CINCINNATI (July 11, 2008) — Procter & Gamble (P&G) celebrates the arrival of the summer’s “My Black Is Beautiful” tour in Atlanta by presenting Mayor Shirley Franklin and two other exemplary local women with its “My Black Is Beautiful Award” during a VIP reception on Friday, July 25 at the Westin Buckhead, 3391 Peachtree Road.

The other recipients are Charlotte King, (pictured top right) president & creative director of Snowden & King Marketing Communications and Associated Press reporter Errin Haines. Ms. King was named one of the "100 Most Influential Black Women in Atlanta" and is one of the nation’s most recognized experts in environmental marketing. Ms. Haines has filed dozens of stories on politics and race relations during her distinguished career with the international wire service.

A few complimentary tickets for this exclusive reception are available. Requests for tickets will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until noon Thursday, July 24. Email requests to: atlantarsvp@mbib.info.

The awards reception launches the “My Black Is Beautiful” event on Saturday, July 26 at Puritan Mill. The event features movie stars Angela Bassett, Hill Harper and Tasha Smith, collegiate documentary filmmaker Kiri Davis (“A Girl Like Me”), Essence magazine editor emerita Susan Taylor and a free concert headlined by Kindred the Family Soul.

The “My Black Is Beautiful” main event—featuring beauty bars, hair salon services, makeover stations, manicures, massage, yoga, meditation, health pavilions, and fashion contests—will be open from noon to 8 p.m. on Saturday June 26 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard. Registration opens at 11 a.m. Admission and all services are free.

This event also includes small group discussions on beauty, self-esteem, finance, and media topics, plus a panel discussion featuring Ms. Bassett, Mr. Harper, FOX5’s Deidra Dukes, and Fatin Dantzler and Aja Graydon, the husband and wife singing duo known as Kindred the Family Soul. Tasha Smith will moderate. Mr. Harper and Ms. Taylor will sign their new books.

The “My Black Is Beautiful” program was designed to ignite and support a sustained national conversation by, for and about black women about African American beauty. Atlanta is the third stop on the tour, which launched in Chicago on June 14 and traveled to New Orleans for the Essence Music Festival. Thousands of women have flocked to the event in each city.

“MBIB is a movement that will foster positive images that celebrate African-American women and empower all women of color to love the skin they are in and embrace their inner and outer beauty,” said Kisha Mitchell Williams, P&G Multicultural Brand Manager. “Recognizing that beauty, self-confidence, and self esteem are connected the ‘My Black Is Beautiful’ tour was created to host conversations that inspire African-American women to reclaim their standard of beauty.”

The “My Black is Beautiful” initiative created by African American women at P&G is a holistic, multi-brand movement designed to reinforce pride and stimulate a national conversation about African American women in popular culture. P&G brands Crest, Pantene® Pro-V® Relaxed & Natural, CoverGirl® Queen Collection, Olay® Definity, Always® and Tampax® are supporting the “My Black Is Beautiful” tour and movement. The “My Black Is Beautiful” tour also includes the release of a discussion guide to encourage women to facilitate conversation clusters in their own communities. Consumers can more learn about the campaign, the 2008 summer tour and can obtain the guide at www.myblackisbeautiful.com, select retail stores, and in national magazines.

Caption for Photo above right, second from top:
MBIB guests are treated to a full day of complimentary spa services and a free concert.
Credit: erroldunlap.com