Standing in designated lines to drink water and use the restroom, having to eat at separate restaurants and once again being banned from certain establishments. I can see it all too clearly as we slowly regress back to the days of segregation.

Governor Corzine Signs Executive Order Establishing Division of Minority and Women Business Development

Governor Jon S. Corzine recently signed an Executive Order establishing a Division of Minority and Women Business Development within the Office of Economic Growth. The order also directs all state entities to designate, in the next 30 days, a liaison to assist their entity in achieving the goals of the division.

Minority- and women-owned firms account for 20 percent and 28 percent of the small businesses in the state respectively. Each year, New Jersey spends over $2 billion purchasing goods and services from businesses. Currently, only 3 percent of the firms receiving contracts from the state are owned by minorities or women and less than 2 percent of the total amount spent by the state goes to these businesses.

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The Revitalization of MLK Drive

All across America there are streets named after the great American and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. In most scenarios these segments of American cities have long suffered from the evacuation of thriving business and the increase in disrepair and crime. No matter where you go in this great country of ours, there always seems to be the attitude that this part of town can be taken care of later.

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"Kids in Kongress"

After returning from a highly successful trip to the USA Taekwondo Junior Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, in which students of ANSUN Taekowndo earned 12 medals, their greatest inspiration was not performing in the same building that was host to two NFL Super Bowls and home of the NFL's Atlanta Falcons; but, a visit to the birthplace of Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., the King Center, and learning about the "Beloved Community."

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JERSEY CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT NAMED 2006 FINALIST FOR $1 MILLION PRIZE; ONE OF TOP URBAN DISTRICTS HONORED FOR IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT

The Broad Foundation announced today that the Jersey City School District is one of the five finalists for the 2006 Broad Prize for Urban Education, an annual $1 million prize given to urban school districts that have made the greatest increases in student achievement.

The other finalists are:

The Broad (pronounced "brode") Prize for Urban Education honors the nation's urban school districts that improve student achievement while reducing achievement gaps among ethnic groups and between high- and low-income students. The Prize is the largest education award in the country given to a single school district.

The winner of The Broad Prize will receive $500,000 in scholarships for graduating seniors. Each finalist district will receive $125,000 in scholarships. The winner will be announced on Sept. 20 at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.