CBC FOUNDATION CONGRESSIONAL FELLOWSHIP
PROGRAM TO BEGIN POLICY ISSUE FORUMS

WASHINGTON – The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Congressional Fellowship Program today announced its 2008 series of public-policy forums, with the first set for Thursday, March 6, 2008, at 12:30 p.m. in Room 122 of the Cannon House Office Building.

The CBCF Fellowship program was created in 1983 to increase the number of African Americans working on professional staffs in the U.S. Congress. Through the yearlong program, CBCF Fellows are given the opportunity to perform extensive research and policy analysis on a number of issues.

“The forums give the Fellows the chance to bring together Congressional Black Caucus members with other congressional leaders, federal government officials and public policy experts to discuss meaningful topics,” said Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., CBCF’s president and chief executive officer.

The schedule for the issue forums, along with the presenting CBCF Fellows:

• With the Stroke of a Pen: Do Zero Tolerance Discipline Procedures Expand the Achievement Gap and Disproportionately Impact African American Students? – Thursday, March 6, at 12:30 p.m. Room 122 Cannon House Office Building. Presented by Amirah Salaam, J.D., Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, assigned to the Office of Rep. Kendrick B. Meek (D-Fla.).

• Environmental Justice: What is Our Future? – Wednesday, March 12, at 3 p.m. Room 121 Cannon House Office Building. Presented by Danielle Moodie, M.Ed., George Mason University, assigned to the Office of Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.).

• Revising the New Markets Tax Credit Program – Thursday, April 10. Presented by Renee Mayo, J.D., Texas Southern University, assigned to the Office of Rep. Al Green (D-Texas).

• Health Equity and Justice Now – Monday, April 14. Presented by Athena Abdullah, J.D., Boston University School of Law, assigned to the Office of Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.); Katrice Dallas, M.A., Howard University, assigned to the Office of Del. Donna M. Christensen (D-V.I.); and Jason R. Powell, J.D., Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, assigned to the Office of Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.).

• Civil Rights As Bargained For Exchange? How Binding Arbitration Agreements Have Robbed American Workers of their Fundamental Right to a Jury Trial in Civil Rights Claims – Wednesday, April 16. Presented by Ericke Cage, J.D., Rutgers University of School of Law, assigned to the Office of Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.).

• Women and Racial Minority Small business Owners: Why Can’t They Access Capital and Federal Contracts? – Tuesday, April 29. Presented by Kavon Ward, M.P.A., John Jay College of Criminal Justice, assigned to the Office of Rep. Albert Wynn (D-Md.).

CBCF was established in 1976 as a nonpartisan, nonprofit, public policy, research and education institute to help improve the socio-economic circumstances of African Americans and other underserved communities.