaii, Dec. 26, 2010. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

Smithsonian Acquires Rare “Black Wall Street” Film Depicting African American Life in Tulsa

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History recently acquired a collection of home movies filmed by the Rev. Harold M. Anderson of Tulsa, Okla. Dating from 1948-1952, the 16 mm film reel shot by the original camera over many years documents Tulsa’s Black Wall Street neighborhood. That section of Tulsa was devastated by a 1921 race riot that left 85 people dead and many buildings destroyed. The Rev. Anderson captured a vibrant and entrepreneurial African American community, revived and thriving almost 30 years after the riot.

Called Black Wall Street because of its prominence within the community, the footage highlights the African American-owned businesses, schools and community organizations that fostered prosperity and promoted pride among the citizens of the neighborhood. The film was donated by the Rev. Anderson’s family through his daughter Pat Sanders. It will be preserved in the museum’s Archives Center, alongside other collections documenting the African American experience, including the extensive collection of materials from the Scurlock photo studio of Washington, D.C. After conservation treatment the film will be available to researchers and scholars.

“This footage is especially important because it looks at the Black Wall Street community through a personal lens,” said Brent D. Glass, director of the museum.

Tulsa’s Black Wall Street neighborhood.

“It is rare because so few African American home movies from that time period exist, and it provides viewers with less-mediated footage and an insight into the interdependence of this community.” The National Museum of American History collects, preserves and displays American heritage in the areas of social, political, cultural, scientific and military history.

To mark the 50th anniversary of the Greensboro lunch counter sit-in, the museum explores stories of freedom and justice, both in Washington and online. To learn more about the museum, check americanhistory.si.edu. For Smithsonian information, the public may call (202) 633-1000, (202) 633-5285 (TTY). # # # SI-153-2010

Media only Valeska Hilbig (202) 633-3129

2011 Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series Explores 'Beauty and the Black Body'

NEWARK, NJ – The evolution in the concepts of black beauty – and how they have changed over time – will be explored at the 2011 Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series. New Jersey’s largest and most prestigious conference commemorating Black History Month celebrates its 31st anniversary on Saturday, February 19, 2011 at the Paul Robeson Campus Center on the Rutgers University’s Newark Campus. It is free and open to the public.

Next year’s program entitled Beauty and the Black Body: History, Aesthetics, and Politics will examine how the presence and persistence of African Americans in the United States have challenged and reshaped notions of beauty, especially in the realms of art, popular culture, and photography. Deborah Willis, professor of photography at New York University, will give The Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Saturday morning, in conjunction with her current exhibition Posing Beauty: African American Images from the 1890s to the Present. Richard Powell from Duke University, whose research examines race and representation in the African diaspora, will comment on Professor Willis’ lecture.

At the time of the MTW conference, Posing Beauty will be on display at The Newark Museum, located within the footprint of the Rutgers-Newark campus. Immediately following the MTW conference, the audience is invited to attend a free reception at The Newark Museum to view the Posing Beauty exhibition and enjoy live musical entertainment by The Bradford Hayes Trio.

Pickin', by Lauren Kelley (1999)

The MTW afternoon session features three distinguished speakers who will further examine the theme of Beauty and the Black Body from their perspectives: Professor Maxine Craig from the University of California at Davis who will draw on her scholarship in the field of gender and race studies; Professor Tiffany Gill, from the University of Texas, Austin, whose scholarship looks at the emergence and importance of the black beauty industry in modern African American life and politics; and Dr. Okwui Enwezor, an internationally preeminent scholar, art critic and curator of African art.

During a special presentation, Dr. Marc Mappen, historian and former executive director of the New Jersey Historical Commission, will receive the second Marion Thompson Wright Award in recognition of his steadfast support, and the Commission’s co-sponsorship, of the Series since its inception. The inaugural award was presented to Lonnie Bunch, director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian Institution, in 2007.

The lecture series was co-founded in 1981 by Dr. Clement Price, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor of History at Rutgers University, and the late Giles R. Wright, from the New Jersey Historical Commission. Over the past 30 years, the conference has drawn thousands of people to the Rutgers-Newark campus, and has attracted some of the nation’s foremost scholars and humanists who are experts in the field of African and African American history and culture. It has become one of the nation's leading scholarly programs specifically devoted to enhancing the historical literacy of an intercultural community.

“The Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series is a civic ritual without peer,” according to Dr. Price. “It is also a prominent symbol of civic engagement, public scholarship at a very high level, and community endearment to lifelong learning.”

The annual conference was named for East Orange native Dr. Marion Thompson Wright, a pioneer in African American historiography and race relations in New Jersey, who served for many years on the faculty of Howard University. An honors graduate of Newark’s Barringer High School and Columbia University’s Teachers College Class of 1938, she was the first professionally trained woman historian in the United States.

The Marion Thompson Wright Lecture Series is sponsored by the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, the Federated Department of History, Rutgers-Newark and the New Jersey Institute of Technology; and the New Jersey Historical Commission/Department of State. The 2011 conference receives additional support from the New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the Rutgers Committee to Advance Our Common Purposes.

For additional information about the program, visit the Institute’s website at: http://ethnicity.rutgers.edu, or contact the Rutgers Institute on Ethnicity, Culture, and the Modern Experience, 973.353.3891.

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey Media Contact: Marisa Pierson 973/353-3896 Office of Media Relations, Alexander Johnston Hall, 101 Somerset St. New Brunswick, NJ 08901-1281, 732-932-7084

College of Human Medicine sponsors MLK program on health equity

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Khan Nedd, an internal medicine physician in Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine, will discuss the importance and hurdles of providing care to the medically underserved as part of the college's annual program honoring Martin Luther King Jr.

Nedd, whose program is called "Health Equity: Providing Quality Care to the Underserved in Our Communities," will speak at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at 130 Secchia Center in Grand Rapids. The event will be simulcast to MSU's East Lansing campus in A133 Life Sciences Building.

Nedd, a 1986 alumnus of the College of Human Medicine, also serves as chairperson of the Grand Rapids African American Health Institute and medical director for Hospitalists of West Michigan. ###

Michigan State University has been advancing knowledge and transforming lives through innovative teaching, research and outreach for more than 150 years. MSU is known internationally as a major public university with global reach and extraordinary impact. Its 17 degree-granting colleges attract scholars worldwide who are interested in combining education with practical problem solving.

Contact: Jason Cody, University Relations, Office: (517) 432-0924, Cell: (734) 755-0210, Jason.Cody@ur.msu.edu

Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African Americans in Civil War Medicine

New NLM Exhibition Focuses on the Contributions of African-American Surgeons and Nurses during the Civil War

Many histories have been written about medical care during the American Civil War, but the participation and contributions of African Americans as nurses, surgeons and hospital workers have often been overlooked. Opening Friday, October 1, 2010 at the National Library of Medicine, a special display, Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African Americans in Civil War Medicine, looks at these men and women, and how their service as medical providers challenged the prescribed notions of race and gender pushing the boundaries of the role of African Americans in America.

Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries will be displayed in the first floor lobby and History of Medicine Division (HMD) Reading Room of the main National Library of Medicine (Building 38), on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland, through February 28, 2011. The Library is open 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays (except Federal holidays) and 8:30 AM to 2:00 PM Saturdays.

Through historical images and never-before-seen Civil War era documents, Binding Wounds explores the life and experiences of surgeons Alexander T. Augusta and Anderson R. Abbott, and nurses Susie King Taylor and Ann Stokes as they provided medical care to soldiers and civilians while participating in the fight for freedom.

"This exhibition opens the door to this rarely studied part of history and brings a voice to those that have remained silent for nearly 150 years," says curator Jill L. Newmark of the History of Medicine Division. The online version of the exhibition launched October 1, at: www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/bindingwounds.

The traveling banner version of the exhibition will begin touring the United States in October 2010. For more information, contact nlmtravelingexhibits@mail.nlm.nih.gov or visit the HMD traveling exhibition Web site: www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/about/exhibition/travelingexhibitions/bindingwounds

This exhibition was developed and produced by the National Library of Medicine, with research assistance from The Historical Society of Washington, DC.

MCTC Partners with Local Organizations for 3rd Annual MLK Day of Service and Announces Student African American Brotherhood Program

Minneapolis—Dec. 17, 2010 Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) announces the 3rd annual MLK Day of Service breakfast and volunteer event and introduces a new chapter of the Student African American Brotherhood (SAAB) on January 15, 2011, the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.

MCTC will honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at our MLK Day of
Service breakfast and volunteer service event. The breakfast will feature an
inspirational message from Dr. Tyrone Bledsoe, founder and CEO of the Student African
American Brotherhood (SAAB). WCCO’s Reg Chapman will emcee the event.

When: Saturday, January 15.

Registration and breakfast: 7:30 – 8:15 a.m.

Program featuring Dr. Bledsoe: 8:15 -­‐ 9 a.m.

Volunteering in the community: 9 a.m. -­‐ 1 p.m.

Where: Minneapolis Community and Technical College, T Building Cafeteria.

Who: MCTC Students, Faculty, Staff, Alumni, Friends and Twin Cities community members. Cost: Free and open to the public to participate. Registration: Contact Dan Brasch at 612-­‐659-­‐6315 or volunteer@minneapolis.edu to register.

Registration is necessary. The deadline to register is Jan. 7.

Bledsoe's organization has successfully formed chapters at colleges and universities
across the country to increase the number of African American and Latino men that graduate from college. MCTC will be the first campus in Minnesota to have a SAAB chapter. By creating a positive community of peers based on a spirit of caring, MCTC
hopes to improve the graduation rates of its students. Bledsoe will talk about the importance of joining together to reach community goals.

After breakfast and Bledsoe's presentation, participants will load onto buses and go
out into the community to volunteer at 13 organizations, doing everything from reading to children to preparing meals. There will also be volunteer projects on campus. Educational barriers, like the ones Dr. Bledsoe will speak about, as well as
poverty and homelessness are often intertwined and will be the themes of this year's MLK birthday celebration. MCTC expects to recruit 250 volunteers for this event.

More information will be forthcoming about the MLK Week of Activities. For
more information about the MLK Day of Service and volunteer opportunities, visit http://www.minneapolis.edu/MLKDayofService2011/

Editor's note: For the last 20 years, MCTC has celebrated the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King via our Celebrate the Dream event. This event has traditionally been held at the Basilica of St. Mary and has featured speeches and stirring musical performers, including addresses from Dr. King's children and leading thinkers and celebrities. Thousands have gathered at the Celebrate the Dream events to honor the life and work of Dr. King and to celebrate his legacy. They have left the evening's event with a greater sense of inspiration and motivation, but without a direct opportunity for service. To better honor Dr. King's legacy, we have decided to transition that event to the MLK Day of Service. We will no longer hold an event at the Basilica of St. Mary.

About Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) MCTC is the most ethnically diverse college in Minnesota. A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System, MCTC offers students more than 130 liberal arts, technical and career program credential options designed to prepare them for good jobs in high-­‐demand professions. Located in the heart of downtown Minneapolis, MCTC enrolls more than 14,000 students annually and is an active partner in initiatives designed to
strengthen the social, economic and cultural vitality of the Twin Cities metropolitan area. For more information, visit www.minneapolis.edu.

For Immediate Release Contacts: Amy Danielson, Marketing and Communications Coordinator 612.659.6225 or Amy.Danielson@minneapolis.edu

RTC Recruit Inspired by Golden Thirteen Relative

NAVAL STATION GREAT LAKES, Ill. (NNS) -- When Seaman Recruit Steven Smith, 22, of Detroit, graduates from Recruit Training Command (RTC) here Dec. 22, he'll take away a lot of family heritage, history and pride.

Smith arrived at RTC Oct. 28, and, at the time, little did he know he would enter a building named after a great-uncle and one of the first 13 African-American Navy officers.

"I knew the history of the Golden Thirteen and of my great-uncle," Smith said. "I did not realize that the building was referred to as the Golden Thirteen."

On the night of arrival at RTC recruits enter the Golden Thirteen in-processing building. The first thing they see is a prominent photo of those 13 officers, known as the Golden Thirteen, the building's namesake.

When Smith saw the large framed black and white photograph he focused on the officer pictured second from the left in the first row - his great-uncle Samuel Edward Barnes, Ph.D.

"Group of recently appointed Negro officers." Left to right, front row: Ensigns George Clinton Cooper, Graham Edward Martin, Jesse Walter Arbor, John Walter Reagan, Reginald Ernest Goodwin. Back row, left to right, Ensigns Phillip George Barnes, Samuel Edward Barnes, Dalton Louis Baugh, James Edward Hare, Frank Ellis Sublett, and WO Charles Byrd Lear. February 1944. 80-G-300215.

During the first days of in-processing, Smith, like many recruits, had missteps trying to learn the ways of the Navy. And, like many recruits, he got an earful from his Recruit Division Commander (RDC), Master Chief Fire Controlman Brian Happli. "My RDC (Recruit Division Commander, Master Chief Fire Controlman Brian Happli) asked me, 'Are you sure you want to stay in the Navy?'" Smith said, after his first misstep during in-processing. "My reply was, 'Yes Master Chief; my great-uncle was Samuel Edward Barnes - one of the Golden Thirteen." After revealing his relation to Barnes, the in-processing staff took Smith to the display cases containing more pictures and documents pertaining to the Golden Thirteen.

Throughout history until World War I, African Americans were limited and segregated in what they could do as enlisted Sailors. Becoming a commissioned officer was not allowed.

In June 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an executive order that prohibited racial discrimination by any government agency.

The Navy began officer training for 16 African-American enlisted men at RTC in March 1944. Twelve were commissioned as ensigns and one was appointed as a warrant officer. These men became known as the Golden Thirteen.

After serving as officer in charge of the recreation and athletic programs at Great Lakes and as the personnel officer in Okinawa, Japan, Dr. Barnes was honorably discharged.

He earned a doctorates degree from the Ohio State University and made a name for himself in the field of sports administration. Later he became the first African-American member of the governing council of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

Smith remembers spending summers with his great-uncle in Ohio when he was about 10 years old. Barnes was a big influence in the young man's life.

"He once told me, 'A man cannot be a man until he serves his country,'" he said. "Even as a kid I wanted to follow in my great-uncle and my father's footsteps by serving in the Navy."

Dr. Barnes died on Dec. 28, 1998, on Smith's birthday. He attended the funeral at Arlington Cemetery.

"I didn't know how much my great-uncle meant to people until I was at his funeral," Smith said. "There were thousands of people; I have never seen that many people in one place. I remember the flags and the 21 Gun Salute."

When he and his girlfriend of six years got engaged, Smith decided that it was time to join the navy. They plan to get married on Dec. 26; four days after he graduates from boot camp.

"I use my family's past as motivation," Smith said. "Every time I walk into my ship, I think of how my dad and my great-uncle were going through the same things I am going through now. I know I have to carry out my heritage."

Smith will report to Electronics Technician advanced ("A") school in Groton, Conn., following his graduation as he looks to continue his Navy career in the submarine force.

Naval Service Training Command By Brian Walsh, Recruit Training Command Public Affairs Story Number: NNS101217-15 Release Date: 12/17/2010 4:03:00 PM

Rutgers–Newark Law School Clinical Program’s Edna Baugh Receives Leadership Award From Legal Services of New Jersey

NEWARK, NJ – Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) has presented Edna Y. Baugh, Assistant Director for Clinical Administration at Rutgers School of Law–Newark, with its Jeffrey C. Green Board Leadership Award. LSNJ recognized Baugh for her many years of dedicated service as a member of the board of trustees of Essex-Newark Legal Services (ENLS). The award was presented at LSNJ’s Annual Legal Services Conference on November 23.

“Edna’s dedication to the cause of equal justice and the delivery of legal services to the poor is inspirational,” said Jon Dubin, Associate Dean for Clinical Education, Professor of Law, and Alfred C. Clapp Public Service Scholar. “Her long-time service and leadership on the board of ENLS have helped advance these causes immeasurably and I am delighted to see her recognized with this award.”

Baugh received a B.A. in economics from Hartwick College and her J.D. from Vermont Law School, where she was the first African-American woman to graduate from the law school. She is also the first African-American graduate of the school to serve on its board of trustees. She has served as corporation trial counsel for the City of East Orange, associate attorney with Medvin & Elberg, and managing partner with Stephens & Baugh LLC.

Active in numerous professional and service organizations, Baugh is a past president of the Garden State Bar Association and past president of the Girl Scout Council of Greater Essex & Hudson Counties, which gave her its 2008 Distinguished Service Award. She currently sits on the New Jersey Supreme Court Disciplinary Review Board, and chairs the Essex-Newark Legal Services Board and the Essex County College Foundation Board.

Media Contact: Janet Donohue 973-353-5553 E-mail: jdonohue@andromeda.rutgers.edu

IMAGE CREDIT: Vermont Law School | 164 Chelsea Street, PO Box 96 | South Royalton, VT 05068 | 802-831-1000

Nikki R. Jackson Named To Maricopa Community Colleges' Top HR Position

Tempe, AZ – Acting on the recommendation of Chancellor Rufus Glasper, the Maricopa Community Colleges' Governing Board approved the hiring of Nikki R. Jackson, J.D. to become the district's Vice Chancellor for Human Resources. Ms. Jackson now serves as the Personnel Cabinet Secretary to the Governor of Kentucky. The Board's action occurred at its December 14 meeting.

Ms. Jackson is the youngest Cabinet Secretary and first African-American woman to head the Cabinet in Kentucky's history.

She has 14 years of human resources experience, including private sector positions with Norton Healthcare, Philip Morris USA, Georgia-Pacific Corporation and ADP.

"The Maricopa Community Colleges are an organization in the midst of significant change, and we need a transformative human resources leader to help us achieve our goals. Nikki Jackson is that kind of leader," Dr. Glasper said. "I believe she can play an important role in helping us become more efficient and effective, ultimately resulting in helping our students become more successful."

Ms. Jackson earned her Bachelor's Degree from Hampton University and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Miami School of Law. She earned certification in collective bargaining from Cornell University's School of Industrial Relations, and began her career as a labor and employment lawyer in Florida. As Kentucky's Personnel Cabinet Secretary, she spearheaded the transformation of human resources within state government. She created the Center for Strategic Innovation, an in-house consulting "firm" focused on creating efficiencies, re-engineering antiquated work practices and promoting innovation in all cabinet services.

She also has forged public-private partnerships including the University of Kentucky's Institute for Workplace Innovation; an initiative called, "When Work Works," designed to promote Kentucky employers in the global marketplace; and The Leadership Institute, a year-long program that helps improve the managerial skills of cabinet leaders.

Ms. Jackson is expected to begin work for the District Feb. 1, 2011.

Ms. Jackson has been a keynote speaker, nationally and regionally, on the subject of transformative human resources. She has written several articles on transformative and strategic human relations. Because of her success in changing Kentucky's HR practice, she was invited to Korea to discuss strategic human resources at the Korean Institute for Public Finance. She has received a number of awards in Kentucky for her leadership and was named one of two delegates representing Kentucky at the American Conversation on Women and Leadership last month.

2010 Dec 15 For Immediate Release Contact: Tom Gariepy (480) 731-8248 tom.gariepy@domail.maricopa.edu

Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities Among Parkinson's Patients VIDEO

In this five-minute video, Dr. Lisa Shulman, professor of neurology and co-director of the Maryland Parkinson's Disease and Movement Disorders Center, discusses a study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine which showed that African American patients and patients with lower socioeconomic status have more advanced disease and greater disability when they seek treatment from Parkinson's disease specialists.

Researchers who participated in this study found that race, education and income were significant and independent factors in determining a patient's level of disability. The disparities in health care are associated with greater disease severity and earlier loss of independence. This study was published in the December 13, 2010, online edition of Archives of Neurology.

RELATED: UNIV. OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS FIND RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS

VIDEO and TEXT CREDIT: UMMCVideos

UNIV. OF MARYLAND RESEARCHERS FIND RACIAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC DISPARITIES FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND SIMILAR CONDITIONS

Study Published in Archives of Neurology.

Baltimore, MD – Dec. 13, 2010. African American patients and those with lower socioeconomic status have more advanced disease and greater disability when they seek treatment from Parkinson’s disease specialists, according to a study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The researchers found that race, education and income were each significant and independent factors in determining a patient’s level of disability. The disparities in health care are associated with greater disease severity and earlier loss of independence. The study is published in the December 13, 2010, online edition of Archives of Neurology.

The cause of these racial and socioeconomic disparities is unclear, but possible explanations include problems with access to health care, reduced physician referral rate or patient reluctance to seek care from a movement disorders specialist. The study focused on a sample of more than 1,000 patients who were seen at the University of Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center for parkinsonism (slow movements, tremor and rigidity, difficulty initiating movement, and problems with gait and balance), mostly due to Parkinson’s disease, but also caused by other conditions, including stroke, head trauma and medication side effects.

“Through our evaluation over a five-year period, we found that African Americans and people with lower socioeconomic status had greater disease severity and disability than whites when they first came to our clinic. Very large differences in Parkinson’s disease symptom severity and functional status were seen between blacks and whites, between high and low income groups and between groups with greater and lesser educational attainment,” says Lisa Shulman, M.D., lead author and professor of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. “In the future, we will need to see if greater understanding and correction of these disparities could improve outcomes for these patients,” adds Dr. Shulman, who is also co-director of the Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center at the University of Maryland Medical Center.

The analysis revealed that African American patients were less likely to receive medications for their parkinsonian symptoms overall and less likely to receive newer medications, which are generally more expensive. But the researchers acknowledge that the relatively small number of African Americans in the study (66) may limit their ability to detect differences and that more study is needed.

“The University of Maryland School of Medicine faculty has been at the forefront of tackling issues surrounding health disparities, which is a very complex subject. This study into parkinsonism shows how these disparities can affect all types of medical conditions and why it is important to identify them so we can make sure all patients receive the best care possible,” says E. Albert Reece, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., vice president for medical affairs at the University of Maryland and dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The researchers believe this is one of the first studies to show health disparities in disease severity and disability in parkinsonism.

“Future studies need to evaluate patient attitudes and their beliefs about Parkinson’s symptoms and treatment. It is possible that some patients may believe slowness and tremor are just part of aging or that they have to reach a certain threshold of severity before seeking treatment. On the other hand, it may be that physicians, either consciously or unconsciously, are less likely to refer African Americans and patients of lower socioeconomic status to a Parkinson’s specialist,” notes William Weiner, M.D., co-investigator and director of the Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center.

Dr. Weiner is professor and chairman of neurology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. With Parkinson’s disease, early medical treatment can have a profound effect on how well a patient functions as the disease progresses. “If treatment for parkinsonism is very delayed, you can’t turn back the clock,” explains Dr. Shulman.

Dr. Weiner says, “The results of this study show we need to learn more about the causes of parkinsonism and find ways to overcome these disparities, which clearly are affecting the quality of life of patients who are from different backgrounds and means. The differences in function between patients with different education levels may suggest that patients with more education are perhaps more likely to request a referral to a specialist. Conversely, it is possible that physicians are more likely to refer more highly educated patients to a specialist.”

The research team, which included physicians and staff from the University of Maryland Department of Neurology, Department of Psychiatry and Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, evaluated patients who came to the Maryland Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorders Center over a five-year period. Study participants completed questionnaires about their age, race, household income and education as well as how long they had been diagnosed with parkinsonism. They also did self-evaluations on a modified version of the Older Americans Resource and Services Disability Scale, a measurement of the difficulty in performance on 14 daily activities ranging from getting out of bed and getting dressed to cooking meals, using the telephone, handling money and taking medications. Because symptoms of parkinsonism fluctuate, the study participants rated their symptoms twice, describing their best and worst levels of functioning.

The patient assessment included a medical history and neurological examination by a Parkinson’s disease specialist. The researchers also used a standard Parkinson’s disease scale, the United Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale, to assess the severity of symptoms in all patients. ###

For patient inquiries, call 1-800-492-5538

University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE UNTIL: Monday, December 13, 2010, 4 p.m. ET Contact: Sharon Boston sboston@umm.edu Ellen Beth Levitt eblevitt@umm.edu 410-328-8919

Madam C. J. Walker's Legacy: A Women in Business Lecture Series

2011 Women in Business Lecture Series Program: January

Named in honor of Madam C. J. Walker, the first self-made female millionaire in US history, Walker's Legacy: A Women in Business Lecture Series is a quarterly series designed to enhance leadership skills, create networking and learning opportunities and bring exposure to emerging trends in business for women. The program is an initiative of the NMC Consulting Group, held in conjunction with the DC Office of Women's Policy & Initiatives and the DC Commission for Women. 2011 marks the second year of the Walker’s Legacy program which was founded in 2010 to address economic development needs of women in Washington, DC and beyond.

“This lecture series is an excellent opportunity for professional women to gain valuable insight from those who have been successful in their careers,” says Director of the Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives, Niambi Jarvis.

January 19, 2011: "Passion. Persistence. Profit. A Road to Someplace Better”
Featuring Lillian Lincoln Lambert

Madam C. J. Walker

A captivating speaker she speaks about the power of persistence, resilience, courage and morality in surmounting hurdles that prevent people from reaching their full potential. As the first African American woman to receive an MBA from Harvard Business School and having become a barrier-breaking entrepreneur in the mid 1970's, she draws upon her experiences to show how to use obstacles and barriers as stepping stones to higher levels of achievement and success. Understanding the power of storytelling, she uses her personal story to inspire audiences to dream big, act bold and pave their own paths.

As a business coach, she works with businesses and individuals to help them go beyond their preconceived limitations and achieve their goals and aspirations. Her education gives her the theoretical knowledge and when combined with on the job experience she brings a unique expertise that shows companies how to be successful.

In March 2010, Enterprising Magazine inducted Lambert into the Hall of Fame where she was subsequently featured on the cover of their April 2010 edition. Lillian is also the recipient of numerous other awards, including Harvard Business School's African American Alumni Association's Bert King Award; MBA of the Year, Harvard Business School African American Alumni Association; Small Business Person of the Year, State of Maryland; Entrepreneur of the Year, Black MBA Association; Top 50 Women-Owned Businesses, Washington Business Journal; and Finalist, Entrepreneur of the Year.

January 19, 2011 Historic Sumner Museum 1201 17th Street, NW Washington, DC 20036

Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives 1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 223 Washington, DC 20004 (202) 724-1516

HUD TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS THAT 22 BANKS AND MORTGAGE LENDERS DISCRIMINATE AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICAN AND LATINO LOAN SEEKERS

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced today that it is launching multiple investigations into the practices of certain mortgage lenders to determine if their home loan policies illegally deny qualified African American and Latino borrowers access to credit.

The investigations are in response to 22 complaints the National Community Reinvestment Coalition (NCRC) filed with HUD alleging that the loan activities of the mortgage originators showed that their home lending practices deny FHA- insured loans to African Americans and Latinos with credit scores as high as 640. Federal Housing Administration (FHA) guidelines allow mortgages to borrowers with credit scores above 580, provided the borrowers have down payments equaling 3.5 percent of the loan amount, or above 500, provided the borrowers have down payments equaling 10 percent of the loan amount.

“FHA is an important vehicle for Americans who want to purchase or refinance a home. We thank NCRC for bringing these complaints to HUD. For lenders to deny responsible home seekers this source of credit, without regard for their capacity to repay the loans, would raise serious fair housing concerns and, if proven, undermine our nation’s recovery efforts,” said HUD Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity John Trasviña. “HUD will take appropriate action against any lender found to be engaging in discriminatory practices.”

Prior to the recent downturn in the economy, FHA-insured mortgages comprised less than three percent of new home loans. Since the economic crisis, FHA and the Government-Sponsored Enterprises have insured or guaranteed nearly 95 percent of new mortgage loans being originated. By the end of 2008, almost half of new home purchase loans and one quarter of new refinance loans were FHA or Veterans Administration (VA) insured.

According to NCRC, an association of more than 600 community-based organizations that promote access to basic banking services, their fair lending “testers” evaluated the practices of national lenders, financial services corporations, and other regional and local FHA-approved lenders. In the complaints filed on December 7, NCRC states that lenders were chosen according to their market share and volume of FHA loans, as well as through discussions with community leaders.

Under the Fair Housing Act, HUD impartially investigates allegations of housing discrimination and, during every phase of investigations, attempts to settle complaints through conciliation efforts.

FHA was created in 1934 and currently insures more than 6.5 million single family loans. 80 percent of loans insured by FHA in 2010 were to first-time homebuyers and more than 30 percent of home purchase loans were to minority homebuyers.

FHEO and its partners in the Fair Housing Assistance Program investigate more than 10,000 housing discrimination complaints annually. People who believe they are the victims of housing discrimination should contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777 (voice), 800-927-9275 (TTY). ###

HUD's mission is to create strong, sustainable, inclusive communities and quality affordable homes for all. HUD is working to strengthen the housing market to bolster the economy and protect consumers; meet the need for quality affordable rental homes: utilize housing as a platform for improving quality of life; build inclusive and sustainable communities free from discrimination; and transform the way HUD does business. More information about HUD and its programs is available on the Internet at www.gov and espanol.gov.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development 451 7th Street S.W., Washington, DC 20410 Telephone: (202) 708-1112 TTY: (202) 708-1455

Anniversary of Ralph J. Bunche receiving Nobel Peace Prize

U.S. diplomat Ralph Bunche, a key member of the United Nations (UN) for more than two decades, and winner of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his successful negotiation of a truce between Arabs and Jews in Palestine the previous year, died on December 9, 1971, in New York City.

Bunche was born in Detroit, Michigan, on August 7, 1904. He attended the southern branch of the University of California—which later became UCLA—graduating summa cum laude, as class valedictorian in 1927. He earned his master’s degree in government at Harvard University in 1928 and then became an instructor at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Bunche established Howard’s first department of political science in 1929. In 1934, he was the first African American awarded a PhD from Harvard. He earned his doctorate in government and international relations while he was teaching at Howard.

Later, he collaborated with Swedish sociologist Gunnar Myrdal on the monumental study of U.S. race relations published as An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy (1944). The study is famous for presenting the theory that poverty breeds poverty.

Ralph J. Bunche in his graduation robes, 1927.

During World War II, Bunche worked for the Office of Strategic Services and the State Department. Toward the end of the war, he played an important role in preliminary planning for the United Nations, the organization that he served for the rest of his career. In 1947, UN Secretary General Trygve Lie appointed Bunche as his personal representative to the UN Special Commission on Palestine. He also served as an aide to Count Folke Bernadotte, the chief UN mediator between the Arabs and Jews in the 1948-49 Israeli-Arab War. After Bernadotte was assassinated on September 17, 1948, Bunche became acting mediator.

His successful negotiation of armistice agreements between the new state of Israel and the neighboring Arab states of Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950.

Bunche later oversaw UN peacekeeping missions to the Suez Canal in 1956, the Congo in 1960, and Cyprus in 1964. He also set up the UN Observation Mission to Yemen in 1963-64 and supervised the ceasefire that followed the 1965 Indo-Pakistan War.

Bunche served as a board member for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for twenty-two years; he also received that organization’s Spingarn Medal for outstanding achievement. After attracting some criticism for seeming to neglect the civil rights movement during the 1950s and 1960s, Bunche began to speak out more directly on U.S. racial discrimination.

In the last decade of his life, he became an increasingly vocal supporter of the civil rights movement in the United States, participating in the 1965 civil rights marches in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama.

TEXT CREDIT: memory.loc.gov/

IMAGE CREDIT: UCLA Newsroom Media Contacts: Letisia Marquez, 310-206-3986 lmarquez@support.ucla.edu

Nabb Center Presents 'African-American Churches of the Eastern Shore'

Nabb Center Presents 'African-American Churches of the Eastern Shore' December 8.

SALISBURY, MD---Author and local historian Linda Duyer speaks on “African-American Churches of the Eastern Shore” 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 8.

Her talk is at the gallery of the Edward H. Nabb Research Center For Delmarva History and Culture in Salisbury University’s East Campus Complex, 190 Wayne St.

As an author and independent researcher of Eastern Shore African-American history, Duyer has striven to find ways to increase awareness of the region’s extensive and significant African-American heritage.

One of her interests is the history of African-American churches on the Shore. While many church structures thrive over the years with active community congregations, some cease functioning as institutions of worship for a variety of reasons.

Duyer’s presentation includes examples of church structures that either have simply disappeared from the rural landscapes of which they were an integral part or have ceased serving as a place of worship and are abandoned or used for another purpose. She also speaks on churches that are architecturally and historically significant that have been torn down and replaced with new structures.

Sponsored by the Nabb Research Center, admission is free and the public is invited. For more information call 410-543-6312 or visit the center’s Web site at nabbhistory.salisbury.edu. Salisbury University 1101 Camden Ave. Salisbury, MD 21801 410-543-6000

Photo Title: [African American men, women and children outside of church] Date Created/Published: [1899 or 1900] Part of: Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963. Du Bois albums of photographs of African Americans in Georgia exhibited at the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900

Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-103393 (b&w film copy neg.) Rights Advisory: No known restrictions on publication.