: Credo of the Black PressThe Black Press believes that America can best lead the world away from racialand natural antagonisms when it accords to every person, regardless of race,color or creed, full human rights. Hating no person, fearing no person in thefirm belief that all are hurt as long as anyone is held back.The brutal murder of James Byrd, Jr. of Jasper, Texas allegedly by three white men was a modern-daylynching that recalls the atrocities of an ugly era when racial discrimination ruled American society.Today racial discrimination no longer rules American society.But the slaying of James Byrd, Jr. - yet another episode of racism taken to the extremes of deadly violence -underscores the fact that racism remains a significant factor in American life.For women as a group, and for blacks and other people of color, the substantial progress made in expandingopportunity has not eliminated the barriers they face in the workplace - nor in just living their lives free of racistand sexist violence.Data on incidents of racism violence and hate crimes gathered by the Anti Defamation League and otherorganization show that organized white supremacist hate groups still constitute a serious threat.But even more worrisome, those who closely track hate crimes say that hate groups actually commit less than5 percent of them. The rest are the work of individuals."We are actually into an era of freelance hate, " says Brian Levin, an expert on hate crimes, told USA Todaythis week. "You may have people who go to a Klan rally, or tap into a web site, but they're their own franchise."Those words, chilling as they are, should not dismay us. They should energize us to do the work that needsto be done.Mr. Byrd's murder, occurring as it did near the first anniversary of President Clinton's much-maligned racerelations initiative, also underscores something very noticeable - and pernicious - about the discussion of racein America.That is, that whenever an outrageous incident of overt racism such as this occurs, a deep silence seems toblanket part of the nation's racial landscape.No, I am not faulting those whites, in Texas and elsewhere who have forthrightly condemned thereprehensible deed.State and local officials in Texas appear to have acted with dispatch to arrest the men responsible for thisact of horrific savagery, and they have pledge to investigate the crime fully and prosecute it vigorously.And, as our sympathy surround Mr. Byrd's family and friends, we also acknowledge the decency and courageof Ronald L. King, whose son is one of the accused. The open letter of "apology" he issued last week was selflessact from one who from the depths of his own sorrow, urges all of us to follow the path toward redemption."It hurts me deeply," Mr. King wrote with obvious anguish, "to know that a boy I had raised and consideredto be the most loved boy I knew could find it in himself to take a life. This deed cannot be undone, but I hopewe can go forward in peace and with love for all. Let us find on our hearts love for our fellow man. Hate canonly destroy.?Who can deny the truth of that statement? We have seen and continue to see hatred's destructive force actedout time and again in this country and around the world.The looming question is: Will we go forward?The challenge - has been posed in many different words this past week by those who have been urging thenation toward such a discussion - among them President Clinton, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, invited by Mr.Byrd's family to Jasper, leaders of the the Congressional Black Caucus, Kweisi Mfume, President and CEO ofthe National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.But one group has been noticeably silent: Where is the comment from those who have be saying sovociferously that we should not pay attention to race, that we should be blind to color?TNow, where is the comment - the contribution - of those conservative and so-called centrist mediacommentators, politicians, professors and think-tank fellows who've spent the past years disparaging the ClintonRace Initiative.I've looked for them these past few days.Instead, I found that profound "silence" from them which signals their retreat behind the walls of darknessand denial wait for the shock of the murder of James Byrd, Jr. to fade away, to wait for us to forget.It's up to those of us who are not blind to reality to not forget the work that must be done.That is why the National Urban League has joined with six other organizations to fight bigotry. Our partnersare: the Anti-Defamation League, Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, the National Conference forCommunity and Justice, the National Congress of American Indians, the National Council of La Raza, and theNational Italian American Foundation.We must remember that if we Americans don't unite against all forms of racism, bias and bigotry, intergroupviolence will continue to spread.In that regard, it's not too late to improve the effort the President's Initiative on Race has made to encouragea frank, positive discussion of America's racial difficulties.Mr. Cliriton himself should devote more personal attention to it in order to sharpen its focus and tackle thisreally tough issue.That is one way America can "go forward," and in so doing, redeem the suffering, James Byrd endured andrepudiate the intent of his killers. soRemember the Alamo, the Maine, Pearl Harbor,Remember June First-98 and Remember PCMH!!Submitted by Jean Leigh, Concerned Greenville CitizenOn June Ist 1998, Pitt County Memorial Hospital was given away by five county commissioners: EdBright, Tom Johnson, Sr,. Kenneth Dews, Edith Warren and Mark Owen, Jr.. It was deeded to the "Corporation."Would you care to guess who or what the "Coorporation is? If you find out, please let me know. Not to worry,we have been told for sixteen months, "We will maintain control". My advise is don't listen to what they say,even if some of what they say is true, there are always to many "wiggle" words. Read what they sign.We have three educators, one business man and one attorney in this five voter block. Somehow they managedto miss a vital legal constitutional guarantee. When you deed property to someone or a "corporation", it is gone.Legally, a clear deed indicates clear ownership.May I add that the three educators have been in education twenty to thirty years each. I ardently opposegiving away the hospital, but looking at the track record of the schools, I would rejoice if we gave the schoolsaway. Then our students could learn on a olevel playing field". I can never accept that our teachers areincompetent nor that 22% of our students are exceptional. However, if we look at the past sixth grade Englishgrammar book, the second rule reads, "ignore spelling, punctuation, and grammar, just write."Mark Twain once wrote that when he was a boy of fourteen, he thought his old man was the dumbest manhe had ever seen, but when he became a man of twenty one, he was amazed at how much the old man had learnedin only seven short years.Dave McRae, CEO of the "Corporation", the Board of Trustees of the "Corporation and the five voting blockof the County Commissioners for the "Corporation" have moved diametrically opposite of Mark Twain.Sometime between 1974 and 1976 the citizens of Pitt County were given the usual "snow job", of how smartwe were, Our fiscal salvation was to vote to expand and build a medical center and start a medical school. Welisten to the politics, demagoguery, rhetoric and some plain lying. I, like most of the citizens, voted to raise ourproperty taxes to build the hospital.In the last six months I, like you, have heard Dave McRae say that the public could not be educated tounderstand such esoteric items as "level playing fields", HMOTs," doctors referral", etc., etc. As an after thought,McRae said that we would have to get permission from the General Assembly to vote on the hospital. Ourconstitution Federal and State, are badly crumbling but the last time I looked, the General Assembly is electedby the same people that cannot understand why we have to give our hospital away.Fellow citizens, may I remind you that general elections are held in even years. This gives us only fivemonths to learn what we need to know.. As a matter of fact, isn't it wonderful that we are smart for two or threedays every other year?The main idea I suggest we think about are some plain arithmetic skills. No high level math is needed.According to hospital's sources we are engaged with Chesapeake and Albemarle hospitals to build a hospital inDare County with eighteen beds for eighteen million dollars. I figure that is a million dollars per bed. Again,according to the hospital sources, we can purchase Heritage Hospital in Tarboro for eighty million, actually"$81,633,000". Heritage hospital has 127 beds. Our commissioners struggled valiantly for the best deal possible.ono ig wee ara ghee nebmgir shaman ein C0 ytdon t plan. Are we, and taxpayers, of Pitt County looking at seven hundredmillions dollar lost?Americans seem to have memories even if they have short interest spans. Remember the Alamo, Rememberthe Maine, Remember Pearl Harbor, Remember June first, 1998 and Remember the second Tuesday in Novemberwhen we get to vote and Remember PCMH.Thurgood Marshall, the great NAACP attorney, was absolutely correct when years ago he said that if civiilrights laws were passed, the physical behavior of anti-black racist would forcibly changed the mental behaviorand attitudes of the race bigots would remain poeple In other words, Marshall was saying that RESPECT,even if given reluctantly, is a vital ingredient to the realization of the full, equal and essential citizenship of blackAmericans.Since the passing of civil rights laws in the sixties, black ny gainsgreater respect, and progress towards establishing racial equality. We now have politicians like Carol MoselyBraun, the first female black U.S. Senator, Dr. Paula Mahone and Dr. Karen Drake, the two black physicians whodelivered the world famous septupulets "alive and well" in lowa; Havard-produced, and lawyer-trained businessexpert Franklin Raines, who recently resigned as the head of President Clinton's Office of Management andBudget: Oprah Winfrey, leading talk show moderator in American, and Gen. Colin Powell, voted most popularpotential U.S. presidential candidate for the year 2000. Other blacks have demanded because of theintelligence and knowledge they have shown in public through television shows such as Jeopardy" and "Wheelof Fortune?.But several stubborn impediments to full respect for blacks remain some relentless and stereotype -perpetuating media- the newspapers, magazines, radio, theater, and televisions. Black people too often are notpresented with with accuracy, objectivity, and fairness of the media. But equally important is the distressing factfact that black people reveal the psychological carry-over of slavery by degrading themselves and other black .people. Consider these examples,**When I was teaching at Central State University in the seventies, a young black female student presenteda so-called "slice of Negro Life" for a cultural program in Robeson Auditorium. The audience was shock to hearner use very vulgar language in describing the so-called life in the ghetto. The program was suppose to be" tural."**When I went to Ohio University, I attended the senior recital of a black student graduating in drama. Healso recited a monologue concerning olife in the inner city" and it also detailed the alleged whoredom of animaginary sister, dope, drunkenness, and other revolting details of depravity. The audience, all white people exceptfor myself, loudly applauded this revolting narrative. When he ended his presentation I went to the stage andberated him and declaring his performance a disgrace to his and my people. He then told softly, This s---t smellsbut this s---t sells. That's the way it is.** About ten years ago a drama teacher at Ohio University advertised for a person to portray an old blackman in a stereotypical "Uncle Remus" play containing "slave talk" for the black man and standard English forthe white children. I read the script and was outraged by the obsequiousness required of the make believe blackman. This piece of trash was never produced.**When Alice Walker's The Color Purple appeared in book form, I brought a copy, but was unable to readpass the first two pages because of the lewd and vulgar references to sexual organs and intercourse. It's tone ofmoral degradation and mental poverty prevented me and others from reading further.Black people are restricting their own progress by presenting themselves in movies, and on stage andtelevision as naturally depraved immoral buffoons seeking immediate gratification, which is very stupid andunworthy of the civil rights progress won by the sacrifices of Dr. King and many others of both races.An excellent and long-lasting service would be performed for the black community; if civic groups and civilrights organizations, wealthy black business people, athletes and others would become the "patrons" of talentedand right thinking musicians, writers, and other creative people found in the black community. Just as it was andis of those wealthy patrons in Europe who enabled musicians, artists and others to produce musical, literary andartistic work of which all could be proud, so should wealthy black people Americans encourage blach Iteraryexcellence and help win the respect ALL people can identify as their shared cultural endowment.The suffering and the triumphs black have experience in America can be a rich source of creative excellenceand motivation that would draw intense emotional response and universal admiration for an upwardly mobilepeople. Literacy, musical, artistic and other renditions of black excellence certainly will produce the respectThurgood Marshall indicated and would help bring into full flower the long overdue equal citizenshiprequirements of all African Americans.ple have made many gains toward achievingpeoJasper Speaks Out Against Byrd AtrocitySpecial to M-Voice News fromThe Jasper NewsBoy/The Sunday NewsboyFrom the Publisher, Jasper NewsBoyBy Willis Webb, Editor & PublisherUnfortunately, a wonderful town filled with good decent people has blemished brought about by thesenseless, brutal and wanton act of a few individuals who are not representative of the true nature of JasperCounty.the senseless killing of James Byrd, Jr. last weekend has focused world attention on the city and county ofJasper.Post in this community are in shock. Many are wondering how in the world a family can cope with sucha cruel incursion upon their lives. And what will someone say to those members of the Byrd family who aredesperately trying to come to grips with this tragedy?This community (Jasper) can begin by coming together as one people and reaffirming everyone'scommitment to fairness, the equality of humans under law and in all minds. The coming together can continueas we see to it that all elements of the criminal justice system pursue truth and justice in this case.And finally, we have the opportunity to show the world in these next few days that there is-enough love andunderstanding in Jasper to overcome and overshadow any unwanted, cruel bigotry that is thrust upon us.From the Managing Editor, Jasper NewsBoyMichael Journee/The Jasper NewsBoyI really don't understand how people can be absolutely vicious to one another. -Murder, drugs, drive- by shootings, gang activity and now a possible hate crime- all right here in Jasper.What's going on?It all sounds like things you would read about in the metropolitan newspapers. Well, that's not anymore.For the second week straight, our lead story has been about people killing people as Jasper County lawmenare in the middle of another murder investigation here in our typically quiet little town. James Byrd Jr.,49, wasmurdered in a most horrendous way this past weekend. What was left of his body was found floating in HuffCreek east of Jasper. Because of the circumstances surrounding ByrdTs death- it being a possible hate crime- theFederal Bureau of Investigation will likely take over the case.And the national media will take it over, too. Since I have started writing this column early Tuesdaymorning, three metropolitan (Houston and Dallas) news organization have called to talk to me and get an"inside" view of the community where such a thing could happen. But I'm just as perplexed as anyone - perhapsa little more, because I am "inside" and do know Jasper. It's very hard for me to accept that there are people inthe town who could do such atrocious thing - obviously there are. ~Human cruelty is perhaps the one thing in this world that truly sickens me most. It takes many forms -with what happen to Byrd being the extreme. It would take someone filled with venom and hatred to be sohorrible and have such a heart of stone. My prayers and condolences go out to the Byrd family.But this violent trend seems to be pervasive throughout our society. It must be if our small town is feelingthe shockwaves.Since I returned home to Jasper a little more than one year ago to work here at The Jasper Newsboy, |high we pave had more stories in the paper about serious crimes than ever appeared the entire time I was inschool.I don't know this for sure- but in the Newsboy's 133- year history I'd be willing to wager there have neverbeen stories about two different murders in consecutive editions. Terrible- so very terrible.Although this crime certainly warrants extensive coverage, | am beginning to have some qualms about theone thing that bothers me about my colleagues in the media- their tendency to make a feeding frenzy out of atragic event. I know that the sheriff's office has been inundated by reporters of every stripe since Monday morningand certainly there are more to come. For the sake of Byrd's family and justice I hope this does not turn into oneof those all too familiar "media circuses." It has all the making for it.It seems that Jasper's most recent claims to fame - or infamy as the case may be - lately come along theselines. A Jasper dateline was on the front page of the Houston Chronicle this in relation to Byrd's death.The last time that happened was in August of last year when Adaberto Vega's body was discovered buried in ashallow grave here. picture of Jasper this paints for the world certainly is not an accurate one in my eyes.The intrusion of such despicable crimes into our town is ie. These are the severe ing painsthat will have to be dealt with if we are to continue to grow and f as a community. I feel like Jasper isacm Ahaphg Aeade ay abrir Aastaceips Ral ey rat son ike the Boy's & Girls Club, some newin the schools and with strong support our local law enforcement community receive from our residents.Although there is obviously a long to go, and despite the very small extremes that condone such atrocities,I believe we have a true community of neighbors here in my hometown.EDTOR'S NOTE: The Publisher and the staff of the M-Voice Newspaper wish to thank the staff andPublisher of The Jasper NewsBoy for its cooperation and help in providing this paper with facts andopinions regarding the tradgedy that occurred in their community, Your comments and opinions areKitty J. Pope, EditorDEGREES OF MURDERThe injustice of a senseless, wanton and barbaric act of murder perpetrated against James Byrd,Jr., should never be a question in the eyes of the law, even though the idea of capital punishmentquestions the morals within society everyday. While we were sleeping, our brother James Byrd wasruthlessly dragged to his death...