Welcome to this special edition of the American Legacy Foundation^®'s February e-News, with a focus on Black History Month. This issue emphasizes the Foundation's commitment to Priority Populations by highlighting news of interest, innovative Legacy initiatives and the groundbreaking work conducted in communities across the nation by our grantees.

As a member of the foundation's Board of Directors, I am extremely passionate about efforts to address health disparities in the African American community. We know that 40% of African Americans become regular smokers between the ages of 18 and 21, and that our community is targeted by tobacco industry advertising. I recently spoke before the Youth Congress of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators and can attest to that group's passion and commitment to putting an end to this problem. We must rededicate ourselves to this issue, which requires the involvement of the entire community. From youth activists at the local level to our state and federal leadership, it is going to take all of us to make the life-saving changes required to reduce tobacco use.

According to the recent release of the University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future data, we know that smoking among 8th graders has declined, and youth smoking rates have stalled for the fourth consecutive year for 10th and 12th graders. This is a wake-up call for our community leaders and public policy officials to renew the focus on tobacco control or risk losing thousands of lives from tobacco-related diseases.

In this issue, you will learn about Legacy's latest initiatives, as they pertain to the African American community. I encourage you to share this news with family, friends and loved ones. Encouraging someone you love to quit smoking and teaching your children never to start are vital steps in creating tobacco-free generations.

With your help, the American Legacy Foundation will continue to fulfill its mission: to create a world where young people reject tobacco and anyone can quit. I hope you will join me in working to reduce tobacco use in our community, and help save and extend thousands of lives.

Sincerely,

Senator Irma Hunter Brown
State Sen. Little Rock, Arkansas