ABOUT THIS ISSUE.

Two distinctive characteristics frame this publication's mission: education and empowerment. It is imperative to us that we give you comprehensive and timely information so that you can assuredly and assertively pursue--and capture--your slice of the American Dream. To restate the old adage: Information is power.

We don't believe in giving lip service to this concept. Solving the myriad economic, financial, and business woes that confront black America on a micro and macro level requires intellectual horsepower. For the past 19 years, the editors--and readers--of BLACK ENTERPRISE magazine have been fortunate enough to have access to some of the most brilliant minds in the world. This collective is the BLACK ENTERPRISE Board of Economists.

Our BEBE, as we affectionately call this distinguished group of economists, has included noted scholars, governors of the Federal Reserve Board, Cabinet-level officials, and Nobel Prize laureates. In fact, our current board includes Dr. Andrew Brimmer, who, when he served from 1966 to 1974, was the first African American member of the Federal Reserve Board, and Dr. Bernard Anderson, who we welcomed back to the group after he served a stint as assistant labor secretary in the Clinton administration.

Like our BE 100s--our listing of the nation's largest black-owned businesses--the BEBE has helped us give you a clear and accurate record of black business and economic activity. Since 1984, the Board has provided an economic outlook for black America, complete with prescriptive advice heeded and adopted by Washington policymakers as well as John and Jane Q. Public. These reports can usually be found in our January and June issues, but in the future you can expect to hear more from our economists throughout the year as they weigh in on issues critical to African Americans.

In this issue, they discuss the programs proposed by the Bush administration. And, to ensure that they addressed your concerns about its agenda--from the $1.6 trillion tax plan to school vouchers--the editors peppered them with readers' questions taken from the blackenterprise.com Website. Our BEBE's deliberations impact the lives of real people like James and Wendy Keyes. The Union, New Jersey, couple, featured in this issue's BE Board of Economists Report, is in a quandary: How can they best meet the educational needs of their six children? James, who has engaged in extensive research on local school systems, believes top-notch public schools can provide their kids with a quality education, while Wendy has become drawn to the Bush-oriented approach of school choice. What's at stake for the Keyeses? The wrong choice could severely hamper their ability to finance their children's academic future.

"We changed the format of our sessions because, above all else, we wanted to better serve our readers," asserts Editor-in-Chief Alfred A. Edmond Jr. "Not only did reader questions stir insightful and spirited debate among our economists, but it directed them to focus on more comprehensive solutions. Beyond a policy discussion, they will aid the decision-making process for readers like James and Wendy."

Education leads to empowerment. Our BEBE exemplifies this model.