Business Focus
Briefs
Black Chamber will meet Feb. 18
The Winston-Salem Black Chamber of Commerce will
meet Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. at the Hew itt Business Center, 1001
S. Marshall. Street In commemoration of Black History
Month. Dr. Winston Bell of Winston-Salem State Univer
sity w ill be the guest speaker and James Huff, artist, will
spotlight his business.
The meeting is free and open to the public. For more
information, contact Miriam McCarter, president, at 724
0334.
International association recognizes
Walker, town clerk of Lewisville
Joyce M. Walker, tow n clerk of Lewisville. has been
awarded the prestigious designation of certified municipal
clerk (CMC'i from the International Institute of Municipal
Clerks (11MC) for achieving its high educational, experi
ence and serv ice requirements.
Walker has been employed with the town of Lewisville
since 1996. serving as receptionist before appointment to
her current position of town clerk in October 2000.
She attained her designation as certified municipal
clerk through completion of the IIMC-approved Municipal
Clerks Institute Program conducted by the Institute of Gov
ernment. University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. This
program provides more than 100 student/instructor contact
hours of in-depth courses in managerial and leadership
skills, sixtial and interpersonal concerns, and technical
training needed to deal with changes taking place in gov
ernment today.
She has attended courses and seminars sponsored by he
International Institute of Municipal Clerks, N.C. Depart
ment of Labor. N.C. Technology Transfer Center, Institute
of Government, Forsyth Technical Community College,
C&P Telephone. Bell Atlantic and Sperry.
Active in professional affiliations, she is a member of
the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, N.C. Asso
ciation of Municipal Clerks, N.C. Association of Local
Governmental Employee Safety and Carolina Association
of Government Purchasers.
Walker has been a member of the International Institute
of Municipal Clerks since July 1999. She joins 222 active
municipal clerks from North Carolina who currently hold
the designation of certified municipal clerk.
The unique certification program of IIMC was
launched in 1970, climaxing a decade of planning. The
program aids municipal clerks and deputy clerks in
improving job performance and recognizes the profession
alization of the municipal clerk's office.
Winston-Salem Chamber
of Commerce wins award
The Greater Winston-Salem Chamber of Commerce
has been selected the 2003 Friend of Education Award win
ner by the N.C. Association for Supervision and Curricu
lum Development (NCASCD).
The announcement will be made at 9 a.m. today in the
Callow ay-Oakley Ballroom of the Pinehurst Hotel Confer
ence Center in Pinehurst.
Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools nominated the
Chamber of Commerce for the award.
The Friend of Education Award is presented annually
to a person, agency or corporation that has made significant
contributions in education through visionary and commit
ted leadership. The Winston-Salem Chamber was selected
for this prestigious award for its dedication to the Touched
by Technology Campaign, leadership in the 2001 school
bond referendum, and the corporate volunteers program in
the local public schools. The Chamber of Commerce-initi
ated Touched by Technology campaign raised more than
$8 million to support the effort to infuse technology in the
classroom and close the achievement gap.
The Chamber of Commerce also played an instrumen
tal organizational role in the 2001 Winston-Salem/Forsyth
County school bond campaign, which yielded $150 million
in improvements to the school system. $15 million of
which was dedicated to improve the use of technology in
schools. In partnership with Winslon-Salem/Forsyth Coun
ty Schools, the Charpber of Commerce recniits. organizes
and energizes hundreds of corporate volunteers in working
w ith at-risk schoolchildren.
Hip-hop design firm offers help
to minority entrepreneurs
DAYTON, Ohio - A hip-hop graphic design firm
extends help to minority-owned startup businesses.
Help includes a small business tool kit and provid
ing a listing of free Web applications.
Cypher Signature Design Group (CSDG), a new
media design firm specializing in the hip-hop and
urban music industries, is offering free small busi
ness assistance targeting minority business owners.
CSDG provides entrepreneurs high-quality new
media design services, which include Web design, e
commerce development, CD layouts, and custom
projects,
CSDG was founded in September 2000 by Rhon
da Winn, a graphic artist, who was only 22 years old
at the time. CSDG's new small business tool kit,
called the CSDG Small Biz Guidebook, offers a
unique perspective on starting and managing a new
business. It includes more than 75 pages or tips and
research. The kit also includes a CD-ROM and addi
tional specialized information for record and clott
ing labels, retailers^nd otter populat ?art up-fcM-;
nesses. Registered users are offered a chance 19 wtti
the business tool kit for free, and it Is inchidttl Mr
free with any new CSDG design project.
CSDG is also offering a free listing on UrbanEn
try.com, an online music store that features urban
music. The site will launch in the spring of 2003,
and artists are encouraged to sign up now. indepen
dent labels and artists can visit cypherSDG.com for
more information.
For more information, visit www cyphcrsdg.com
or contact a representative at info@cyphersdg.com
Call put out to boycott Pepsi products
DI uccr11 nnjcLH
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK - Hip-hop
mogul Russell Simmons and
the Hip-Hop Summit Action
Network said an economic
boycott of Pepsi would start
next week unless the compa
ny runs an ad featuring the
rapper Ludacris that was
pulled last year.
"Falling out of favor in
the hip-hop community could
be very damaging," Sim
mons said recently. He also
wants Pepsi to issue an apol
ogy and donate $5 million to
his charity organization.
Pepsi yanked the
Ludacris ad in August, a day
after Fox News Channel's
Bill O'Reilly ran a segment
criticizing the company for
using the rapper. O'Reilly
questioned Ludacns' appro
priateness as a spokesman
based on his song lyrics.
Ludacns is on the Def
Jam label, which Simmons
founded. His 2001 album
"Word of Mouf" includes the
song "Move Bitch," one of
his biggest hits.
At a news conference,
Simmons said he didn't have
a problem with Pepsi's deci
sion at the time and that it
was Pepsi's right to pull the
commercial. But he objected
when he saw an ad for Pepsi
Twist during the Super Bowl
that featured the Osbournes,
whose MTV show is filled
with audio bleeps to block
foul language.
?"They are being hypocrit
ical in this case." Simmons
said.
Pepsi spokesman Larry
Jabbonsky issued a statement
saying, "The Ludacris situa
tion was unfortunate for all
concerned. We learned from
it. and we moved on. We
completely understand and
respect Russell Simmons'
passion for promoting hip
hop music, and we are work
ing with him and others to do
just that."
Jabbonsky had no com
ment when asked about
Pepsi's * reaction to the
prospect of a boycott.
Simmons said the boy
cott. which would start this
week, would apply to Pepsi
and its subsidiary companies,
whose products include
Mountain Dew, Aquafina
water and Lipton's Iced Tea.
"In hip-hop." he said,
"our idea is if you don't want
us, we don't want you."
Ludacris
Top firms say
affirmative action
yields better recruits
BY ANNE GEARAN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON
Dozens of big companies are
backing the University of
Michigan and its affirmative
action policy before the
Supreme Court, saying such
programs help produce better
workers of all races and eth
nic backgrounds.
The University of Michi
gan case is the most signifi
cant affirmative action case to
reach the court in decades. At
issue is whether racial prefer
ence programs unconstitu
tionally discriminate against
white students.
Microsoft, Intel, American
Airlines, Proctor & Gamble,
Eastman Kodak and PepsiCo
are among more than 40 For
tune 500 companies siding
with the University of Michi
gan.
"If you're going to be a
global company and you're
going to attract and retain the
best people, then the mirror
you have to present is that
you're a very diverse compa
ny," said James Hackett,
CEO of Steelcase Corp., the
top-selling office furniture
company in the world.
Other corporations say
racially and ethnically mixed
workers help sell products at
home and abroad, and that
whites entering a diverse
working world benefit from
time spent in the classroom
with students of other races
and backgrounds.
"It makes all the business
sense in the world. We sell
vehicles in every corner of
the globe," and want employ
ees who look like and under
stand other cultures, said Edd
Snyder, spokesman for Gen
eral Motors. "Where do you
get that employee base? From
universities and colleges."
The companies' position
is at odds with President Bush
and many Republican and
consexvative lawyers and
activists.
"His leadership is out
standing. but I .disagree with
him," Hackett . said. "The
notion of linking the issue of
affirmative action to colleges
having the right to admissions
discretion - I don't think
that's a link that needs to be
made."
The companies' Supreme
Court brief supporting the
university is due later this
month. Numerous labor, civil
rights and liberal legal groups
also are expected to file briefs
supporting the school.
The Supreme Court is
using plans devised by Michi
gan's premier public universi
ty to revisit an opaque 1978
ruling that eliminated racial
quotas in university admis
sions but left room for race to
be considered alongside other
factors.
See Firms on A9
File Photo
Top firms are siding with the University of Michigan affirmative action
policy. They say such policies are good for future employees.
Lawsuit
accuses
carmaker of
racial bias
D T CRIL riULCK
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHICAGO - A lawsuit filed last
week accuses DaimlerChrysler's financ
ing subsidiary of denying credit to black
applicants on the basis of their race and
where they lived.
"Chrysler Finance has decided they
don't want to finance cars purchased by
black people," said Steve Berman, the
plaintiffs' attorney.
The lawsuit, filed on behalf of six
Chicago-area residents but seeking
class-action status, also charges that the
subsidiary unlawfully repossessed vehi
cles from 70 black customers who
teceived credit.
The plaintiffs claim Auburn Hills,
Mich.-based DaimlerChrysler and a sub
sidiary. Chrysler Financial Co.. tolerated
racist practices.
James Ryan, spokesman for Daimler
Chrysler Services North America, said.
"We are confident that our credit evalua
tion process treats all applicants fairly
1 and lawfully."
See Suit on AC I
Black actors featured in 'Oscar'ads
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICI I
Lincoln, a luxury automo
bile company, and lifestyle
magazine Savoy teamed up
once again to spotlight
African-American achieve
ment in Hollywood. Recently,
they gathered some of the best
and brightest talents in film at
a photo shoot for a magazine
insert in Hollywood.
The insert, scheduled for
release in April 2003, will fea
ture the Lincoln line of vehi
cles with actors, screenwrit
ers, producers and directors
now considered among the
power elite of Hollywood;
they are those that have "trav
eled well," "arrived" in Holly
wood.
Plans are to officially
unveil the photos at the star
studded annual Savoy Pre
Oscar party in Hollywood on
March 22. They will bj fea
tured as inserts in the April
2003 editions of Savoy, Heart
& Soul and Honey magazines.
The photos will showcase Lin
coln vehicles and celebrities:
? Mekhi Phifer - actor.
Film credits include "8 Mile"
(2002). "Imposter" (2002),
"O" (2000), "Soul Food"
(1997), "Clockers" (1995).
TV credits include "ER"
(2002, 2003/2004 seasons)
? George Tillman Jr. -
director, producer, screen
writer. Credits include "Bar
bershop" (2002). "Movies
With Soul - 2 Pak" (2002),
"Men of Honor" (2000), "Soul
Food" (1997).
? Robinne Lee - actress.
Credits include "National
Security" (2003), "Deliver Us
From Eva" (2003), "Have
Plenty" (1998).
? Regina Hall - actress.
Credits include "The Other
Brother" (2002), "Paid in
Full" (2002), "Scary Movie 2"
(2001), "Scary Movie"
(2000).
? Reggie Rock Bythewood
- director, screenwriter. Film
credits include "Biker Boyz"
(2003), "Cradle 2 the Grave"
(2003), "Dancing in Septem
ber" (2001), "Get on the Bus"
(1996).
? Gina Prince-Bythewood
- director, screenwriter. Film
credits include "Biker Boyz"
(2003), "Drumline" (2002),
"Love and Basketball" (2000).
This marks Lincoln's
fourth year in spotlighting
African-American successes
in filmed entertainment. Lin
coln celebrated the contribu
tions and accomplishments of
legendary producer Suzanne
de Passe and mega-star
Samuel L. Jackson at the 2002
Lincoln-Savoy Pre-Oscar
party and continues to be a
leading sponsor of the annual *
American Black Film Festi
val.
y>
Lincoln's Baokim Coleman (from left)/ actor Mekhi Phifer, Lin
coln's Christina Francis and Vanguarde Media's Len Burnett
pose in front of a 2003 Lincoln Navigator.