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Barbara Lee
Esther Aguilera
Martin Luther King Jr.
Eartha Kitt
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Business World Index
---Congresswoman Lee to be sworn in as new CBC Chair---
On Tuesday, January 6, 2009 Congresswoman Barbara Lee representing California's ninth Congressional district, will be sworn in as the new Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during their ceremonial swearing-in event. Dr. Johnetta B. Cole, President Emeritus of Bennett College will serve as Mistress of Ceremonies for the program that will feature remarks from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, CBC Foundation Chairman Kendrick Meek and Martin Luther King, III. Musical selections will be performed by Mary Millben and Lady Tramaine Hawkins.
---Latino Inaugural Gala---
The 2009 Latino Inaugural Gala committee announced a slate of celebrated artists and entertainers confirmed to participate in the festivities taking place on Sunday, January 18, 2009 at Union Station in Washington, D.C. Among the artists slated to appear are: Marc Anthony, Paulina Rubio, Rosario Dawson, Tony Plana, War, Cucu Diamantes & Yerba Buena, Elida Reyna, and Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano. "It is inspiring to have so many talented and admired Latino entertainers willing to come together in celebration of our nation's 44th President, the Honorable Barack Obama, and of the historic role Latinos played in this election," stated Esther Aguilera, President and CEO of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI), one of the co-hosts of the Latino Inaugural Gala. "This will truly be an impressive display of the musical and cultural contributions that our community has to offer."
---MLK holiday focus on service---
Communities and nonprofits across the country are gearing up for a record number of volunteers on the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal holiday, fueled by President-elect Obama's call for Americans to serve on King Day and throughout the year. Organizers of the annual service day say momentum is building in the wake of the President-elect's call and the timing of the holiday coming one day before the Inauguration. In addition to asking Americans to serve, President-elect Obama, Vice President-elect Biden, and their families will participate in service on the January 19 holiday in the Washington D.C. area. The Presidential Inaugural Committee will launch a new website next week that makes it easy for Americans to find or organize volunteer opportunities. The Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that has led the national effort to transform the King Holiday into a national day of service since 1994, is working with the Presidential Inaugural Committee on the website and the larger effort.
---Illinois: Remembrance and Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.---
The Illinois commission on Diversity and Human Relations will hold its 41st annual Remembrance and Celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Saturday evening, Jan. 10, 2009 in support of its ongoing program to promote understanding and equality in families and the workplace. The Rev. Clyde Brooks will host the celebration at the Chicago Hilton & Towers. Rev. Brooks, president and CEO, worked closely with Dr. King on the Selma to Montgomery campaign and during Dr. King's residence in Chicago in 1966. Dr. Brooks launched the organization which was formerly known as the Suburban Human Relations commission to promote harmony and diversity that cross race, gender, ethnicity and cultural divides between the inner city and suburbia. A major project of the organization is known as "Money in the Bank" which acquaints inner-city public school children ages 12 to 16 with saving money in an effort to foster a lifelong habit of thrift. Partnering with 10 banks in Chicago, ICDHR has opened 500 private bank accounts for students and seeded each account with $50, spurring an incentive to see nest-eggs grow. If there are no withdrawals, the Commission donates even more seed money. The program has been rated a distinct success and will be expanded in 2009 as more banks get involved.
---Eartha Kitt remembered---
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), which represents the 47-member public Historically Black Colleges and Universities across the country (HBCUs), is saddened to hear of the death of singer, dancer, author and actress, Eartha Kitt. Ms. Kitt, whose career spanned six decades, was an early pioneer for African-Americans in the entertainment and arts arena. She was a best-selling recording artist, a Tony-nominated actress and author of three autobiographies. Her triumph of overcoming the cotton fields of South Carolina to becoming a legendary entertainer serves as inspiration to the 235,000-student population that attend TMCF colleges and universities, many whom were also reared in the South. Kitt appreciated the value of HBCUs. She once challenged students at historically Black Benedict College to clarify her birthplace and birth date after years of uncertainty. The students successfully located her birth certificate, ending years of ambivalence. |
