PRESS RELEASE

Media Contact:
Carmen Carter
 (248) 910-6527 cell

For Immediate Release         

 Local/National Dignitaries Come Together Freedom Weekend
to Address Affirmative Action at Labor Leaders Summit

Detroit, MI -- April 24, 2006 -- the Freedom Institute is proud to announce the participants for its Annual Labor Leaders Summit to take place during Freedom Weekend V, Friday, April 28. The all day summit will take place at Cobo Hall Conference Center, downtown Detroit, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.  

Larry Smith, Director of Civil Rights for the UAW, said, “We are hoping to educate all labor unions on the importance of winning the [Affirmative Action] ballot proposal in November. And the most effective way of doing this is to educate … most importantly to vote this proposal down!”

In addition to affirmative action, it is Smith’s objective to touch heavily on the issue of segregation. “Michigan is one of the most segregated states in the country, and so are our school systems.” 

Some of the highlighted keynote speakers include the Honorable Jennifer Granholm, Governor - State of Michigan; Attorney Anthony Adams, Deputy Mayor - City of Detroit; Rev. Joseph Lowery, President Emeritus - Southern Christian Leadership Council (SCLC); and Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., President and Founder - Rainbow Push Coalition.

Plenary Session I: Affirmative Action Panelists include:

Wade Henderson, Executive Director, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR); Dave Hecker, President, American Federation of Teachers, (AFT) Michigan; Irene Orozco, Director of Civil Rights & Community Action Program, (UFCW); Trish Stein, Executive Director, One United Michigan “Affirmative Action Worker to Worker Campaign”; Ying Gee, Ed.D, Int’l Rep, UAW Civil Rights Department, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA).

The luncheon begins at 12 p.m. and the awards presentations will take place at 1:30 p.m. in room W-154.

Plenary Session II: Segregation Panelists include:

Shirley Stancato, President and CEO, New Detroit, Inc.; Kurt Metzger, Director, Research United Way of Southeastern Michigan; and Heaster Wheeler, Executive Director, Detroit Branch NAACP.

For ticket information or additional information about the Labor Leaders Summit please contact the Freedom Institute at 313-533-5053 or visit the web site at www.Freeinst.org.

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