FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
3/10/2005

Contact: Jerry Thomas
773-677-6378
jthomas@rainbowpush.org

Andrew T. Carr
212-425-7874
acarr@rainbowpush.org

Rainbow/Push Wall Street Project Joins the Mayor's Office of London to Launch
Diversity Works for London

ORGANIZATION SIGNS TRANSATLANTIC ACCORD WITH MAYOR'S
OFFICE OF LONDON

LONDON (Mar. 10, 2005) - During a press conference with Mayor of London Ken Livingstone, Manny Lewis, Chief Executive of Mayor's Office, Lee Jasper, GLA policy Director Mayor's Office of London and Mary Reilly, Chair of the Board of the London Development Agency, the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., addressed the packed room of business leaders, religious leaders, news media and politicians with a clear message that Diversity Works in London and Diversity Works in the World. "My grandmother knew that diversity works," said Jackson. "She would take old clothes, shirts, various multicolor materials, then wash them, dry them out, lay them out on the bed. Separately these materials were just rags, of no real use, but when she sewed them together they became a strong quilt able to keep us warm. That's how business should look at this thing. Separate we are just pieces of cloth, inefficient material, but together we are a strong quilt of productive works. Business will expand and grow with a diverse workforce. Diversity Works!"

The official reason for the visit, organized by London's mayor Ken Livingstone, was to sign a "transatlantic accord" between the Rainbow/PUSHWall Street Project and the Diversity Works for London - with the goal of opening up blue-chip companies to a more diverse workforce. "We are here in London this week to expand opportunity to all our people. Because Diversity Works for London, for the U.S., and for the global economy."

Earlier in the day, Reverend Jackson addressed an audience of over 300 business leaders from London's Corporate community. Attendees included British Airlines, Goldman explained that minorities do not have a skills deficit but an access deficit. Jackson pointed out that implementing a diversity program within the corporate structure is a good start, but true diversity will not really work in the corporate structure until the leaders of the corporation sign on. "There needs to be top-down implementation. If leaders have vision, inclusion and growth will follow." Jackson said. "Jackie Robinson, had the skill, and team owner Branch Rickey had the capital, the access and the will.

After Jackie broke the color line, the doors opened. Not only was it a moral thing to do, it was the right thing to do. Baseball got better. We did not know how good baseball could be until we included everyone." Jackson said, using an analogy of the integration of baseball to illustrate how diversity works.

Diversity Works is the Mayor of London's campaign against employment discrimination. The message it promotes is that diversity works & combating discrimination in the workplace is good for business and for London. The key objectives of the programme are to campaign against workplace discrimination; promote businesses that have diversified their workforce; demonstrate the efficacy of the business case and highlight the London Development Agency's role in business best practice. For more information of Diversity Works in London visit the LDA's website at www.lda.gov.uk.

The mission of the Rainbow/Push Wall Street Project is to challenge corporate America to end its multibillion-dollar trade deficit with minority vendors, consumers and employees. It is a continuation of the work of the Reverend Jesse L. Jackson Sr., which started when the Reverend Martin Luther Kind Jr appointed him to run the SCLC's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago in early 1960's. The Wall Street Project uses the Breadbasket model of research, education, negotiation and reconciliation to promote inclusion, opportunity and economic growth by encouraging public and private industries to improve hiring and promotion practices name more minorities to corporate boards; allocates more business to minority companies; and increase the amount of business minority firm's conduct with each other. For more information on the Wall Street Project visit the Rainbow/PUSH website at www.rainbowpush.org.

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