Exclusive Lineup of Experts to Address the 2006 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference Hosted by General Motors

Town Hall Meeting on the Crisis Facing Young Black Men in America Highlights Three-Day Event

DALLAS, May 16 -- An influential lineup of the nation's leading business, entertainment, political, and economic experts will address the economic instability and diminished wealth-building capacity of young black men during the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference hosted by General Motors, May 18-20, 2006, at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. More than 1,500 of the nation's leading corporate executives and African American business leaders will be gathered at the Hilton Anatole for the nation's foremost African American business information and networking event.

This year's conference, themed Where Deals Are Made, will feature the following highlights:

Thursday, May 18

BLACK ENTERPRISE chairman and publisher Earl G. Graves Sr. will present the opening address, How to Succeed in Business Without Being White, based on his best-selling book, followed by remarks from William Powell, vice president of Industry and Dealer Affairs, General Motors. In addition, Mathew Knowles, president of Music World Entertainment; and Marcus Johnson, CEO of Three Keys Music lead Thursday morning's seminar, Where's My Money? Getting Your Deal Financed.

A renowned panel of experts will discuss the Crisis in Black America: What's Happening to Our Young Black Men? at an exclusive Town Hall session moderated by NPR host Ed Gordon. Featured commentators include Dr. James Comer, Maurice Falk professor of child psychiatry at the Yale University School of Medicine Child Study Center; Michael Eric Dyson, Ph.D., author and social activist; Harry Edwards, Ph.D., professor emeritus, University of California at Berkeley; Theodore Shaw, director-counsel and president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund Inc.; and Black Enterprise founder Earl G. Graves Sr.

Friday, May 19

Randal D. Pinkett Ph.D., founder/president & CEO of BCT Partners and winner of NBC's The Apprentice, delivers the keynote address. In addition, C. Douglas McMillon, president & CEO of SAM'S CLUB will give morning remarks.

Saturday, May 20

Guest speakers Nadine Thompson, CEO of Warm Spirit Inc.; and Michelle Williams, one-third of multi-platinum R&B group Destiny's Child, lead the SistersInc. session designed exclusively for women of color about work/life balance.

Additional speakers include Keith Clinkscales, senior vice president of ESPN Publishing; Pam El, vice president of marketing, State Farm; Amy Hilliard, founder, president & CEO of The ComfortCake Co.; Mellody Hobson, president of Ariel Capital Management L.L.C.; A.J. Johnson, actress, and health and fitness expert; Kase Lawal, chairman & CEO of CAMAC International Corp.; Lisa Pickrum, executive vice president & COO of RLJ Cos. L.L.C.; JoAnn Price, partner, Fairview Capital Partners Inc.; and Dr. Ian K. Smith, author/VH1's Celebrity Fit Club.

Sponsors of the 2006 Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference hosted by General Motors include: American Airlines, Ariel Mutual Funds, AT&T, AT&T Yellow Pages, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau, ExxonMobil, FedEx, Foxwoods, Frito-Lay, General Motors, Hilton Anatole, IBM, Kodak, Macy's, Microsoft, Pepsi, SAM'S CLUB, State Farm(R), State of Texas, Verizon Wireless, Wal-Mart, and Wendy's International.