WASHINGTON, April 2 -- An impressive list of African-American business leaders and entrepreneurs, including Black Entertainment Television Chairman and CEO Robert Johnson, today announced a call for the repeal of the estate tax. The group's perspective on the tax will be unveiled in full-page ads appearing in The Washington Post and New York Times on Wednesday, April 4.

Repeal of the tax is being sought for a range of reasons, including the fact that accumulated wealth is actually taxed twice -- once when it is earned and again upon the death of the earner. This level of taxation poses a serious threat to the likelihood that African American-owned businesses can be passed on to future generations as part of a family's long-term legacy. According to the National Black Chamber of Commerce, individuals who work hard, achieve wealth and pay regular taxes along the way should not be penalized with punitive tax when he or she dies -- a position that this group of African-Americans openly endorses.

By definition, the estate tax is the amount of taxes paid to the government based on fair market value of an individual's property and assets at the time of death. Outstanding liabilities are subtracted from that taxable amount. Distribution of an estate is dictated by a will or living trust, with the beneficiaries responsible for paying the estate tax.

In addition to BET's Johnson, the group seeking the estate tax repeal consists of more than 40 successful African Americans from a range of industries. Included on the list are Earl Graves, chairman, editor and publisher of Black Enterprise magazine; Herman Russell, chairman of H. J. Russell & Company, a construction and real estate development company; Alexis Scott, publisher and CEO of the Atlanta Daily World newspaper; Ernie Green, managing director of global financial services giant Lehman Brothers; Dave Bing, former pro basketball great and the Bing Group of automotive suppliers; Ed Lewis, chairman and CEO of Essence Communications, publishing interests that includes Essence magazine; Nate Goldston, III, chairman, president and CEO of Gourmet Services, Inc., an Atlanta-based catering company; and Charlie W. Johnson, president and CEO of Active Transportation Company, a supplier of truck transport services.

Following is the complete list African-American business leaders supporting the call for an end to the estate tax:

    FIRST NAME      LAST NAME      TITLE               COMPANY NAME
    Warren          Anderson       President & Owner   The Anderson-Dubose
                                                        Company
    Clarence        Avant          President           Interior Music
    Dave            Bing           Chairman            The Bing Group
    Thomas J.       Burrell        Chairman            Burrell Communications
                                                        Group
    Gregory B.      Calhoun        CEO                 Calhoun Enterprises
    Cleveland A.    Christophe     Managing Partner    TSG Capital Group, LLC
    Kenton          Clarke         President           Computer Consulting
                                                        Associates
    Keith           Clinkscales    Chairman & CEO      Vanguarde Media
    Barry           Cooper         CEO                 Black Voices.com
    W. Don          Cornwell       CEO                 Granite Broadcasting
                                                        Corporation
    Comer J.        Cottrell       Owner               Cottrell Investments
    David           Dalton         President & CEO     Health Resource Inc.
    Lemuel          Daniels
    Chester C.      Davenport      Managing Director   Georgetown Partners
                                                        L.L.C.
    Samuel          Dickens, III   President & CEO     Premier Circuit
                                                        Assembly, Inc.
    Gerald D.       Edwards        President & CEO     Engineered Plastic
                                                        Products, Inc.
    Nathaniel R.    Goldston, III  Chairman,           Gourmet
                                    President & CEO     Services, Inc.
    Earl G.         Graves, Sr.    Publisher & CEO     Black Enterprise
                                                        Magazine
    Ernest          Green          Managing Director   Lehman Brothers
    A. Wade         Houston        CEO                 JHT Holdings, Inc.
    Alice K.        Houston        President & CEO     Automotive Carrier
                                                        Services
    Gwendolyn       Iloani         President & CEO     Smith Whiley & Company
     Smith
    Don             Jackson        Chairman & CEO      Central City
                                                        Productions, Inc.
    Charlie W.      Johnson        President & CEO     Active Transportation
    Robert L.       Johnson        Chairman & CEO      BET Holdings, Inc.
    Debra L.        Lee            President & COO     BET Holdings, Inc.
    Butch           Lewis          President & CEO     Butch Lewis
                                                        Productions, Inc.
    Byron           Lewis          Chairman & CEO      UniWorld Group, Inc.
    Ed              Lewis          Chairman & CEO      Essence Communications
    Alfred          Liggins        CEO                 Radio One, Inc.
    Denise H.       Lloyd          President & CEO     D. H. Lloyd &
                                                        Associates, Inc.
    Dr. Samuel      Metters        President & CEO     Metters Industries,
                                                        Inc.
    B. Doyle        Mitchell, Jr.  President & CEO     Industrial Bank, N.A.
    Dominic         Ozanne         President           Ozanne Construction
                                                        Company
    Mamon           Powers, Jr.    President           Powers & Sons
                                                        Construction Co.
    John L.         Procope        Chairman            E.G. Bowman Company,
                                                        Inc.
    Herman J.       Russell        Chairman            H. J. Russell & Company
    Alexis          Scott          Publisher & CEO     Atlanta Daily World
    Sydney L.       Small          Chairman            Access 1 Communications
                                                        Corp.
    Maurice B.      Tose'          President           TeleCommunications
                                                        Systems
    Leon            Tupper         President           Gilreath Manufacturing,
                                                        Inc.
    Houston L.      Williams       CEO                 Pacific Network Supply,
                                                        Inc.
    James           Winters        President           United Energy, Inc.