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Updated: Friday, February 3, 2006 Published: Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Freelance Television Reporter P.O. Box 2247 Rockville, MD 20847 (301) 881-4145 (301) 881-4145 fax

Some time before the first UNITY convention, in Atlanta in 1994, a white news manager who I worked with predicted it would be the last UNITY convention. Why do you say that? I asked.

Because all the different groups are fighting with each other, he replied. The Native Americans are upset because its being held in Atlanta, home of the Braves. Theres tension between the blacks and Hispanics. UNITY will never happen again.

Maybe I misread him, but it sure seemed to me like he was enjoying whatever controversy there was just a little too much. Look at all the colored folks, he seemed to by saying, fighting among themselves.

We proved him wrong about the future of UNITY with our 1999 gathering in Seattle, and well prove him wrong again this summer when UNITY 2004 convenes Aug. 4-8 in Washington, D.C.

Not only that, UNITY: Journalists of Color Inc. the strategic alliance comprised of NABJ, the Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Native American Journalists Association has also taken steps to hold our joint conventions more often. Starting in 2008, assuming all goes well this year, the four UNITY partners intend to come together every four years, instead of every five years, to coincide with the presidential election cycle.

That should send a message to my former boss and any other news managers like him: When it comes to advocating for newsroom diversity, our organizations stand together. Collectively, we represent more than 7,000 journalists of color across America and we will not allow the politics of divide and conquer to deter us from our cause.

Your participation in UNITY 2004 will help make our collective voice in Washington that much louder. It is often said, A rising tide lifts all boats. Well, this years UNITY convention is a rising tide. Trust me, you don't want to miss this boat!

The pre-registration deadline for the convention is now July 1. So you still have just a few more days to qualify for a discounted rate. I encourage everyone to sign up now! And for those of you who already have registered, thanks. Now please reach out and recruit a friend to join us in the nation's capital.

The symbolic value of what we are embarking on must not be underestimated. We can find no other industry, no other profession, and no other trade groups that have reached across racial lines in similar fashion to produce an event the magnitude of a UNITY convention. Were blazing a trail that in the long run will be good for NABJ, good for our industry, and dare I say, good for America.

Already, the collaboration has given each of our four journalism organizations added leverage and credibility when we call on media companies to diversify their ranks, to become more inclusive in their programming, and to be more thoughtful in their coverage of communities of color.

On a personal level, my attendance at the 1994 and 1999 UNITY conventions allowed me to connect with other black journalists fighting similar battles and it also has given me valuable insights into the concerns of our partner organizations and the issues their communities face.

Of course, I don't mean to suggest that this joint venture has been without challenges. Getting four different groups of journalists to agree on anything is no small feat. As pioneers in this sort of endeavor, there is no road map to follow. But we continue to press on through whatever differences may arise. In short, we're making diversity work. It's time to show the rest of the industry how it can do the same. That's why we need you at UNITY 2004. Renew and register today!

Elliott Lewis NABJ Region III Director (Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, D.C.)