5502: Cutting Mullets And More.

Making cuts in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• Four people testified in the R. Kelly trial, identifying the female in the infamous tape. “I know her like the back of my hand,” said one witness. “We got our hair cut the same way together. It’s a mullet. Short at the top, long at the back.” If the mullet fits, you mustn’t acquit.

• American Airlines announced plans to cut domestic flights and workers. Plus, the airline will charge passengers $15 for the first checked bag. Earlier this month, American said it would also bill $25 for the second checked bag. No word how much they’ll charge for losing both bags.

5501: Deceptive Recruitment Advertising.

This is technically not an actual job listing; however, it was assembled from the content of real recruitment ads…

At Agency X, a Director is a relationship guru—an inspirational leader and mentor. This person works with counterparts to foster and define a vision and leads team members toward this vision. He/she will work in our brand new Austin location and be a part of the agency that is on the radar of every marketing and communications company on the planet. Agency X, launched in 2006, focuses on coming up with ideas first without the distinction between disciplines and job titles, resulting in the highest Return on Ideas for clients. A Director is a connected player with his/her multi-functional teams, peers, the creative youth and our clients. He/she manages needs of team members to maximize learning and productivity while minimizing turnover. This person is a talented storyteller who is capable across multiple disciplines, such as digital, copywriting, design, interactive, CRM, promotional campaigns and environment/experiential. People that have experience with innovative direct marketing campaigns will be given high priority in our search for the best. The ideal candidate will be an outstanding strategic and conceptual thinker and persuasive communicator. Plus, he/she will be enthusiastic about business beyond marketing aspects. If you are up for the challenge, send your résumé, portfolio and cover letter explaining why your experience will help us take brands to immortal levels.

The true prospective employers are Project DaVinci, Saatchi & Saatchi X and Draftfcb. One agency has not yet done shit, and the other two have done nothing but. Here they are, nonetheless, hyping themselves like industry trendsetters. Too bad trophies aren’t awarded for breakthrough creativity in classified copywriting.

5500: Mood Poisoning.

Here’s a pretty odd way to advertise a restaurant. Hopefully, the young woman isn’t feeling ill after dining at the place.

5499: Dollar Discrimination.

From nationwide news sources…

Paper Money Discriminates Against Blind?

WASHINGTON — The U.S. discriminates against blind people by printing paper money that makes it impossible for them to distinguish among the bills’ varying values, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

The ruling upholds a decision by a lower court in 2006. It could force the Treasury Department to redesign its money. Suggested changes have ranged from making bills different sizes to printing them with raised markings.

The American Council for the Blind sued for such changes but the Treasury Department has been fighting the case for about six years.

“I don’t think we should have to rely on people to tell us what our money is,” said Mitch Pomerantz, the council’s president.

The U.S. acknowledges the design hinders blind people but it argued that blind people have adapted. Some relied on store clerks to help them, some used credit cards and others folded certain corners to help distinguish between bills.

The court ruled 2-1 that such adaptations were insufficient. The government might as well argue that, since handicapped people can crawl on all fours or ask for help from strangers, there’s no need to make buildings wheelchair accessible, the court said.

Courts can’t decide how to design the currency, since that’s up to the Treasury Department. But the ruling forces the department to address what the court called a discriminatory problem.

Pomerantz says it could take years to change the look of money and until then, he expects that similar-looking money will continue to get printed and spent. But since blindness becomes more common with age, people in the 30s and 40s should know that, when they get older, “they will be able to identify their $1 bills from their fives, tens and twenties,” he said.

Officials at the Treasury Department and the department’s Bureau of Engraving and Printing, which prints the nation’s currency, had no immediate comment on the ruling. The government could appeal to the Supreme Court.

While the government has been fighting to overturn the lower court ruling, it has been taking some steps toward modifying U.S. currency for the visually impaired.

The most recent currency redesign of the $5 bill introduced in March features a giant “5” printed in purple on one side of the bill to help those with vision problems distinguish the bill.

The appeals court also ruled that the U.S. failed to explain why changing the money would be an undue burden. The Treasury Department has redesigned its currency several times in recent years, and adding features to aid the blind would come at a relatively small cost, the court said.

Other countries have added such features, the court said, and the U.S. never explained what made its situation so unique.

5498: Obesity Bias.

From USA TODAY…

Weight discrimination could be as common as racial bias

By Svetlana Shkolnikova, USA TODAY

Weight discrimination, especially against women, is increasing in U.S. society and is almost as common as racial discrimination, two studies suggest.

Reported discrimination based on weight has increased 66% in the past decade, up from about 7% to 12% of U.S. adults, says one study, in the journal Obesity. The other study, in the International Journal of Obesity, says such discrimination is common in both institutional and interpersonal situations — and in some cases is even more prevalent than rates of discrimination based on gender and race. (About 17% of men and 9% of women reported race discrimination.)

Among severely obese people, about 28% of men and 45% of women said they have experienced discrimination because of their weight.

“Weight discrimination is a very serious social problem that we need to pay attention to,” says Rebecca Puhl of the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University, a co-author of both studies.

The research, based on surveys of more than 2,000 U.S. adults in 1995-96 and 2004-06, is the first to compare rates of weight discrimination with other forms of discrimination, Puhl says.

Institutional discrimination involved health care, education or workplace situations, such as cases in which people said they were fired, denied a job or a promotion because of their weight. Interpersonal discrimination focused on insults, abuse and harassment from others.

Lynn McAfee, director of medical advocacy at the non-profit Council on Size and Weight Discrimination in Mt. Marion, N.Y., is not surprised by the findings.

“Until we clean up language like ‘war on obesity’ and have authorities speak out about it, discrimination will continue to increase,” she says.

Puhl agrees weight discrimination will not decrease until attitudes change and laws begin addressing it.

No federal laws against weight discrimination exist, although some cities, including Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, have banned discrimination locally. The Massachusetts Legislature had hearings last month on a proposed law.

Peggy Howell says she will never forget the day her boss told her she either had to lose weight or lose her job. She weighed 280 pounds at the time and was working as a librarian. Feeling as if she had no choice but to comply, Howell joined Weight Watchers.

Howell volunteers for the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, a non-profit organization in Oakland.

After shedding 120 pounds in a year and a half, she quit her library job and started an online business selling items that portray people of size in a positive light.

She says she now knows she has the right to challenge stereotypes, and she wants to “help people to see the beauty in themselves, no matter what their size.”

5497: Keep Your Lies On Your Fries.

Article above from the May 19, 2008 issue of Crain’s Chicago Business…

Why does a fast food joint that built its reputation on speedy service need years to rid the menu of deadly trans-fat oil? Looks like the boys running Mickey D’s are slick and slippery—and they’re playing the public for clowns.

5496: Good Neighbor, Not Very Good Ad.

This auto + home insurance ad could use some life.

5495: Arnold Seeks To Diversify.

The story below appeared at Adweek.com. MultiCultClassics comments immediately follow…

Arnold Hires Multicultural Marketing Chief
Osborne joins Havas shop from Novartis

By Adweek Staff

BOSTON Havas’ Arnold said it has hired Reginald Osborne as svp, group director of multicultural marketing.

Reporting to evp Jon Tracosas, he will focus mainly on the shop’s McDonald’s business. The long-range goal, per Arnold, is to create an integrated capability for diversity marketing across all agency accounts.

“I am excited to be at an agency like Arnold that believes diversity is important culturally and as a resource to better serve clients and consumers in a multi-cultural marketing and communications world,” Osborne said in a statement.

Added Fran Kelly, Arnold’s CEO: “The world we live in and market in is growing increasingly diverse. He will be an enormous asset to Arnold and to our clients.”

Osborne joins from Novartis Pharmaceuticals, where he most recently served as associate director of multicultural marketing. Prior to Novartis, he was at Spike DDB, where he worked on clients such as Jaguar, ExxonMobil, Foxwoods and State Farm Insurance. Other agency stops include Grey and Ted Bates.

Arnold has championed multiculturalism in the workplace. The Ad Club of Boston’s Arnold Rosoff Awards celebrating industry diversity are named for one of the agency’s founders.

The move is in keeping with industry trends, as agencies large and small have heightened their diversity efforts in the wake of continued criticism from some quarters that the ad business is too white and male-centric.

This story is unique on a few fronts.

First, it’s extraordinarily rare for Adweek to report on anything non-White. Although the byline seems to indicate it took the entire staff to figure out the brief news item.

Agency Spy’s superspy—who will soon leave that blog and probably take all interest with her—seemed perplexed over certain points. She observed, “…according to Adweek, [Osborne’s] goal will be to ‘create an integrated capability for diversity marketing across all agency accounts.’ So, what Arnold really means is they’re going to try and talk to people of color. Why they just can’t say that, I’ll never know. Never. According to Ad Age’s Report Cards, Arnold isn’t listed among the top 50 multicultural agencies in either the Hispanic, African American or Asian markets. Better get cracking, mister.”

Well, superspy, it’s unlikely Arnold will crack the top 50 anytime soon. If you closely inspect the Ad Age lists you referenced, you’ll see the overwhelming majority are minority-owned enterprises. Even the places “bought” by holding companies still keep minority-ownership status by retaining the necessary 51 percent share. This maneuver avoids upsetting clients who employ multicultural agencies to satisfy corporate diversity goals—that is, multicultural shops are viewed as minority vendors. It also means Arnold will have difficulty realizing its goals, especially if the Bostonians ever compete for business with typical multicultural shops.

Additionally, one could debate if the true objectives of diversity are being addressed when a general market agency hires minorities to focus on segregated initiatives. Or you could question why general market shops might be eligible to pursue multicultural assignments when multicultural shops are rarely allowed to pitch general market work. But those are the topics of future posts.

For now, let’s extend congratulations and best wishes to Reginald Osborne.

5494: The Camera Never Lies. The Subject Matter, Well…

Lights, camera, action and a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• At last, the R. Kelly child-pornography trial began with opening statements today. The key players are depicted above: Prosecuter Shauna Boliker (left); R. Kelly (center); Defense Attorney Sam Adam Jr. (right). The defense’s contention is that the man in the infamous tape is not Kelly. Plus, the female in the tape is not the alleged victim. “Robert Kelly is not on that tape,” said Adam in court. “I stand before you on May 20, 2008, to tell you [the alleged victim] is not on that tape.” Or maybe it took so long to get to trial that the players completely forgot being a part of it all.

• An actress who appeared in a jewelry commercial where she writhed and moaned in a bed is suing the producers. She claims she was told the ad would be humorous, and she was shocked to discover it became a racy message. So far, a judge has allowed the $5 million lawsuit to move forward. R. Kelly insists he was nowhere near the filming of this one.

5493: Shades Of Whiteness.

From The Chicago Tribune…

The white vs. off-white election

By Meghan Daum

If you’re white and you like stuff, maybe you’ve bookmarked the Internet blog Stuff White People Like. The creation of Christian Lander, a 29-year-old Culver City, Calif., copywriter, it’s an ever-growing list of the kind of privileged preoccupations that traditionally are coded “white.”

Examples include not having a TV (“The No.1 reason why white people like not having a TV is so that they can tell you that they don’t have a TV.”), indie music (“To a white person, being a fan of a band before they get popular is one of the most important things they [sic] can do with their life.”) and, a bit abstrusely, awareness (“White people … firmly believe that all of the world’s problems can be solved through ‘awareness.’”).

To date, there are 99 items on Stuff White People Like.

Barack Obama, at No. 8, was among the first entries. Guess who is not on the list?

Somehow, Hillary Clinton, whose campaign now coasts on the fumes of a particular variety of white voter (the fuming kind), has failed to meet the rigorous standards of Stuff White People Like.

The reason, of course, is the same reason clichés such as mayonnaise and square dancing don’t make the cut either. The one thing Clinton has over Obama, which she has clumsily described as “hardworking Americans, white Americans,” is that certain white people like her more. But, to borrow a phrase from Lander and company, they are “the wrong kind of white people.” Could that mean they’re barely “white” at all?

Clinton’s white voters lack the salient feature of the white experience—privilege. As Stuff White People Like suggests, privilege now functions as a rarefied club that excludes people based not on their skin color but on their economic status, personal tastes and aesthetic sensibilities. The Web site tips toward progressive emblems of privilege (public radio), but because plenty of Republicans like iPods and farmers markets, it’s safe to say the actual cohort is bigger than that (or at least could support a sister site about white love for McMansions, mega-churches and golf). Yes, this club is still called “white,” but as time goes on, that whiteness becomes more conceptual than literal. You don’t have to be white to be white. You just need enough disposable income and the desire to buy the lifestyle accessories and adopt the points of view that were once exclusively associated with it.

So where does that leave Clinton’s last-ditch voting bloc? Barred from this new whiteness (and apparently unwilling or unable to make common cause with others who are also outside the pale), the people who handed Clinton a decisive victory in West Virginia have been stripped of so much social currency over the last few decades that you wonder if a new racial category—called “off-white” perhaps?—is about to emerge.

How else to explain the air of irrelevance that swirled around the primary? Granted, no one expected a nailbiter, but watching the media coverage, most notably the news clips in which one voter admitted to being “sort of scared of the other race” and another cavalierly insisted Obama was a Muslim, was to feel like the whole state had been written off as one big trailer park through which Clinton would take a final joy ride.

Some of that dismissiveness may be the result of the near-impossibility of Clinton getting the nomination. But it also may be a reflection of the way that, in the last 50 years, white people without college educations have gone from being the most dominant segment of American society to the most ignored.

A recent Brookings Institution paper on the decline of the white working class points out that in 1940, whites without a four-year college degree represented 86 percent of the over-25 population. Last year, they accounted for less than half. Moreover, in 1947, 86 percent of American families were white and earning (in 2005 dollars) less than $60,000 a year. By 2005, such families comprised only 33 percent.

But in addition to their dwindling demographic presence and their diminished status, these people constantly battle another head wind: culturally sanctioned mockery. Unprotected by the political correctness that makes deriding other minorities unacceptable or at least uncool, poor whites are often regarded not as people but as mullet-sporting, mobile-home-dwelling vessels of kitsch.

West Virginia had too few delegates at stake to matter much. Still, it’s been easy to get the feeling that some people, particularly those in the Stuff White People Like demographic, have concluded that the place is so backward it doesn’t matter at all.

The problem is, voters like those in West Virginia don’t see it that way. They may represent a shrinking demographic, but, as all the campaigns know, there are still enough of them that they can’t be ignored. The catch is that in an election in which race plays such a prominent role, the greatest tension may not be between black and white but white and off-white.

Meghan Daum is an essayist and novelist in Los Angeles.

5492: Boone On Board.

WPP’s Project Da Vinci finally lived up to its “new kind of marketing organization” hype by passing on the usual suspects—old White guys, that is—when selecting the CEO. Given all the criticism the enterprise has already received, the man will definitely have his hands full. At least no one can blame him for the potential agency name of Synarchy. Congratulations and good luck to Torrence Boone. Here’s what AdAge.com reported…

WPP Names CEO for Dell Shop
Former Digitas President Torrence Boone Will Head New Global Agency

By Rupal Parekh

NEW YORK -- After months of speculation, WPP said today it has named Torrence Boone, former president of Digitas, Boston, CEO of the global agency it is building from the ground up to service its first client, Dell.

“The opportunity to play a leadership role in the creation of a new agency, built to spec, with an ambition to redefine the client-agency relationship, comes along perhaps once in a lifetime,” Mr. Boone said in a statement. “I’m thoroughly excited about Project Da Vinci’s prospects and look forward to working with an exceptionally talented team to tackle the marketing challenges of Dell and other clients in today's dramatically changed media, marketing and customer landscape.”

Mr. Boone, 38, who declined to grant an interview today, comes to the start-up venture after several years at Digitas, which he joined in 2001. He previously served as VP-general manager at interactive shop Avenue A. Earlier, Mr. Boone, who holds an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School, was a senior manager at Bain & Co., where he focused on the health-care/pharmaceuticals and consumer-products areas.

He will officially take the reigns in early June, will be based in the agency’s New York headquarters and will report directly to WPP Group Chief Executive Martin Sorrell.

‘A new kind of marketing organization’
“The goal from the start was to design and build a new kind of marketing organization that not only provides unique solutions for Dell, but meets other clients’ marketing needs and does so using developments in technology to guide and measure its marketing decisions,” Mr. Sorrell said in a statement. “Torrence is ideally suited to this critically important leadership role. His deep experience across multiple marketing disciplines and his reputation as a developer of innovative marketing programs make him uniquely qualified to lead Project Da Vinci as we focus on reinventing the approach for integrated marketing services. We believe that Project Da Vinci will provide a template for other clients with similar desires.”

Mr. Boone’s appointment is long-awaited; it has been nearly five months since WPP was handed Dell’s three-year, $4.5 billion marketing contract, with the understanding that the holding company would build it a custom-made global agency network.

In his new role, Mr. Boone will be responsible for an agency with hubs in four U.S. cities, as well as London, Beijing, Singapore and Sao Paolo, and a staff of 1,000 or more staff globally. He will also have the help of a leadership team assembled ahead of his arrival. It includes Valerie Hausladen, managing director, Austin office; Kelly McGinnis, chief corporate communications officer; Matt Rayner, chief media officer; Jack Reynolds, chief talent officer; John Roulston-Bates, chief technology officer; Joe Scangamor, chief operating officer and chief financial officer; Ken Segall, chief creative officer; Stephen Sonnenfeld, president, consumer-solutions group; and Jeffrey Wilks, president, business-solutions group.

With a CEO in place, Da Vinci will focus on, among other things, establishing a new name and identity, which it expects to introduce soon.

5491: Don’t Ask.

Ask John Lee Why He Loves His BlackBerry. As the copy shows, John and his wife publish THEME magazine. And this ad ran in—you guessed it—THEME magazine.

5490: CEO 2 CEO.

The Spring 2008 issue of Black MBA—The Official Magazine of the National Black MBA Association—featured an interview between NBMBAA President and CEO Barbara L. Thomas and Starcom Mediavest Group CEO Renetta McCann. Topics of conversation included the much-ballyhooed SMG study on Blacks and diversity in the advertising industry. Download a pdf of the interview here or simply click on the images.

5489: SuperBlog.

One Diverse Comic Book Nation is a blog dedicated to exploring the diversity or lack of diversity in comics. ‘Nuff said. Check it out.

5488: Obesity And Fat Cats.

Junk food and garbage talk in a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on the growing health crisis among poor people in America, where high food costs lead to undernourishment and obesity. “The food crisis will make obesity and attendant diabetes even more rampant,” said a University of Washington epidemiologist. “Fruits, vegetables and fish are becoming luxury goods completely out of reach of many people. Consumption of cheap food will only grow. … Obesity is the toxic consequence of a failing economy.” Mickey D’s will probably introduce a new Southern Style McToxic Chicken sandwich.

• Mickey D’s CEO Jim Skinner criticized regulatory efforts to mandate calorie information on restaurant menus. Calling the proposed regulations “redundant and flawed,” Skinner rambled on to call activists “professional naysayers” and “CAVE people—Citizens Against Virtually Everything.” Given the crisis detailed in The Philadelphia Inquirer story, Skinner ought to consider venturing outside of his Ivory Cave.

5487: Ching, Chong And Little Change.

To commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, it seems appropriate to note the debate ignited by Chicago Sun-Times advertising columnist Lewis Lazare. The writer recently criticized a new commercial for Quiznos starring an Asian American woman working at a Laundromat. Created by Cliff Freeman Advertising, it can be viewed at the Quiznos website. In the spot, the old woman eats a $5 bill; plus, she appears to be in the throes of dementia as she gazes adoringly at her Quiznos sandwich.

“Cliff Freeman takes sandwich war too far by demeaning Asian Americans,” read Lazare’s headline. “To say the commercial insults Asian Americans is a massive understatement.”

A few days later, Lazare published the following reactions to his perspective:

You are right about the Quiznos spot. The Six Flags ad is even more stupid and offensive to Asian Americans. —Mike Kocher

I thought the commercial was an attempt to be funny. You review the same type of ads with young white guys doing stupid antics and don’t mention anyone being insulted. Can’t Asian Americans act stupid to get laughs? —Michael Schimp

I strongly feel the Quiznos ad is insulting, and I’m not Asian. It is really a stupid way to try and get people to buy their brand. —Kathy Repak

Are you Asian American? I wonder how do you know what offends someone else? (I work in a Chinese restaurant, where they slurp their soups and drink loudly without concern—offensive to you or me perhaps, but not to them.) Would you have said the same thing if the actress in question were Caucasian? Probably not. You see a woman of Asian descent. I see a woman. —Lou Lohman

How is the Quiznos ad an insult to Asian Americans? Are they, like the handicapped, not to be made fun of? Are they sacred and therefore not to be displayed in any light less than reverent? Would the ad be acceptable with a white woman? —Michael Curley

Thank you for your opinion piece on the Quiznos ad. I was so shocked when I saw it on television. Somehow, Asian Americans are always portrayed as crazy on television. —Jack Song

While I am not Asian, I think there is still a big difference between funny and offensive. This was funny! —Roger Kelner

I wondered how long it would take for someone to blow the whistle on Quiznos’ obnoxious—and blatantly racist—television ad that pulls its laugh at the expense of a poor old mama-san. —Mary Shen Barnidge

How is this a demeaning commercial? They were able to hire an Asian to do the spot, so it can’t be that bad. My girlfriend is Asian, and she finds the commercial funny. You need to loosen the bow tie and find your funny bone. This ad may not bring more customers into Quiznos, but it may give normal folk a good chuckle. Learn to lighten up. —Chris Murphy

Don’t mean to sound jaded like a dragon, but these debates have become so predictable—plus a pathetic portrait of the culturally clueless characters in the advertising industry and beyond.

It’s almost as if these racial respondents materialize on cue to hit their marks, dropping statements which have become as stereotypical as the imagery that inspires them. From the person who wonders why no one takes offense when Whites are portrayed as stupid to the Chinese restaurant worker allegedly witnessing heathen behavior to the dude with an amused Asian girlfriend to the attacker of political correctness griping that we all need to lighten up (hey, no Freudian slip there), the discussions on these topics reveal a true lack of progress in society at large.

On the multicultural marketing totem pole, Asian advertising agencies in the U.S. are still positioned far below their already-disrespected Latino and Black peers. Which means the overwhelming majority of Asian depictions in commercials and print are coming from the White ad shops. Granted, Asian Americans are starting to make positive appearances in advertising and media. Perhaps it’s partly because the White shops feel more comfortable integrating the “model minority” into messages. Or maybe it’s an offshoot of the popularity of Lucy Liu, Jet Li, Jackie Chan and kung fu movies. Whatever.

But it’s hard to deny the history of representations indicating adfolks consider people of Asian descent to be loud, bizarre, Sumo wrestling, Zen-speaking Laundromat owners inclined to eat anything.

5486: Don’t Monkey Around.

This ad’s headline is enlightening and accurate, based on the true stories here, here, here and here.

5485: Julie Roberts, Asian Sensation?

This ad is probably not celebrating Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. But it’s tough to see the connection between the product and promotion.

5484: A Case Against Multicultural Ads.

What’s worse than this inane commercial? Seeing identically inane Caucasian and Latino versions.

5483: NAACP Gets Jealous.

From The Associated Press…

NAACP picks young activist as its new president

The Associated Press

The NAACP board of directors has chosen Ben Jealous, a 35-year-old former news executive and lifelong activist, as the organization’s next president and the youngest in its 99-year history.

The 64-member board met and voted in Baltimore and plans to formally announce its decision on Saturday at a noon press conference.

NAACP national spokesman Richard J. McIntire confirmed the vote with The Associated Press early Saturday after the 8-hour closed door meeting.

Though he is not a politician, minister or civil rights icon, in Jealous the organization gets a young but connected leader familiar with black leadership and social justice issues. He takes the helm as the NAACP’s 17th president just months before the organization’s centennial anniversary, as the group grapples with dwindling membership and looks to boost its coffers.

“There are a small number of groups to whom all black people in this country owe a debt of gratitude, and the NAACP is one of them,” Jealous told The Associated Press in a telephone interview before the vote. “There is work that is undone … the need continues and our children continue to be at great risk in this country.”

Jealous succeeds Bruce Gordon, who resigned abruptly in March 2007. Gordon left after 19 months, citing clashes with board members over management style and the NAACP’s mission as his reasons for leaving. Dennis Courtland Hayes had been serving as interim president and chief executive officer.

Jealous was born in Pacific Grove, Calif., and educated at Columbia University and Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar.

He has worked as a community organizer for the NAACP; as managing editor of a black newspaper in Mississippi; executive director of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the country’s largest group of black community newspapers; and as director of Amnesty International’s U.S. Human Rights Program.

Since 2005, Jealous has served as president of the San Francisco-based Rosenberg Foundation, a private institution that supports civil and human rights advocacy.

Despite his own successes, Jealous said blacks in America still have a hard row to hoe, and that the gains of recent decades have created a false sense of progress.

“Those of us who are 45 and younger were told, ‘The struggle has been won. Go out and flourish. Don’t worry about the movement,’” he said.

The NAACP was founded in 1909 by an interracial coalition who battled segregation and lynching and helped win some of the nation's biggest civil rights victories. But in the wake of racial advances, membership has dwindled and the organization has run a deficit.

Jealous said having the energy of a 35-year-old will be an asset to the organization.

“It means having somebody who is impatient and outraged that race is still a factor in our society,” he said.

His plans for the group include ensuring high voter turnout among blacks in the November election and pushing civil rights.

Jealous said he is eager to work with similar groups to push his agenda.

“This is the century when white people will become a minority in this country,” he said. “What that means is right now, we need to have a clear picture of where we’re headed and work together diligently with Latinos, Native Americans, Asians and progressive white groups as if our collective future depends on it. I’m committed to that.”

Learn more here.

5482: April Showers Bring APAHM.

From The Big Tent at AdAge.com…

May Is Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
Who Knew? So Here’s What You Can do to Celebrate

By Bill Imada

It’s May and it’s time to commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Is it just my imagination or are most of you advertising folks forgetting to remember the myriad of contributions made by Asian and Pacific Islander Americans? Maybe some of you just aren’t aware that May is more than just Cinco de Mayo and Memorial Day weekend.

But I digress. Back to Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

At one time, Asian Pacific Americans only had a weeklong celebration. The Honorable Norman Y. Mineta -- former congressional leader, cabinet member (under Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush) and currently vice chairman of Hill & Knowlton -- teamed up with former Congressman Frank Horton to designate the first 10 days in May as Asian/Pacific Heritage Week. After the legislation passed through the House of Representatives, Sens. Daniel K. Inouye and the late Spark Matsunaga introduced a similar piece of legislation through the U.S. Senate which helped establish the weeklong commemoration. On Oct. 5, 1978, President Jimmy Carter signed a joint resolution of the House of Representatives and Senate designating Asian/Pacific Heritage Week as a national celebration. In 1990 the celebration was extended when President George H. W. Bush designated May as Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

May was selected to recognize Asian and Pacific Islander Americans because in the same month back in 1869, the transcontinental railroad was completed by a workforce comprised largely of Chinese immigrants. May also marked the arrival of the first wave of immigrants from Japan back in 1843.

Most Pan-Asian communities around the country celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month by holding special-recognition dinners, street festivals, symposiums, conferences, poster/essay contents, Asian-inspired film festivals, and employee-sponsored cultural events at the offices of major corporations. Some recognize the contributions of employees, vendors and executives who are of APA heritage.

So what can you do to be part of this month-long celebration?

1. Encourage, empower and engage employees of all backgrounds and cultures to learn more about Asian and Pacific Islander American culture by supporting and participating in community-sponsored conferences, panel discussions and symposiums. If none are available nearby, begin a dialogue with your own employees and co-workers.

2. Identify, recruit and invite speakers from local and national Asian and Pacific Islander-American communities to speak to your company/agency about some of the important topics that impact these communities from a community, business, advertising and marketing point of view.

3. Sponsor and actively participate in programs that commemorate the many achievements made by Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, including employees, customers, and civic leaders.

4. Recognize and celebrate the diversity of the Asian and Pacific Islander-American community by creating a program or event that highlights the rich diversity of these consumers, co-workers, and clients, and the common values they share with all other Americans.

5. Ensure that the spirit of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is retained above and beyond just the month of May.

But the most important way that all companies and agencies can commemorate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month is by recognizing their own employees for their contributions, active engagement and achievements, regardless if they are big or small. So please take time to stop, think and ask: Why don’t I know more about that acquaintance, colleague, client or new neighbor who moved down the street and just happens to be of Asian or Pacific Islander heritage? Then do something about it.

Here are a couple of photographs. The first is from the first-ever South Asian Excellence Awards presented by Sony Entertainment Television/Asia and sponsored by a number of major corporations including Wal-Mart Stores/Sam’s Club, Nationwide Insurance, Air India, and Western Union. Proceeds from the event are being donated to the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund. The second is from the 42nd Anniversary Gala for East West Players, the oldest Asian theater organization in the U.S.


South Asian Excellence Awards Gala -- May 10
Waldorf-Astoria, New York
L-R: Nationwide VP of Market Development & Diversity Tariq Khan; Sanjaya Malakar; Wal-Mart Stores SVP of Finance & Strategy Michael Fung; McDonald’s Asian Owner/Operator Wai-Ling Eng.)


East-West Players Gala -- April 28
Universal Hilton Hotel, Universal City, Calif.
L-R: East West Players Producing Artistic Director Tim Dang; Southern California VP of Customer Service and Programs Erwin Furukawa; Southern California Edison Director of Corp Communications Stephen Gale.

5481: Looking Fuelish.

This guy doesn’t need fuel for life—he just needs functional suspenders for his trousers.

5480: No Noose Is Good Noose.

Hanging out with a MultiCultClassics Monologue…

• New York has officially outlawed displaying nooses as threats, as Governor David Paterson signed a new law on Thursday. “It is sad that in these modern times there remains a need to address the problem of individuals who use nooses as a means of threat and intimidation,” stated Paterson. “But it is a reality, and if we ignore it we would be derelict in our duty.” Start spreading the noose.

• JC Penney saw its 1Q profits drop 50 percent. “It is obviously a very difficult time for all U.S. consumers,” said the retailer’s chairman and chief executive. “They’re facing uncertainty in their financial well-being.” Plus, they think JC Penney sucks.

• The jury is complete for the R. Kelly child-pornography trial, with the final group comprised of 8 men and 4 women—of which 8 are White and 4 are Black. Kelly’s lawyers argued about the numbers, charging the prosecutors with deliberately removing Black jurors. The prosecutors shot back that Kelly’s lawyers had nixed potential White jurors. Latinos, Asian Americans and Native Americans will probably hold a protest soon.

5479: It’s Da Bomb.

Is this really the best way to attract recruits?