WALLA WALLA, Wash., April 6 -- Whitman College issued the following news release: Whitman College President George Bridges today announced the 2010 Commencement speaker: Juan Williams. Renowned for bringing insight and depth to a wide spectrum of issues and ideas, Juan Williams has been selected as the 2010 Whitman College Commencement speaker. An author and journalist with a diverse background of experience, Williams is a senior correspondent for National Public Radio. He spent more than   more

BALTIMORE, April 7 -- Coppin State University issued the following news by Mary-Ann Dogo-Isonagie: "I am a Young African American Male, Age 14 (under Maryland Majority Age of 18), convicted of first degree murder and commanded to prison with a sentence of life without parole (LWOP) for a serious violent crime: What happened to me and how could this have been prevented?" A panel of law enforcement intellectuals and legal scholars will examine this and other similar questions relating to crime,  more

NASHVILLE, Tenn., April 5 -- The Tennessee Department of Health issued the following news release: Governor Phil Bredesen has proclaimed April Minority Health Month in Tennessee. The state Department of Health and its Division of Minority Health and Disparity Elimination join minority health advocates and providers nationwide in the annual observance, which is designed to raise awareness about health issues that affect minority populations. Activities planned during the month encourage faith-  more

BALTIMORE, April 7 -- The office of the Baltimore Mayor issued the following news release: City Solicitor George Nilson announced today that the City of Baltimore will be filing a second amended complaint later today in its landmark predatory lending case against Wells Fargo. This amended complaint was most recently due to be filed a month ago, but Wells Fargo asked that the City's filing deadline be postponed so that the parties could endeavor to resolve the matter without further litigation  more

CLEVELAND, April 7 --Cleveland State University issued the following news release: As part of its commitment to promote, honor and celebrate diversity, Cleveland State University announces the return of Black Aspirations Week. A campus tradition since 1973, the week-long event features speakers, workshops, and performances that celebrate the heritage of African-American peoples as well as Black America's future. The celebration will be headlined by a special performance of Ask Your Mama:   more

WASHINGTON, April 8 -- Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla. (3rd CD), issued the following news release: $1.2 million - FCCJ Institute for Threat Reduction and Response in fiscal year 2011. The entity to receive funding for this project is Florida State College at Jacksonville, located at 501 W. State St. Rm. 446A, Jacksonville, FL 32202. The funding would be used for the development of hybrid training and education for the Navy using virtual reality and gaming techniques. $10.55 million - Florida C  more

STATESBORO, Ga., April 7 -- Georgia Southern University issued the following news release: Georgia Southern University's Physical Science programs rank among the nation's best in producing African-American graduates. Georgia Southern is 11th in the U.S. in the most recent rankings by Diverse, the leading newsmagazine on diversity issues in higher education. In the 2007-08 academic year, the University had one of the nation's highest rates of African-American graduates in Chemistry and in P  more

WASHINGTON, April 6 -- The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development issued the following news release: The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today announced that it has charged a King County, Washington, landlord with violating the Fair Housing Act. HUD contends that Summerhill Place LLC, the owners of Summerhill Apartments in Renton, WA, its management company GRAN Inc., and on-site manager Rita Lovejoy, engaged in a pattern of adverse treatment of African Americans, His  more

EDWARDSVILLE, Ill., April 6 -- Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville issued the following news release: At the turn of the 20th Century, immigrants flooded the United States from Europe, Russia and other parts of the world. It was truly a melting pot of diverse cultures. But life was very difficult for the new visitors; many of them were shunned and mistreated. African Americans who came from the south to the big cities of the north did not fare better. Intimate Apparel is the story of  more

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 7 -- Indiana University issued the following news release: Even before the 60th running of the men's Little 500 bicycle race at Indiana University takes place, the competitive juices may be flowing for some alumni who are coming back to participate in special races of their own. "We've heard of some gentlemen who are a little competitive in nature, even though they're getting up there in years," said Dana Cummings, director of the IU Student Foundation, noting tha  more

WASHINGTON, April 7 -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission issued the following news release: Jacqueline A. Berrien, the former Associate Director-Counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF), was sworn in today as the Chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) by Acting Chairman Stuart J. Ishimaru. She becomes the fourteenth Chair of the EEOC, which will celebrate the 45th anniversary of its founding in July. Berrien was nominated on July 16  more

WASHINGTON, April 7 -- The Library of Congress issued the following news release: Walter O. Evans, well known for his remarkable collection of 19th- and 20th-century African American artworks, has also assembled an extensive collection of more than 100,000 books and manuscripts. He has taken on the formidable task of selecting his favorite 10 to discuss at the Library of Congress on April 30. In an illustrated lecture, Evans will present "Ten Favorite Books and Manuscripts in My Collection  more

WASHINGTON, April 7 -- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued the following news release: Approximately 143,000 young people aged 12 to 17 used inhalants in the past year while dealing with a condition like pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or sinusitis, according to a new study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study determined that the rate of use was 4.4 percent a  more

CINCINNATI, April 7 -- University of Cincinnati issued the following news by Wendy Beckman: The University of Cincinnati African American Cultural and Research Center (AACRC) is partnering with the "Be the Match" Program, which seeks to bring awareness to bone marrow donation. (Be The Match Registry is the new name for the National Marrow Donor Program Registry.) Bone marrow transplant is a life-saving treatment for people with leukemia, lymphoma and many other diseases. On April 27 in U  more

HUNTSVILLE, Texas, April 7 -- Sam Houston State University issued the following news release: There is a soul food restaurant on the south side of Chicago where busses of tourists stop to get a taste of Deep South cuisine: chitlins, greens and a side of pan-fried clay. Throughout his years of researching as an urban and socio-economic geographer, Sam Houston State University associate professor of geography John Strait has encountered a number of people who practice geophagy, the eating of  more

ONEONTA, N.Y., April 6 -- The State University of New York at Oneonta issued the following news release: Dr. Ama Mazama, Associate Professor of African American Studies at Temple University, will offer a presentation entitled "Linguistic Connections Between Africa and the Caribbean: The Case of Guadeloupe" on Wednesday, April 14, at 6 p.m. in the Center for Multicultural Experiences in Lee Hall at the SUNY College at Oneonta. The event is the final installment of the 2009-2010 Ralph R. Watkin  more

RICHMOND, Va., April 7 -- Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va., issued the following news release: Governor Bob McDonnell issued the following statement today regarding the proclamation of Confederate History Month in the Commonwealth: "The proclamation issued by this Office designating April as Confederate History Month contained a major omission. The failure to include any reference to slavery was a mistake, and for that I apologize to any fellow Virginian who has been offended or disappointed. The  more

DALLAS, April 7 -- Southern Methodist University issued the following news release: United States Trade Representative and former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk will speak at SMU's 95th Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 15, at 9:30 a.m. in Moody Coliseum on campus. SMU expects to award nearly 2,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees in the University-wide ceremony. Appointed by President Barack Obama, Kirk is the nation's chief advisor, negotiator and spokesperson for trade. The   more

BALTIMORE, Md., April 7 -- Coppin State University issued the following news by Dr. E. Lee Lassiter: On Friday, April 30, 2010, Coppin State University CSU) will hold its first annual Urban Education Symposium. The event will feature two plenary sessions. The first will focus on Black Male Initiatives at Coppin State and other institutions. A distinguished group of panelists, including Dr. Pedro Noguera, who is a nationally-known expert on this topic, will discuss challenges facing African-Am  more