(Chicago) – Sen. Barack Obama told an audience of more than 2,500 journalists of color that actions speak louder than words when it comes to addressing past mistreatment of communities of color in the United States.

Obama was the closing speaker at UNITY ’08, the five-day, quadrennial conference that brought together more than 7,000 members from the four largest ethnic journalism associations in the United States.

“We were pleased to have Sen. Obama speak to our members,” said UNITY President Karen Lincoln Michel. “It is important that the issues of diversity and fair and accurate coverage of communities of color be part of the discussion in choosing the next president of the United States.”

During the UNITY Presidential Candidate Forum that was sponsored by CNN and TIME Magazine, and aired live over CNN, Obama was asked whether he would push for a formal U. S. apology to Native Americans for the treatment they have received in the United States.

“I think the U.S. government should not just offer words, but should offer better schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed,” said Obama.

Obama was the only announced candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election to speak at this year’s conference. Presumptive Republican presidential candidate John McCain had been invited to address conference attendees, but campaign officials declined citing scheduling conflicts. During the 2004 UNITY conference, both the Democratic candidate John Kerry and Republican President George Bush made formal appearances at UNITY.

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About UNITY ’08 Convention
Nearly 6,000 attendees are registered for the UNITY: Journalists of Color quadrennial convention from July 23-27 at McCormick Place West in Chicago. Titled “A New Journalism for a Changing World,” the five-day convention includes working journalists discussing diversity in the middle of a rapidly evolving news industry, plus dozens of student journalism projects including a newspaper and online newscast, a student training campus at Columbia College Chicago, a Career Expo, author appearances, awards galas recognizing journalism leaders and special evening events.
In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit www.unityjournalists.org, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.

About UNITY: Journalists of Color

UNITY: Journalists of Color, Inc. is a strategic alliance advocating news coverage about people of color, and aggressively challenging its organizations at all levels to reflect the nation’s diversity. UNITY, representing more than 10,000 journalists of color, is comprised of four national associations: Asian American Journalists Association, National Association of Black Journalists, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, and the Native American Journalists Association.

In addition to planning the largest regular gathering of journalists in the nation, UNITY develops programs and institutional relationships that promote its mission. For more information on UNITY, visit www.unityjournalists.org, email info@unityjournalists.org or call (703) 854-3585.