NEWARK, NJ, April 8, 2010 – The Alliance for Digital Equality (ADE) has announced that the New Jersey Institute of Technology in Newark will host their 2010 Digital Empowerment Summit themed, “Broadband: Closing the Economic Divide” on Friday, April 23, 2010. Following the release of the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) National Broadband Plan, ADE will convene a mix of policymakers, thought leaders and the media in New Jersey to discuss the impact that universal broadband access will have on access to education, jobs and wealth creation opportunities, particularly for the millions of un-served and underserved Americans who have the most to gain from this great technology. This event is free to the public and will begin at 8:30 A.M. and conclude at 3:00 P.M. For More Information or to register please visit: www.alliancefordigitalequality.org

Members of the community are encouraged to submit questions to the Newark Digital Empowerment Summit Panelists. Questions will be asked during the live webcast on the day of the event. Send questions to info@adeql.org.

Several powerful voices will be heard during New Jersey’s first broadband summit including FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, National Urban League President & CEO Marc Morial and Senator Rodney Ellis, who will be delivering remarks. CNN Contributor, Mario Armstrong, and Actor, Author and Activist, Hill Harper, will moderate the summit’s panel discussions to include: “Jobs & Wealth,” “The Wireless Broadband Revolution,” and “The State of Broadband in Minority Communities.”

“Throughout our history there are numerous examples in which communities of color have been the last to enjoy the full economic benefit of transformative periods, such as those now offered courtesy of the digital revolution,” said Julius H. Hollis, Chairman and Founder of ADE. “Broadband is the bridge that provides a unique opportunity for people of color to achieve economic equality, and as we now work to implement the FCC’s National Broadband Plan – designed to deliver access to every American – it is vital that we focus on the millions of un-served and underserved Americans to ensure that these Americans adopt this great tool once they have access.”

Opening remarks will be given by Mayor Booker. Confirmed panelists include: Manny Diaz (Former Mayor of Miami), David Jefferson (President and CEO, JNET Communications), Willie E. Woods Jr. (Managing Director, ICV Capital Partners), Heather McKay (Director, Innovative Training and Workforce Development Programs, Rutgers), Fateen Ziyad (City of Newark Fire Department Deputy Chief), George Cigale (Founder and CEO, Tutor.com), Eduardo Tinaco (CEO and Founder, Athena Wireless Communications), Ash Shehata (Director, Healthcare Practice, Cisco), Lillian Rodríguez López (President, Hispanic Federation), Dr. Jan Gant, Ph.D. (Visiting Resident Fellow, Media and Technology Institute, Joint Center for Political Studies), Gregory S. Fehribach, J.D. (Attorney, The Fehribach Group), Lorraine A. Cortés-Vásquez (New York Secretary of State), and Dr. Randal Pinkett (President and CEO of BCT Partners).

Follow us on Twitter: @DigitalEquality Newark Digital Empowerment Summit Twitter Hashtag: #adesummitnj
Friend us on Facebook: alliancefordigital.equality

About The Alliance for Digital Equality
The Alliance for Digital Equality, headquartered in Atlanta, GA, is a non-profit, nonpartisan consumer advocacy organization that serves to facilitate and ensure equal access to technology in underserved communities. The Alliance also serves as a bridge between policymakers and minority individuals in order to help the public understand how legislative and regulatory policies regarding new technologies can impact and empower their daily lives.

Media Contact: Kimberlee Williams, FEMWORKS, 973-494-9705.

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

Our speakers include:

OPENING REMARKS by
Rutgers–Newark Vice Chancellor Marcia Brown

Panel 1: LGBT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN NEWARK AND NEW JERSEY
Chas B. Brack, director, Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Documentary Project
Bryan Epps, executive director, Newark Pride Alliance
Perris Straughter, acting director, Newark-Essex Pride Coalition
Frank Vespa-Papaleo, senior counsel, New Jersey Department of the Public Advocate

Panel 2: LGBT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WITHIN THE LARGER COMMUNITY – ISSUE ROUND-UP
Carlene Jadusingh, representative, Lesbian & Gay Law Association of Greater New York
Flor Bermudez, Youth in Out-of-Home Care Attorney, Lambda Legal
Kenyon Farrow, executive director, Queers for Economic Justice
Katherine Acey, executive director, Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Professor Carlos Ball, Rutgers School of Law–Newark, moderator

Dinner will promptly follow the program.

To RSVP: http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~racelaw/symposium.html

Source: The Editorial Board of the Rutgers Race & the Law Review

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

Newark, NJ February 24, 2010 – The premier of “Man Up: The Exploration of a Fatherless Nation” that was scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 25, at 6:00pm at the Newark Museum has been rescheduled due to impending severe inclement weather. The rescheduled date and time is Thursday, March 4th, 2010 at the Newark Museum auditorium at 6:00pm. Fathers Now produced this FREE community program in an effort to encourage conversations that rebuild the bonds and responsibility of fatherhood in Newark.

Man-Up Trailer – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvTmTlkgVi8&feature=related
Fathers Now Electronic Press Kit – http://nw1.enr-corp.com/oneKITDir/1005744/index.html

Man-Up Newark, NJ Premier Events Details
Location: The Newark Museum auditorium, 49 Washington Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Date: Thursday, March 4th, 2010
Time: 5:00pm – 6:00pm VIP Reception
6:00pm Doors Open for general public
7:00pm – 8:00pm Film Screening
8:00pm – 9:00pm Panel Discussion

Panelists:
Tonia Grady
Bill Stephney
LaVar Young

More Information:
To purchase VIP tickets or sponsorship inquiries, please contact Erica Knowles at
eknowles@newarknow.org.

About Man-Up Documentary
Directed and executive produced by Tonia Grady of Gradygirl Productions, Inc., Man-Up is an uncompromising look at the young lives that hang in the balance of “fatherlessness”. To illustrate the magnitude of this social epidemic you will hear personal testimonies of triumph and devastation as Man-Up navigates through the experiences of growing up without a father and the effects thereof. The documentary gives a face to the voiceless children who suffer and ask themselves the unanswerable “why me?” Man-Up featured in the 2009 Atlanta Gay Pride film festival and the 4th Annual WIFTI (Women In Film and Television International) Short Film Showcase. For additional information on the documentary on Man-Up, please visit www.manupthedocumentary.com.

About the Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers
The Newark Comprehensive Center for Fathers (NCCF) serves fathers in transition – men who have lost their jobs and homes, or who are re-entering the workforce following incarceration and who seek to assume greater responsibility for and contribute to the lives of their children. NCCF has a strong commitment to helping fathers develop a stronger commitment to fatherhood, stronger parenting skills, and stronger employment skills. For additional information on NCCF, please visit www.newarknow.org/fatherhood.html.

Media Contact: Kimberlee Williams, FEMWORKS, 973-494-9705

Source: Newark Now

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

NEWARK, N.J., February 22, 2010 - UWEWH is pleased to announce the launch of the United Lives IDA program. In 2009, UWEWH was awarded the largest Assets for Independence IDA grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Northeastern United States. This matching grant is paving the way to a $2 million dollar investment over 5 years in financial stability initiatives that promote financial literacy and asset building.

IDAs are subsidized savings accounts that encourage low-income individuals to save by matching their deposits at various rates. Once the savings goal has been reached, funds are then invested in one of three assets; post-secondary education, homeownership, or a microenterprise. The United Lives program will match $1k of participant savings at a 4:1 rate.

Beyond the matching dollars, UWEWH and its partners—including CO-Fund, Episcopal Community Development, Newark Asset Building Coalition, PNC Bank and YouthBuild Newark—are providing individualized case management, financial literacy and asset-specific training in the form of assistance, free tax preparation, first-time homebuyer classes and micro-scholarships, to name a few.

According to Keith Green, President and CEO:

“The United Lives IDA program is the cornerstone of our income-based community impact work. The United Lives network of partners represents the kind of collaborative-based work that we intend to embark upon in each of our focus areas of education, income and health. We are pleased to launch this significant investment in conjunction with Newark Saves week which is part of a larger statewide and nationwide America Saves Week—co-sponsored by United Way Worldwide— that includes local, regional, and national organizations.”

UWEWH is a member of the Newark Asset Building Coalition which hosts Newark Saves Week with the assistance of the City of Newark and other key partners.

For more information about the United Lives IDA Program: http://www.uwewh.org/income.html

About United Way of Essex and West Hudson
Founded in 1923, the United Way of Essex and West Hudson is a non-profit organization that seeks to address the root causes of community concerns by aligning resources to best meet the needs of the over 700,000 individuals, children and families throughout its 13 municipality service area. We bring communities together by building partnerships and forging consensus on strategies that can make a measurable difference.

Media Contact: Brooke Barrett, 973-854-2230, or bbarrett@uwewh.org

Source: United Way of Essex and West Hudson

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

Newark, N.J., Feb. 19, 2010 –Prominent scholars, activists, and attorneys will discuss the effects of current laws and social policies on LGBT communities of color at the annual symposium of the Rutgers Race and the Law Review, to be held from 5 – 9 pm on Thursday, February, 25, 2010 at Rutgers School of Law–Newark. The title of the journal’s symposium is “An Affront on Civil Rights: A Multicultural Perspective on the LGBT Struggle for Equality.”

Admission is free and open to the public. RSVP required by February 20 to http://pegasus.rutgers.edu/~racelaw/symposiumrsvpform.html.

What: “An Affront on Civil Rights: A Multicultural Perspective on the LGBT Struggle for Equality,” sponsored by the Rutgers Race and the Law Review

Who: OPENING REMARKS Rutgers–Newark Chancellor Steven J. Diner

LGBT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR IN NEWARK AND NEW JERSEY
Chas B. Brack, Dir., Dreams Deferred: The Sakia Gunn Documentary Project
Bryan Epps, Exec. Dir., Newark Pride Alliance
Perris Straughter, Acting Dir., Newark-Essex Pride Coalition
J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo, Sr. Counsel to the State Public Advocate
Moderator: Suzanne Kim, Associate Professor of Law,
Rutgers School of Law- Newark

LGBT COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WITHIN THE LARGER GAY COMMUNITY – ISSUE ROUND-UP
Carlene Jadusingh, Rep., Lesbian & Gay Law Association of Greater New York
Flor Bermudez, Youth in Out-of-Home Care Attorney, Lambda Legal
Kenyon Farrow, Exec. Dir., Queers for Economic Justice
Katherine Acey, Exec. Dir.,  Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice
Moderator: Carlos Ball, Professor of Law and Judge Frederick Lacey Scholar,
Rutgers School of Law- Newark

When: 5 – 9 pm, Thursday, February 25, 2010, with dinner to follow

Where: Baker Trial Courtroom, Rutgers School of Law–Newark

Tickets for GEM Fest are available at the website (www.grooveevolutionfest.com) in advance for $15 or $20 at the door. Attendees who purchase three (3) raffle tickets for $80, receive free admission and a chance to win a roundtrip ticket to South Africa to volunteer with Artworks For Youth (www.artworksforyouth.org).

Learn More:
HOW – www.haitianorphans.com
Artworks for Youth – www.artworksforyouth.org

When asked what prompted her to create this festival, Sky Dietrich said, “I am not only here to play music but to grow the dreams and aspirations of my fellow world citizens. GEM Fest is one way to make that happen for those in need and my fellow artist comrades.”

The missions of both recipient organizations clearly resonate with the Groove Evolution Music Festival goal to inspire, enlighten and motivate people to act on their visions and passions for a better world. HOW ‘s mission is to provide nutritional, financial, medical, and spiritual relief to the orphaned children of Haiti. Artworks for Youth is dedicated to providing free after school visual art instruction, mentoring, and academic support to under-served students in South Africa.

About Groove Evolution Music (GEM) Festival
GEM’s purpose is to raise funds for non-profit organizations globally, while providing a venue throughout the year for progressive artists, actors, and poets. Their artistic endeavors are of substance and groove and make profound statements that empower and move the world. Key artists who are donating their performances to this event are Sky D & LeGrange Evolution, Beyond Belief & Kwame, Dani Fonseca, and DJ Structure.

About Sky D and LeGrange Evolution
Sky D and LeGrange Evolution is a modern powerhouse of funk and rock with gritty tones. Sky D’s fierce lyrical call for unity in an “every man for himself” type of world is potent and relentless. After realizing that negative trending rap was not for her, Sky broke out of that box to express her contempt for prejudice, violence, repression, and the cut-throat nature of society. Her music, which ranges from aggressive power rock to hip hop and soul, was featured in many NYC venues, and her solo performances have been showcased on VH1, NBC, and UPN.

Media Contacts: Moya Mills, (862) 452-3968, moyamills@yahoo.com or Sky Dietrich, (201) 491-2836, skyd@skydandlegrange.com.

Source: Groove Evolution Music (GEM) Festival

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

LITUFC Open Door Drop-In Center Collaborates for World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day Photo Gallery – http://tinyurl.com/yjxa4jd

“Liberation in Truth Unity Fellowship Church is an urban ministry, located in the heart of Newark, where the campuses and the rest of the community meet,” said Reverend Janyce L. Jackson, Pastor of Liberation In Truth, Executive Director of the Drop-In Center, and Vice Chair of the LGBTQ Commission in the City of Newark . “It’s exciting to continue expanding our role in service to our community and as a liaison within it.”

The Urban Issues Institute sponsored a multi-disciplinary College Hour program on local HIV/AIDS issues, for which DIC Program Manager Al Cunningham led a discussion of local statistics and their implications. Institute Director Dr. Margaret Stevens, and Professors Karen Thompson, Jennifer Wager, and Rebecca Williams, engaged their classes in curriculum-related aspects of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. In addition to the services offered by the DIC, students were reminded of volunteer and internship opportunities at the DIC that will complement their academic training and enhance their future employability.

The DIC also collaborated as a member of the NJ Stop AIDS Coalition, led by North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI) on the World AIDS Day Extravaganza at Newark’s Symphony Hall Terrace from 4 to 8pm. This annual “infotainment” event attracts a cross-section of Newark residents to a major downtown venue. Finally, the DIC participated in an evening Concert For Change, at Rutgers University Newark’s Robeson Campus Center, organized by RU PRIDE and Our Youth.

Contact: Al Cunningham, Program Manager, LITUFC Open Door Drop-In Center, 973 424 9555, x22

Source: LITUFC Open Door Drop-In Center

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

NJCRI and NJ Stop AIDS Coalition Presents the 4th Annual World AIDS Day Extravaganza

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 1, 2009 – Today in observance of World AIDS Day, North Jersey Community Research Initiative (NJCRI) and NJ Stop AIDS Coalition will present the 4th Annual World AIDS Day Extravaganza at Newark Symphony Hall’s Terrace Ballroom, from 4pm – 8pm. The event is free to the public and features vendors, speakers, social services and health service agencies, food and live entertainment.

Event Details:
4th Annual World AIDS Day Extravaganza
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009
Time: 4pm -8pm
Location: Newark Symphony Hall, Terrace Ballroom, 1030 Broad Street, Newark, NJ

Contact: NJCRI, (973) 483-3444 x 165

Source: North Jersey Community Research Initiative

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

Silent Vigil to End the Silence of HIV/AIDS is hosted by the African American Office of Gay Concerns

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 1, 2009 – Today on World AIDS Day at 12 noon to 1pm, the African American Office of Gay Concerns will host a one hour Silent Protest to End the Silence of AIDS. There will not be speeches. There will not be songs. There will not be handbills. People will be joined hand in hand from City Hall on Broad Street to the Prudential Center. The event is intended to raise awareness about the continuing crisis of HIV/AIDS in our community.

Event Details:
Silent Protest to End the Silence of AIDS
Date: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009
Location: Newark City Hall, 920 Broad Street, Newark, NJ 07102
Time: 12pm – 1pm

“Our Silence will represent the hundreds of friends and relatives we’ve lost to AIDS. After one hour, we will silently go about our day as usual, because that’s what people who live with HIV and AIDS have to do every day—go about their lives. It’s that simple. It is our hope that people will remember our Silent Protest and maybe next year link hands with us,” says Gary Paul Wright, Executive Director of the AAOGC and Commissioner, LGBTQ Commission, City of Newark, NJ.

About African American Office of Gay Concerns (AAOGC)
AAOGC’s mission is to comprehensively serve as a resource for the well-being of Gay men of color, inclusive of, but not limited to the gay, bisexual, transgendered and questioning communities through outreach, education and compassionate care. The African American Office of Gay Concerns is committed to delivering quality HIV/AIDS services to the Gay community in the Newark Area. We provide an array of services focusing on changing individual behavior. This is accomplished through our interaction with our consumers and developing an understanding of their needs. For more information about AAOGC or Status Is Everything, please call 973-639-0700 or visit www.AAOGC.org.

Media Contact: African American Office of Gay Concerns at 973-639-0700.

Source: African American Office of Gay Concerns

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.

RU PRIDE Hosts a Concert for A Change At the Paul Robeson Center, Dec. 1

RU PRIDE Hosts a Concert for A Change At the Paul Robeson Center, Dec. 1

NEWARK, N.J., Dec. 1, 2009 – Today at 6pm Rutgers University PRIDE (RU PRIDE) and Our Youth will host the “Concert for Change” Program in recognition of World AIDS Day at the Paul Robeson Campus Center, Essex Room, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd in Newark. Admission is free and the event features live entertainment, and food. Donations are encouraged and can be made at the entrance to the event.

Event Details:
“Concert for Change” Program in Recognition of World AIDS Day
December, 1, 2009, 6:00pm
Paul Robeson Campus Center, Essex Room
350 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd in Newark
Admission is free and open to the public

Stay Involved
To stay connected with RU PRIDE attend the weekly meeting on Wednesday, December 2, at Paul Robeson Center, Room 227; the agenda will include making center pieces for the NJIT Spectrum Dance. Bring along some party favors and other things that would go into making the center pieces.

The Spectrum dance will be on Thursday, December 3, in the NJIT campus center 3rd floor ballroom. Tickets are $2 for 1 or $3 for 2. The theme is a masquerade; come with some creative mask and dressed to impress.

Then on December 4-6, Project WOW will be facilitating the Many Men Many Voices intervention. The intervention is geared toward men who have sex with men (MSM) population of color who are willing to discuss the STD and HIV risks of male to male sexual behaviors and the risk reduction methods that constitute safer sex. On December 4-5, the intervention will be held in the Robeson Center.

If you would like to donate books or Barnes and Noble gift card to the RU Pride library, we will be collecting them at each of the events.

Contact: Donovan Linder, RU PRIDE President, 350 MLK BLVD
Rutgers-Newark University, Newark, NJ 07102, cell 609.350.0062, or rupride@pegasus.rutgers.edu

Source: Rutgers University PRIDE (RU PRIDE)

###

ComeUnity Wire is a service of FEMWORKS LLC. Issuers and not FEMWORKS LLC are solely responsible for the content, facts and accuracy of all information submitted by them for transmission or posting by ComeUnity Wire. FEMWORKS LLC does not warrant or make any representations concerning the content, accuracy, likely results or reliability of the use of the materials it transmits or posts.