After Imus, Some Rappers Quit Using N-Word

Some rappers are responding to pressure to change their tune in the aftermath of former shock jock Don Imus' slur against the Rutgers University women's basketball team. Platinum-seller Chamillionaire is calling his decision to stop using it in his music a "moral" transformation, explaining he was tired of seeing white faces lip synch the word at his concerts. Chamillionare doesn't want them to use the word, so he's not going to use it either. Still, other rappers are refusing to compromise their image, such as 50 Cent. Will advertiser pressure be enough to make him change his mind?Read More.

(See Also:The N-Word Double Standard: Why Imus Burned Where Rappers Thrive and Lessons Learned After Imus)

Where Do Women Make More Than Men?

Young women in big cities such as New York, Dallas, Chicago, Boston and Minneapolis make more money than men, according to a recent analysis of census data. This is surprising, given the prevailing gender-wage gap in most areas of the countries, but it may be a byproduct of more well-educated women moving to urban areas, where gender-based barriers are diminishing. In 2005, young women in their 20s living in New York made 117 percent of what their male counterparts made. In Dallas, young women earned 120 percent of what men made, although average wages are much lower in Texas than in New York. Will this trend continue? And why are some experts predicting marriage rates may decline as a result? Read more.

Why Are People of Color Leaving Accounting Firms?

Accounting firms are having trouble retaining talented people of color, according to a new Catalyst report. In an industry where success hinges on the quality of people, progressive firms are doing all they can to be an employer of choice for everyone, but perceived barriers still push people of color, especially women of color, out the door. What are these barriers? Lack of access to informal networks, stereotyping, double standards and a lack of professional-development opportunities, to name a few. What can your firm do to avoid a drain of top talent?

Stevie Wonder Plans U.S. Tour

On Thursday, music legend Stevie Wonder announced his first national tour in a decade, starting Aug. 23 in San Diego. The 13-concert tour will go to eight states, with the final concert in Boston, Mass. Wonder's last major tour was in 1995. Tickets go on sale Aug. 11, but prices have yet to be listed. Read more.

Where Religion Crosses the Line

Two doctors refused to artificially inseminate a lesbian mom in California because of their religious beliefs, which lends fuel to an emerging debate about religion in the workplace, and how that aligns--or doesn't align--with LGBT-rights laws in certain states. California is one of a few states with a domestic-partnership law that grants same-sex couples many of the rights a civil union would afford them, but not all. Many say refusing to provide services to LGBT people for religious reasons in such states crosses over to discrimination. Read more.

Look for our in-depth and provocative roundtable on Religion in the Workplace in the Nov./Dec. 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine.

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