Class-action lawsuits were filed against Wells Fargo and HSBC ... "These lawsuits allege systematic, institutionalized racism in sub-prime home mortgage lending ... Black homebuyers have been 3 1/2 times more likely to receive a subprime loan than white borrowers, and six times more likely to get a subprime rate when refinancing…Blacks still were disproportionately steered into subprime loans when their credit scores, income and down payment were equal to those of White homebuyers." . . .

Sudan's Islamic scholars have issued a religious edict calling on the president not to travel to an Arab summit because of the international warrant against him on war crimes charges, state media reported Sunday.
The scholar's fatwa, a nonbinding religious opinion, joins increasing calls in Africa's largest nation for President Omar al-Bashir to skip the summit in Qatar at the end of this month for fear of an attempt to implement the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court. . . .

ATLANTA (AP) _ Morris Brown has finally paid its $380,000 overdue water bill in full, a three-month effort against seemingly long odds as the historically black college struggled for survival.
But that battle is dwarfed by the school's $30 million overall debt _ its chief obstacle to the reaccreditation needed to assure much-needed federal funding and a level of education that again attract students to the 128-year-old campus. . . .

It's not too late to attend the Spring Break Leadership Conference for Young Women, hosted by Renee Mitchell. The conference kicks off its second day on Tuesday, March 24, and Mitchell says young women can still attend even if they've missed the first day. It is being held at Urban Bridges Studio,

Suite C and goes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ...Suite C and goes from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ...

The Association for African American Historical Research and Preservation (AAAHRP) held its 2009 Black History Conference at Seattle University last weekend. It was the organization's final conference in Seattle, as future conferences will be held in other states. AAAHRP conferences have evolved from a local history conference to an international event. . . .

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Bouquets of flowers from grieving residents were piled up at a growing memorial in front of the Oakland police department after its worst single day death toll.
Three officers were killed Saturday during separate confrontations with a 26-year-old parolee who relatives said feared returning to jail. A fourth officer was removed from life support Sunday. . . .

Black homeowners who were unfairly targeted for the subprime mortgages that helped topple the American economy now face the threat of similar predatory practices, Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan told African American reporters this week. "We had many unscrupulous financial institutions, brokers and others . . .

President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan has proposed several initiatives that should increase job growth in the professional services sector—including information technology, engineering, legal and financial services—but a recent report warns old barriers to Blacks in the professional services industry could limit benefits from the new government investment. . . .

The Washington Attorney General's Office yesterday issued a warning about a company selling magazine subscriptions door-to-door in Washington and several other states. Fresh Start Opportunities claims that money from the subscriptions will be used to help young people get a "fresh start on life," but the company isn't a registered charity. . . .

Facing a significant budget shortfall due to state funding reductions, the Mt. Hood Community College (MHCC) District Board of Education will consider a proposal to transfer the operation of Portland's only all-jazz station, KMHD (89.1 FM), to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB) effective July 1.  Under the proposal, MHCC would continue to own the station, while OPB would take over programming, operational and fundraising responsibilities. 
MHCC President John J. "Ski" Sygielski said the board of education will give serious consideration at its April 8 meeting to this proposed partnership with OPB. A decision is expected at the May 13 board meeting.
"This partnership would give KMHD the best opportunity to thrive in the future," Sygielski said.

"OPB's intention is to continue to operate KMHD as a jazz station. . . .