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Showing posts with label black. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black. Show all posts

Monday, January 25, 2010

Procter & Gamble Announces Clement-Holmes Elected Senior Vice President – Global Diversity

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The Procter & Gamble Company today announced the appointment of Linda Clement-Holmes, 47, as senior vice president – global diversity and global business services, effective February 1, 2010.

Clement-Holmes, a 27-year P&G veteran, will maintain her existing global business services responsibilities and will take on new responsibilities as global diversity leader for the Company. In her new capacity as global diversity leader, she will report to Bob McDonald, chairman of the board, president and chief executive officer and to Moheet Nagrath, global human resources officer. For her global business services responsibilities she will continue to report to Filippo Passerini, president – global business services and chief information officer.

“This appointment is a clear sign of the Company’s continued commitment to diversity and inclusion,” said McDonald. ”Linda brings a track record of high performance, high standards and collaborative leadership to P&G’s efforts to ensure our employees reflect the diversity of consumers we serve.”

Four billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. The company has one of the strongest portfolios of trusted, quality, leadership brands, including Pampers, Tide, Always, Whisper, Pantene, Mach3, Bounty, Dawn, Gain, Pringles, Charmin, Downy, Lenor, Iams, Crest, Oral-B, Duracell, Olay, Head & Shoulders, Wella, Gillette, Braun and Fusion. The P&G community includes approximately 135,000 employees working in about 80 countries worldwide.

Pictured: Linda Clement-Holmes, senior vice president & global diversity and global business services, P&G. (PRNewsFoto/Procter & Gamble).
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Tuesday, January 19, 2010

New AIDS Campaign Targets Previously Neglected Segment of Black America

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Thirty-four percent of new male HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range and 36 percent of new female HIV infections are in the 40-plus age range. Yet according to the Black AIDS Institute, there have been very few campaigns targeting this population.

“Last year Washington D.C. reported that one in 10 residents between the ages of 40 and 49 had the virus,” says Black AIDS Institute Founder and CEO Phill Wilson. “That is an epidemic that rivals the worst AIDS epidemics in the poorest countries on the planet.”

The Black AIDS Institute has found an innovative way to help Black people ages 40 and up become more aware of HIV/AIDS while raising money to fight the disease in Black communities. The campaign is called Trump AIDS. The campaign uses the traditional Black pastime of bid whist, popular with Black Americans aged 40-plus, as a unique way to target this often overlooked HIV/AIDS demographic. The Martin Luther King Jr. weekend kick-off event in Atlanta, GA includes a Bid Whist Qualifying Tournament and Health Fair in partnership with local Atlanta organizations Sister Love and AID Atlanta.

“We are proud to partner with the Black AIDS Institute on this new and innovative awareness campaign to reach Black Americans,” says Sister Love Founder and President Dazon Dixon. “When two-thirds of the new HIV/AIDS cases among women in the US are Black, now more than ever it’s important to educate and reach every demographic of the Black community.”

The Health Fair includes free onsite HIV testing for all Tournament attendees, players and guests. All are welcome to attend.

“Rates of HIV in persons over 50 years of age are 12 times higher among African Americans than among whites,” according to Achieve Quarterly’s article on HIV Prevention by Timothy G. Heckman, Ph.D. “Older people do not consider themselves at risk. Physicians rarely talk to older patients about sex or other risk behaviors.”

“Trump AIDS is an unprecedented event that will provide Black people who are not actively engaged in the HIV battle with access to important health information,” says Black AIDS Institute COO Aron Myers. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the Atlanta community and good citizenship for all.”

“There’s no way to end the AIDS epidemic in Black communities without targeting this population,” adds Wilson. “The Black AIDS Institute has spent the last decade meeting Black folks where they are. Trump AIDS is a perfect example of identifying an indigenous past time in our community and using it to deliver culturally effective messaging. Everything about this effort, from the date and city where we launch the campaign to celebrity co-chairs—Danny Glover and Jackee Harry—celebrate Black culture.”

“I’m proud to be a Co-Chair of the TrumpAIDS campaign,” says Actor and AIDS Activist Danny Glover. “AIDS does not only affect a select demographic such as youth, women, or gays. It affects all groups of people. That is why Trump AIDS is such an important campaign for Black people to support and participate in. We must unite as a community — for the sake of our community. To do nothing is to be part of the problem.”

Trump AIDS launches in Atlanta, GA in partnership with the 7NO! Players.

“The 7NO! Players are excited to host the kick-off event in Atlanta, GA Martin Luther King Jr. weekend,’ says Montez Collins, President, 7NO! Players. “We look forward to welcoming all of our regular bid whist players and any new comers who are interested in learning more about the game.”
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Apart No More? HBCUs Heading Into an Era of Change

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As the economic downturn grows longer and more severe, it’s hard to find any proposals to cut costs that can be taken completely off the table. Programs that were recently considered untouchable have now been placed under the budgetary microscope.

In a couple of states — Mississippi and Georgia — government officials have even started questioning the status of public HBCUs — historically black colleges and universities. By doing so, however, those officials might only be speeding up a process of HBCUs becoming mainstream that is complete in West Virginia and is well under way in North Carolina.

HBCU is an official designation given by the federal government in the Education Act of 1965 to all institutions of higher education that had been created primarily to educate African-Americans. Such schools are eligible to receive special types of federal funding. Colleges that were either founded after 1964 or had a predominantly white student body at that time are not considered HBCUs.

HBCUs do not discriminate in admissions. They are open to everybody who meets their admissions criteria, and most public HBCUs have significant non-black populations.

In Mississippi, Gov. Haley Barbour recently proposed that the state’s three HBCUs be combined into one. His intent was to save money by eliminating duplicate programs and administrative positions. The idea was met with a loud outcry by the schools’ supporters. An Inside Higher Ed article quoted one black educator, Julius Chambers (the former president of North Carolina Central University) as saying the move “is obviously a slap at black colleges.”

Barbour’s plan is not likely to produce the savings he anticipates without a serious reduction in the services provided. Because the three schools are geographically dispersed, combining programs to cut costs will mean that many courses and majors previously offered will simply unavailable on some of the campuses.

Earlier in the year, Georgia state Sen. Seth Harp suggested that two public HBCUs join with two non-HBCUs in the same cities: Savannah State with Armstrong Atlantic State and Albany State with Darton College. His proposal was greeted immediately with an adverse reaction as well.

Yet his proposal would likely result in considerable savings (although no action has been taken on it thus far). By combining schools in the same city, the mergers would allow the schools to eliminate many duplicate positions in the administrations, some of them with six-figure salaries. And there would be no reason to get rid of academic programs if departments are combined.

Although any proposal negatively affecting HBCUs is likely to encounter some political resistance, major changes might be inevitable. For instance, in West Virginia, the state’s two public HBCUs have gradually become predominantly white. Bluefield State College is now only 12 percent black, and West Virginia State University is only 17 percent black.

In North Carolina, which has the most four-year HBCUs in the country, there have been no such proposals — yet. But at all five of the state HBCUs, the proportion of non-black students has risen above 10 percent. In some specific programs, such as N.C. Central University’s law school, African-Americans are now a minority.

These changes are likely to affect two UNC schools the most. The percentage of black undergraduate students at Elizabeth City State University has dropped to 79.7 for the 2009-10 school year, while at Fayetteville State University, it has fallen to only 72.1 percent.

These two schools share an important difference from the other three HBCUs in North Carolina. While the other three universities are in either the Triangle or Triad, where there are multiple UNC campuses, ECSU and FSU are the only public universities within a reasonable commuting distance in their regions of the state.

The Fayetteville area also has several military bases, which may explain why FSU is the most racially diverse of the five UNC HBCUs. Cooperation between the UNC system and the military is growing, and the high probability of future joint endeavors suggests there will be a greater military presence on campus.

ECSU has also added a couple of programs that should increase the non-black campus population. One is a branch of UNC-Chapel Hill’s pharmacy program. The other is an aviation school.
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Comcast Promotes Hank Fore to Regional Vice President For Oregon/SW Washington

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Comcast Corporation, one of the nation’s leading provider of entertainment, information and communications services, has promoted Hank Fore to Regional Vice President of the Oregon/SW Washington region. Fore will report directly to Comcast West Division President Steve White and will oversee all aspects of Comcast’s video, high-speed Internet and telephone operations from Longview, WA to Eugene, OR, serving more than 600,000 customers and managing about 2,100 employees. Fore begins his new role immediately and will be based in the company’s Beaverton, Oregon office.

Fore joins Oregon from Comcast’s East Bay Area market in California, where he most recently served as Area Vice President. In this position, he held management responsibilities for about 500,000 customers and 1,100 employees. Under Fore’s leadership, he immediately focused on improving the customer experience, dramatically improving the local technical operations metrics, including on time arrival of technicians and repeat trouble calls. He successfully launched a number of advanced services to his customers, adding Comcast Digital Voice, expanding HD and VOD options, and increasing high-speed internet speeds. In addition, Fore’s employees helped vote Comcast as a “Best Place to Work” for three consecutive years in The San Francisco Business Times, East Bay Business Times and the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal.

“I’m honored to join such a customer-focused and technologically innovative team,” Fore said. “I look forward to working with Comcast’s outstanding employees in Oregon & Southwest Washington to further improve Comcast’s relationship with our customers, and bring them even more exciting technologies and entertainment.”

Fore is a West Point graduate and began his distinguished career with the United States Armed Forces, holding numerous positions. Ultimately he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Army before deciding to retire to pursue a career in the private sector, serving as an executive in technology roles at Times Mirror and International Network Services. Prior to joining Comcast, Fore served as a Regional Vice President at Lucent Technologies, where he oversaw technical support services.

In making the announcement, White stated, “Hank’s leadership skills and innovation are a perfect match for the dynamic Oregon/SW Washington market, and his customer focus will deliver great results in all aspects of the business.”

Fore earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from West Point and a master’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School in Monterey, California.

Pictured: Hank Fore, Regional Vice President, Comcast Oregon/SW Washington. (PRNewsFoto/Comcast Corporation).
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Monday, December 21, 2009

Tyler Perry Says Mom, Inspiration for Madea, Has Died

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LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. actor and director Tyler Perry on Wednesday announced the death of his mother, who he has previously credited as helping inspire the iconic Madea character in a string of hit movies.

In a brief message on his website, Perry wrote: "Willie Maxine Perry. February 12, 1945 to December 8, 2009. Thank you for all your prayers." The cause of death was not known.

Perry, 40, first introduced the character of the God-fearing, gun-toting, loud-mouthed grandmother Madea in his 2000 play "I Can Do Bad All By Myself".

Playing the character himself, Madea appeared in a series of plays and then hit movies including "Madea's Family Reunion", and the 2009 film "Madea Goes to Jail" which opened No 1. at U.S. box offices and went on to gross $90.5 million.

Perry told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a 2006 interview that Madea was a combination of his mother and his aunt. "My mother is the wisdom of Madea, but my aunt Mayola, that's her wig, that's her voice, that's her gun in the purse," he said.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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Queen Latifah, Zoe Saldana, Mary J. Blige & Gabourey Sidibe To Be Honored by Essence Magazine

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ESSENCE magazine announces its third annual ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon to be held during Oscar Week on March 4, 2010 at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Honoring four extraordinary women making a significant impact in Hollywood, this star-studded event commemorates ESSENCE magazine’s annual Hollywood issue and will pay tribute to a special milestone in 2010; the 40th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine. The esteemed honorees for the 2010 event include: Queen Latifah (Power Award), Zoe Saldana (Star to Watch Award), Mary J. Blige (Songstress of the Year) and Gabourey Sidibe (Best Breakthrough Performance).

“Our annual Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon is taking on special meaning in 2010 as we are celebrating the 40th Anniversary of ESSENCE magazine by paying homage to phenomenal women throughout the year,” said ESSENCE editor-in-chief Angela Burt-Murray. “We are proud to carry the ESSENCE legacy into the future by honoring the accomplishments of such brilliant performers as Latifah, Zoe, Mary J., and Gabourey, whose incredible talent and sheer grit are serving to change the face of Hollywood.”

Queen Latifah is not only a celebrated television and film actress, but also a gifted musician, as well as an established author and entrepreneur. As a one-woman entertainment conglomerate, Latifah’s rise has been nothing short of remarkable–landing her a place in history as the first hip-hop artist to be given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2006. That same year, her work in the critically-acclaimed musical, Chicago, garnered her an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actress, a Golden Globe nomination and a SAG Award nomination for her groundbreaking portrayal of Mama Morton. Following Chicago, Latifah starred in Disney’s box office hit Bringing Down the House, in which she also acted as executive producer. For her work in the HBO film Life Support, in which she was both the star and executive producer, she won both a Golden Globe and SAG Award. Receiving her breakthrough role in Spike Lee’s Jungle Fever followed by a noteworthy starring role in Set it Off, Latifah has gone on to star in box office favorites such as Hairspray, Mad Money, The Secret Life of Bees, Last Holiday and Beauty Shop, just to name a few. No stranger to the small screen, Latifah’s first television series, Living Single, was enormously successful and remains in syndication. Her production company, Flavor Unit Entertainment, is currently co-producing the sports-driven romantic comedy, Just Wright, in which she will also star.

Zoe Saldana has shown she can hold her own in major blockbuster productions and has proven herself to be an amazing Hollywood star on the rise. After landing her first leading role as a ballet dancer in the film Center Stage, her turn as a leading lady in both the college-set drama Drumline and romantic comedy Guess Who followed shortly thereafter. Over the past decade, Saldana has grown into stand-out performances in popular films such as Avatar and Star Trek and continues to demonstrate the versatility necessary for longevity in Hollywood. Saldana has much to look forward to in 2010 having recently wrapped several films including Takers with Matt Dillon and Hayden Christensen; action adventure The Losers opposite Idris Elba; and comedy Death at a Funeral with Chris Rock. In addition, Saldana is set to reprise her role as Uhura in the upcoming untitled Star Trek sequel set for 2011.

As one of the greatest singers of our time, Mary J. Blige’s accomplishments are beyond impressive. A multi-faceted mogul and philanthropist, with a career spanning 15 years–including nine Grammy awards, eight multi-platinum records, and over 40 million albums sold–she has lent her tremendous talent this year to the official soundtracks for two powerful films with original songs: “I Can See in Color” from Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire and “Stronger” from the Lebron James documentary, More than a Game. “Stronger” tells a moving story and Blige performs it beautifully and authentically–exploring issues surrounding people standing by one another through the difficult times. And, “I Can See in Color” is a raw, passionate and emotional tale of both pain and promise, which has been attracting considerable attention and speculation as a serious contender for an Academy Award. Blige not only contributed as an artist but also co-executive produced the soundtrack to Precious through her music, TV and film company, Matriarch Entertainment. Additionally this year, she made star turns in Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad By Myself, 30 Rock, and Entourage. Co-owner of the successful beauty line, Carol’s Daughter, Mary is an entrepreneur and entertainer, as well as a dedicated philanthropist. Through FFAWN (Foundation For The Advancement Of Women Now) Mary’s mission is to inspire women from all walks of life to gain the confidence and skills they need to reach their fullest potential. Blige is currently set to release her ninth studio album, Stronger with Each Tear, featuring the single, “I Am.”

Gabourey ‘Gabby’ Sidibe has wowed the public and taken the industry by storm with her compelling breakthrough role as the title character in Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire, which is garnering serious awards buzz. With the film winning numerous prestigious awards, including the Sundance Film Festival Audience and Grand Jury Awards, it’s been a whirlwind year for the young actress, who was a student pursuing a degree in psychology when she was cast in Precious. A native New Yorker, Sidibe is the daughter of R&B/gospel singer Alice Tan Ridley. Next up for Gabourey is the Showtime pilot The C-Word opposite Laura Linney for director Bill Condon and the film, Yelling to the Sky.

The ESSENCE Black Women in Hollywood Luncheon is an annual event to honor African-American women, who through their work in Hollywood–both in front of the camera and behind-the-scenes–have helped to change and inspire positive images of Black women in television and film. The red-carpet celebration, which simultaneously exudes old-Hollywood glamour and modern style, also commemorates ESSENCE magazine’s annual Hollywood issue.

The inaugural event, which took place in 2008, honored Jada Pinkett-Smith (Power Award), Ruby Dee (Legend Award), Suzanne de Passe (Visionary Award) and Jurnee Smollett (Star to Watch Award), and hosted A-List stars including Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, Kerry Washington, Star Jones and more. In 2009, celebrities such as Terrence Howard, Samuel L. Jackson, and Queen Latifah, to name a few, were on hand to fete honorees including Halle Berry (Power Award), Diahann Carroll (Legend Award), Gina Prince-Bythewood (Visionary Award), and Taraji P. Henson (Star to Watch Award), with a posthumous honor given to Eartha Kitt.

Pictured: Queen Latifah attends The Fourth Annual Black Girls Rock! at The New York Times Center on October 17, 2009 in New York, New York. (Photo by Astrid Stawiarz/Getty Images)
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African American women with breast cancer receive no follow-up care after lumpectomy, shows study

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A new study finds many breast cancer patients - particularly African American women - do not receive recommended radiation treatments after undergoing a lumpectomy. The study, published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, indicates that efforts are needed to improve breast cancer care in general, and that they should specifically address racial disparities.

Research has shown that the use of recommended breast cancer treatments varies by race, but there is limited data looking at such disparities at a national level. To investigate, Grace Smith, MD, PhD, MPH, of the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and colleagues analyzed data from a national cohort of Medicare patients and quantified racial disparities in the use of recommended radiation therapy after lumpectomy for invasive breast cancer. Their analysis included all women over age 65 years who underwent a lumpectomy for invasive breast cancer in 2003..

Of 34,080 women studied, 91 percent were white, 6 percent were black, and 3 percent were of other races. Seventy-four percent of whites, 65 percent of blacks, and 66 percent of other races received radiation therapy. "Given that radiation therapy after lumpectomy is standard therapy, particularly if a patient has at least one high-risk feature, this level of compliance is surprisingly low," said Dr. Smith.

The investigators determined that whites were 48 percent more likely to receive radiation therapy than blacks. In addition, disparities between white and black patients varied by geographic region, with the lowest rates of radiation therapy (57 percent) received by blacks in areas of the Northeastern and Southern United States. In patients who were younger than 70 years (who would be expected to have higher rates of treatment), racial disparities persisted, with 83 percent of whites, 73 percent of blacks, and 78 percent of other races receiving radiation.

The reasons for the disparities seen in this study are not known. It could be that physicians offer treatment less frequently to non-white patients, substandard care occurs more frequently in predominantly non-white communities, or that non-white patients are more likely to decline treatment. The underlying causes of the observed geographic variations in racial disparities are also unclear.

"We hope our research will affect awareness about disparities in breast cancer treatment, and promote efforts to overcome disparities," said Dr. Smith. She noted that a key aspect of overcoming racial disparities is education. "If patients and health care providers together can recognize that barriers to treatment exist, steps can be taken to address the problem." Patients can play a role by becoming educated about the value of radiation after lumpectomies and helping to disseminate this information in their communities. In addition, both patients and their physicians can work together to identify specific obstacles that contribute to disparities in cancer care.

http://www.cancer.org/
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