9.29.2008 - 08:32am ET

(CSRwire) WASHINGTON, DC -- (MARKET WIRE) - September 29, 2008 - UNCF -- the United Negro College Fund -- in partnership with The Wachovia Foundation and the Manifest your Destiny Foundation, today announced that it will host a series of activities to motivate and inspire minority students to use education as a tool for achieving their goals and dreams. The Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Empower Me Tour will feature actor and best-selling author Hill Harper and will offer students advice on how to save and invest money, volunteer their time, talents and resources, and play active roles in their communities.

"The best investment a young person can make is to pursue the highest level of formal education," said Harper. "My primary objective for this tour is for students to better understand how a quality education influences their future success, both personally and monetarily. Instilling optimism in today's youth and encouraging them to invest in their futures ultimately results in stronger communities."

The HBCU Empower Me Tour kicked off at Howard University in Washington, DC on Sept. 26 and Hampton University, in Hampton, Va on Sept. 27. The tour will be hosted by eight additional colleges and universities throughout the country, concluding in Columbia, SC in May 2009. For more information on the tour and for registration, visit www.empowermetour.org.

"As the nation's largest provider of college financial assistance to minority and low-income students, UNCF is committed to ensuring our students understand the importance of financial responsibility," said Michael L. Lomax, Ph.D., UNCF president and CEO. "We are excited to partner with the Wachovia Foundation and the Manifest your Destiny Foundation to promote and instill financial literacy among students so they can achieve not only their dreams of becoming future doctors, teachers, and entrepreneurs but also prepare a foundation for a successful, secure financial future."

"Wachovia recognizes the need to bring financial education to middle school, high school and college students in hopes that they can leverage what they learn to build wealth and financial stability," said Gigi Dixon, senior vice president and Director of National Partnerships for Wachovia. "This series of educational activities is directly in line with our community development financial literacy program and The Wachovia Foundation's commitment to provide access to higher education, and our hope is that the students who participate in the tour will gain a sense of pride and optimism about their future."

About UNCF

UNCF -- the United Negro College Fund -- is the nation's oldest and most successful minority education assistance organization. Its mission is to increase minority degree attainment by providing financial support to its 39 member institutions, reducing financial barriers to college and serving as a national advocate for minority education. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding 18 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Today, UNCF supports more than 600,000 students at over 900 colleges and universities across the company. UNCF's recently redesigned logo and brand identity feature UNCF's torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."(R)

Learn more at www.UNCF.org.

About The Wachovia Foundation

The Wachovia Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to eligible 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organizations to support four primary focus areas: Education, Community Development, Health and Human Services and Arts and Culture. The mission of The Wachovia Foundation is to build strong and vibrant communities, improve the quality of life, and make a positive difference.

Learn more at www.wachovia.com/wachoviafoundation.

About Hill Harper

Hill Harper is the acclaimed author of the bestseller, "Letters to a Young Brother" (Gotham Books, 2006), which won two NAACP awards and was named a Best Book for Young Adults by the American Library Association in 2007. Winner of prestigious awards for best supporting actor, he currently stars in "CSI: NY" and his numerous professional credits include "Beloved" and "He Got Game." Hill Harper graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. from Brown University and cum laude from Harvard Law School. He also holds a master's degree from the Kennedy School of Government. Named one of People's Sexiest Men Alive, he resides in Los Angeles and is committed to sharing the message of using higher education and basic financial knowledge as successful life tools.

Learn more at www.manifestyourdestiny.org.

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