Philadelphia Black Leaders Call on Geldof and Live 8 Talent for Support in Their Economic Struggle

Philadelphia Black Leaders Call on Geldof and Live 8 Talent for Support in Their Economic Struggle

PHILADELPHIA, June 20/PRNewswire/ -- A coalition of predominantly African-American business, civic and
community leaders, working with Philadelphia's African-American Chamber of
Commerce (AACC), today likened the economic exclusion of blacks in the City
of Brotherly Love to the economic hardship suffered by sub-Saharan African
nations and have called on the event organizer, Bob Geldof, and the
entertainers scheduled to participate in Philadelphia's Live 8 Concert, to
intervene on their behalf or to cancel Philadelphia as a concert venue.

According to the members of the Philadelphia Coalition to Eliminate
Economic Injustice from Live 8, the city of Philadelphia has made no public
commitment to ensure that black vendors and businesses will fairly
participate in the anticipated US$40 million in expenditures that are
expected to result from the concert.

In fact, the AACC sent a hand-delivered letter on June 14, to the City's
Commerce Director, to Mayor John F. Street, to members of Philadelphia City
Council and to Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, requesting black
vendor, business and workforce participation at Live 8 and at a center city
vendor's mall, before, during and after Live 8. In response to that letter,
the Commerce Director has replied that black vendors can begin doing business
at the vendor's mall only "after July 4," and the city has made no public
commitment that there will be appropriate levels of black business
involvement in the concert planning and related business opportunities.

The Coalition points out that Philadelphia has a long history of
excluding black businesses from full economic participation and that it is
hypocritical of the city to participate in an event whose purpose is to bring
economic equity to Africans while Philadelphia continues to actively
discriminate against black businesses locally.

The Coalition further stresses that, while blacks constitute the city's
largest population segment, at 43.2%, the city of Philadelphia has involved
black businesses in just .7% (less than one percent) of annual government
contract revenues. U.S. Census data also indicate that black businesses
participate in just .9% (less than one percent) of the city's private sector
gross receipts.

Commenting on the situation, A. Bruce Crawley, chairman of the
African-American Chamber said: "Apparently, Mr. Geldof and his colleagues
have some awareness of the economic challenges faced by blacks in
Philadelphia. In fact, the Philadelphia Inquirer, in exploring the reasons
why Philadelphia was selected as a concert venue over other U.S. cities,
quoted event producer Tim Sexton as saying: 'You can't think about poverty
without looking at the streets of Philadelphia, where that's an issue.'"

"With that understanding," added Crawley, "we call on Mr. Geldof, on
Dikembe Mutombo, on Jay-Z, on Stevie Wonder, Bon Jovi, P. Diddy, Destiny's
Child, the Dave Matthews Band and other talent related to the Philadelphia
venue to speak to city government on our behalf and to demand that blacks
right here in Philadelphia also benefit by the good work they intend to do
for Africa.

"And, if for some reason, this city turns a deaf ear, on this critical
issue, to the event organizers and to its entertainers in the same way that
it has to the local black community, then we encourage the Live 8 concert
planners to withdraw from the Philadelphia venue. The fact is that their
participation will simply serve to perpetuate the economic exclusion that the
Philadelphia black community has suffered under this and previous mayors."

"To come to Philadelphia and have an event to assist blacks in Africa,
while ignoring and actively discriminating against blacks who are facing
economic hardship right here is, at the very least, hypocritical," said
Coalition member Debra Moore of It's a Family Affair, a local community-based
organization.

The Coalition members say they will continue to work diligently to bring
economic equity to their community, both for the Live 8 concert and beyond.
They have committed themselves to have direct dialogue with the concert
organizers and talent and to having continuous sporadic demonstrations
throughout the city, leading up to the scheduled concert. They are also
encouraging blacks and all Philadelphians who believe in fairness and equity,
to contact the mayor and other elected officials to bring about fair levels
of inclusion by blacks and other minorities in the city's business
opportunities.

"In the same way that the Live 8 concerts have been designed to influence
the G-8 nations, this ongoing local economic exclusion of blacks is an issue
that must be addressed by government. It can no longer be swept under the
rug, or hidden when polite company comes to visit," said Robert Gray, a
Coalition member who heads the African-American Freedom and Reconstruction
League.

"Black families and black neighborhoods in Philadelphia are suffering
every day because of this issue. Now is the time to do something about it,"
said Stanley Crawford, a long-time vendor and Coalition member.

Founded as the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia in
1994, the African-American Chamber of Commerce of Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and Delaware is the leading private sector advocate for black-owned
businesses and African-American economic development in the tri-state area.
Headquartered at 1735 Market Street in Center City Philadelphia, the Chamber
represents the interests of such businesses in both public and private sector
forums. The organization also offers management and technical assistance
programs to improve the effectiveness of black-owned businesses in the
region. According to the Census Bureau, there are 16,010
African-American-owned businesses in southeast Pennsylvania, southern New
Jersey and northern Delaware.

Web site: http://www.aachamber.org

Source: African-American Chamber of Commerce

A. Bruce Crawley of Crawley Haskins Sloan, +1-215-922-7184, crawley-haskins@att.net , for the African-American Chamber of Commerce

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