In the old days, the Rev. Jesse Jackson's annual Wall Street Project gala was held on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

Last week, the 11th annual event had to settle for a fancy New York hotel ballroom, but that didn't stop Angie Stone and other artists from doing their thang to raise money to bring diversity to Wall St.


This year, Jackson's conference focused on the financial crisis that could send America spiraling into a devastating depression. Recently, Jackson has been urging Wall St. to get a grip on the subprime mortgage crisis. According to Jackson, the project has brought underserved communities into the economic mainstream.

The Wall Street Project has also long promoted better hiring and promotion practices in industry for minorities, the appointment of larger numbers of minorities to corporate boards, and increased business and cooperation between majority- and minority-owned companies.