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NFL Fans Want Vick Out
By Jennifer Millman and Aysha Hussain
August 30, 2007
NFL Fans Want Vick Out
Public support for embroiled former NFL quarterback Michael Vick has faded since he plead guilty to federal dogfighting charges on Friday, according to a new Gallup poll. Nearly 60 percent of the 1,001 adults surveyed say Vick should not be permitted to return to the NFL after fulfilling his prison sentence, which could last anywhere from a year to five years. Only 22 percent of respondents would want their favorite NFL teams to recruit him if he returns. Vick's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 10.
In light of the public attention Vick's case has drawn to dogfighting and the negative press the NFL has recently experienced as a result, the league launched a new ad campaign today to revive its brand reputation, which includes images of players reading to their children and calling their mothers. Read more.
What do DiversityInc readers say about Vick's ordeal? (See also: Mike Vick: Guilty Until Proven Innocent? Our Readers Can't Stop Talking About It)
Oprah Vs. Letterman
Oprah Winfrey and late-night talk-show host David Letterman are making amends. The two had been at odds over Letterman's persistent jabs against Winfrey, which is why the media queen refused to go on his show in 2003. A ceasefire began in 2005 when Winfrey was a guest on Letterman's "Late Show" and continued when the two showed up in a commercial together during the 2007 Superbowl. Now it's Oprah's turn to play host. Letterman is scheduled to appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Sept. 10 according to The Houston Chronicle.
Latinos Conflicted Over Gonzales Resignation
Many Latinos were inspired by the historic achievement of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as the nation's first Latino in that capacity, but the attorney-firing scandal that led to his downfall and resignation last week has replaced their awe with a profound sense of disappointment. The drastic under-representation of Latinos in the federal work force, and a legacy of discrimination against Mexican Americans, made Gonzales, who lived his early life in poverty as the son of immigrant workers in Houston, an ideal candidate for Latinos' admiration and public support. While many were aware of the controversies during his tenure as attorney general, they still looked at Gonzales' story as one about capitalizing on the opportunity this country offers. How is the Latino community reacting to his resignation? asks The Houston Chronicle.
(See also: Which Federal Agencies Fail at Diversity? EEOC Tells All)
Fewer Latino Shoppers Dent Wal-Mart Sales
Wal-Mart has made a business of providing remittance services to Latino shoppers, who ACNielsen reports comprise 9 percent of its U.S. customer base, but recent economic volatility, in part from the subprime mortgage mess, has slowed consumer spending. At the same time, growth in U.S. remittances to Mexico has slowed, forcing the retailer to cut ad spending and marketing and to slash jobs. How will this affect Wal-Mart's bottom line, and what will it mean as more companies across industries seek to leverage an increasingly multicultural marketplace? Read more.
Wal-Mart has also built brand reputation by investing in struggling black-owned businesses. (See also: Robert Johnson's Plan With Wal-Mart: A Blueprint for Reviving Black-Owned Banks?)
Adoption Gets Tougher
Recent international restrictions have made things difficult for parents who want to adopt children from countries outside the United States. These changes have led to longer wait times and more stress for families that want to adopt overseas, which makes workplace flexibility and clear communication with employers about adoption needs more important than ever. Fortunately, some companies are already paving the way. Ninety-two percent of The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® offer adoption assistance, compared with about 20 percent of companies nationally, according to a recent Society for Human Resource Management survey. Read more.
Learn more about work/life issues in the March 2007 issue of DiversityInc magazine and found out who really benefits from work/life.
Who's Suing Homeland Security?
A string of prominent advocacy organizations recently filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, hoping to challenge the agency's new rules that would force employers to fire undocumented workers whose Social Security numbers do not match the records of the Social Security Administration. The suit, filed by the AFL-CIO and other legal groups, seeks to stop the agency from sending out a slew of letters to employers starting next Tuesday giving notice about the new rules. According to the new rules, employers will be given 90 days to dismiss workers whose numbers do not match the records of the administration. The lawsuit charges that because there are inaccuracies in the agency's records, the new rules might jeopardize the jobs of American citizens and legal immigrants whose Social Security numbers do not match. Read more.
Airport Turban Screening? Religious Groups Say 'No Way'
A new airport screening policy for turbans and other headwear is causing a stir among religious groups, especially with members of the Sikh religion. Last month, a federal policy change went into effect that requires all travelers wearing head coverings, such as cowboy hats, berets or turbans, to a mandatory secondary screening at security checkpoints. Screenings could include a pat-down search of the head covering if the screener finds it necessary. However, New York-based Sikh Coalition objects that the new policy purposely singles out Sikhs, who commonly wear turbans, and others who wear religious head coverings. Neha Singh, the coalition's advocacy director, says asking a male Sikh to remove his turban is like asking a woman to remove her blouse. More than 25 ethnic and religious organizations, such as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Asian American Justice Center, have signed the coalition's petition against the policy change. But the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) denies any use of racial or religious profiling in its security screening practices. A spokesperson for the TSA said that people who wear head coverings will only be searched if they do not clear a metal detector, and travelers have the right to request a private screening. Read more.
P&G Connects With Black Women
In an attempt to increase multicultural appeal, Procter & Gamble (P&G), No. 14 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, will soon embark on a campaign called "Black is Beautiful," resembling Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" from Unilever. Najoh Tita Reid, multicultural marketing director at P&G, vividly recalls being told that black was "ugly" as a child. Reid, who helped create the campaign, says her goal is to make all black women realize their own beauty, regardless of skin tone or origin, and, of course, forge a closer relationship between P&G brands and their black consumers in the process. According to P&G research, 71 percent of black women feel they're portrayed worse than other women in media and advertising. Despite this fact, on average, black women spend three times more than the general market on beauty products. Read more.
Register now for DiversityInc's upcoming webinar on culturally competent advertising and find other webinars chock full of best practices for reaching multicultural markets.
Accounting Firms Strike Work/Life Balance
Why do many believe the twenty-somethings' desire for work/life balance borders on entitlement? Are they just lazy, cocky and disrespectful to their older peers? Gary Bolinger, president and chief executive of the Indiana CPA Society, says no. Bolinger argues that it's not simply a matter of their "work ethic" or attitude being at fault. In many cases, he says, young people are drawn to work/life balance. As a result of these findings, many accounting firms are taking a more unique approach to attracting talented people who want more balance in their lives. While some accounting firms offer company perks including onsite daycare, others provide caterers, dry cleaning or accommodations such as dog walkers. Source: Indystar.com.
(See also: Female Accountants Gain Ground, But Work/Life Issues Hurt Progress)
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