Session With Obama Closes UNITY '08 Conference

28 Jul 2008 04:12 Africa/Lagos

Session With Obama Closes UNITY '08 Conference

CHICAGO, July 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

Sen. Barack Obama told an audience of more than 2,500 journalists of color that actions speak louder than words when it comes to addressing past mistreatment of communities of color in the United States.


(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080723/UNITYLOGO )


Obama was the closing speaker at UNITY '08, the five-day, quadrennial conference that brought together more than 7,000 members from the four largest ethnic journalism associations in the United States.


"We were pleased to have Sen. Obama speak to our members," said UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. "It is important that the issues of diversity and fair and accurate coverage of communities of color be part of the discussion in choosing the next president of the United States."


During the UNITY Presidential Candidate Forum that was sponsored by CNN and TIME Magazine, and aired live over CNN, Obama was asked whether he would push for a formal U.S. apology to Native Americans for the treatment they have received in the United States.


"I think the U.S. government should not just offer words, but should offer better schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed," said Obama.


Obama was the only announced candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election to speak at this year's conference. Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain had been invited to address conference attendees, but campaign officials declined citing scheduling conflicts. During the 2004 UNITY conference, both the Democratic candidate John Kerry and Republican President George Bush made formal appearances at UNITY.


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Source: UNITY

CONTACT: Rahnesha White, UNITY Communications Manager, +1-703-854-3587,
rwhite@unityjournalists.org


Web site: http://www.unityjournalists.org/