ADVISORY/National Urban League and Russell Simmons To Announce Youth Reading, Leadership Program.

News/Assignment Editors

ADVISORY...for Tuesday (July 30)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

The National Urban League

   Who: National Urban League President Hugh B. Price and Russell
        Simmons, chairman Def Jam Records, and the Hip-Hop Summit
        Action Network

    What: Will announce their partnership, "Urban Leaguer Def Reader,"
        a national reading and leadership initiative.

    National Urban League, Def Jam Records and the Hip-Hop Summit
        Action Network have joined forces to increase the reading
        interest, community involvement and technology awareness of
        urban youth between the ages of 13 and 17. National recording
        artists, celebrities and major corporate sponsors will also be
        part of this three-year initiative.

    Targeted to the hip-hop generation, the "Urban Leaguer Def Reader"
        program will be supported with an extensive media campaign and
        will be launched initially in February 2003 in five pilot
        markets: New York, Los Angeles, Detroit, Dallas and Champaign,
        IL.

    Preceding this announcement, the National Urban League, The
        Advertising Council (with production assistance provided by
        MEE Productions), and The UPS Foundation will announce a radio
        public service announcement campaign to support early
        literacy.

    When: Tuesday, July 30, 2002, a.m. (during the National Urban
        League Annual Conference)

    Where: The NULnet Studio (located adjacent to the Compass Cafe),
        at the Los Angeles Convention Center 1201 South Figueroa, Los
        Angeles, CA 90015, 213-741-1151

    Contacts: To schedule interviews or RSVP for the press conference,
        call Bob Ellison, Walls Communications, 202-333-6181;
        [e-mail] or Taryn Brown, Focus Communications,
        [phone]; [e-mail]