News Briefs r? ?^???????????^???? j.NAACP sets ! nonviolence day S: ; NAACP President/CEO K w c i s i I Mfume and ! ;N a t i o n a 1 ; Youth & II o -1 1 e g e ? Director the I Rev. Jamal I H a r r i s o n ; Bryant have I called for a 1N a t i o n a 1 Day of Non Violence Mfum* April 4, the 31st anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., to encourage young people around the nation to take a stand against the vio lence that is plaguing America's communities. '? "On this day, it is our hope and our dream that no young person is shot, no woman is hit, no youngster killed and no hate crimes committed," Bryant said. "We want the youth of this nation to say enough is enough. It is time to stop the violence and start the love." Programs have already been scheduled in Dallas, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; Oakland, Calif.; and Baltimore, Md, Control returned to DC mayor President Bill Clinton recent ly signed the District of Colum bia Management Restoration Bill of 1999, which will return the authority of Washington, D.C.'s nine largest agencies to the mayor. "This is a new day in Wash ington," said Mayor Anthony Williams. "President Clinton's signature on this bill is yet another tangible demonstration in the belief that elected officials in the District of Columbia have what it takes to run the city." The bill repealed the Fair cloth attachment to t(ie District of Columbia Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, which ceded con trol of the management of the agencies to the D.C.. Financial Responsibility and Management Assistance Authority, also known as the Control Board. Jackson opens Chicago Wall Street Office Making good on his promise to escalate his national fight for corporate inclusion for minorities, the Rev. Jesse Jackson recently opened his Rainbow Push Cpali tion LaSalle Street Pro ject office in .Chicago. During a press conference, Jack son said, "In the ghettos, there is no talent deficit. There's an opportunity deficit. When minority talent goes untapped, undeserved communities to fail to' prosper, but corporations also curtail their growth and profits." "The mission of the project is to have inclusion in corporate America in all ranks," said Darice Wright, executive direc tor of the office. - The Chicago Defender .) . Mohammed, younger Farrakhan worship together Imam Warith Deen Mohammed, a son of the Hon orable Elijah Muhammad and a prominent leader in the Muslim world, was embraced by Mustapha Farrakhan, son of Minister Louis Farrakhan, dur ing the Nation of Islam's annu al Saviour's Day in Chicago. The Imam attended at the special ipvitation of Minister Far rakhan in an effort to continue the process of resolving differ ences between the communities of followers of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad since 197S. "I couldn't resist coming here knowing that [The Nation of Islam] was observing this day. I haven't lost my friendship with Minister Farrakhan," said Muhammad, adding that the day is coming when he and Minister Farrakhan will be one. "Allah knew that we would have our differences) but Allah knew that in time we would set tle our differences and become one community, and one nation," Ishmael Muhammad, the assistant minister of Mosque Maryam and a son of Elijah Muhammad, told the congrega tion of Muslims. - James Muhammad Asia to invest in African TOKYO (IPS) - It opens on April Fool's Day, but Asia's first official information center' on investment in Afrjca is no joke. Aimed at promoting trade between Asia and Africa, the still unnamed center is expected to stimulate Asian business interest in more African coun tries. This despite the current economic crisis in Asia, which has seen business slowing down on this side of the world. "There are many small Asian companies that might want to invest in an African country but cannot do so for lack of exper tise and information on joint ventures,""says an optimistic foreign ministry official who declines to be named. "The cen ter will fulfill this role." According to the official, the center, which will have a site on the Internet as well as host workshops and seminars, was the "result of strong urging from African officials, aid organiza I ? tions and Asian governments." Economists say the prospects of Japanese investment in Africa are not promising because com panies are more bent on keeping money at home rather than expanding overseas. They say that Japan is hoping other Asian countries will be able to help Africa despite their own trou bles. - Suvendrini Kakuchi Meningitis strikes African city KHARTOUM, Sudan (IPS) In response to an outbreak of meningitis that is claiming an average of 30 lives a day in the capital city of Khartoum, a door-to-door meningitis vacci nation campaign has been coor dinated by a group of police officers, students and non-gov ernmental organizations accord ing to Sudanese health officials. Dr. Bashir Mukthar, a senior official at the Ministry of Health, said that about 140 peo ple have died of the disease since the outbreak began in February. Unconfirmed reports, however, say the figure could be upwards of 1,000. The death toll is espe cially high in the shanty towns of Khartoum where more than three million displaced by the civil war in southern Sudan live. The disease also has hit western Sudan's northern Darfur state, on the border with Chad. Meningitis, an inflammation of ? the brain or the spinal cord due to infection by viruses or bacte ria, is common in tropical zones. The disease, whose spread is aggravated by high temperatures and overcrowding, causes an intense headache, fever, loss of appetite, intolerance to light and sound, and rigidity of muscles, especially those in the neck. - Nhial Bol a . Florida battleground for minority issues ;py JOHN PACENTI -THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MIAMI - Florida looks like e corrected. A poll he commis * isioned within the last three weeks Ahows go percent of Floridians i " believe college admissions and the awarding of state contracts should be color blind. A member of the University of California Board of Regents, Con nerly helped lead successful initia tives to end racial preferences in California and Washington state. He also considered Nebraska and Colorado for his initiative push. A bill pending in the Arizona Legis lature mimics his initiatives. He first approached Florida with the proposal in January, meeting then with Gov. Jeb Bush. When Bush and other Republicans balked, he considered going to Nebraska or Colorado but felt Florida would give the cause more national publicity. Connerly would need to gather 435,073 signatures to put the mea sure on the Florida ballot. He said he might submit an ini tiative proposal for approval by the state Supreme Court as early as May. If the court rejects it, he could draft an alternative in time for either the 2000 or 2002 elec tions, he said. In California, Connerly had the support of Republican Gov. Pete Wilson. But Bush, who m You Built This Business From The Ground Up. Now You Can Take It To The Next Level. 1 i> G*t there today with a , Whether your business needs additional machinery, a truck, or new computers,' we're here for you. At NationsBank, we understand the specialized needs of small businesses. 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