U.S. to participate in anti-racism meet

WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 (UPI) -- Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Alphonso Jackson will lead the U.S. delegation to a conference on racism, xenophobia and discrimination.

The Sept. 13-14 conference is sponsored by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Brussels.

"Secretary Jackson was chosen to represent the United States in recognition of his strong background in housing and community development, and his deep commitment to improving the lives of all Americans," the State Department announced Thursday.

The U.S. delegation includes U.S. Ambassador to the OSCE Stephan M. Minikes, former U.S. Deputy Attorney General Larry Thompson; William Cardinal Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore; Dr. Maha Hadi Hussein, University of Michigan; Robert L. Woodson Sr., president of the National Center for Neighborhood Enterprise, and Tamar Jacoby, senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute.

The 2003 OSCE conference on racism, xenophobia and discrimination was held in Vienna in September last year.