All quotation marks retained as data.
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[This text is machine generated and may contain errors.]
" WASHINGTON "
a By Emmanuel N. Jackson,
Community
© leaders from across the country are
commemorating the 40th anniversary
of the 1964 Civil Rights Act " one of
Politics are about makin
Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Chairman of the CBC
the most significant pieces of
legislation passed in this country Ts
history.
It established federal precedence
over racially charged state laws,
targeting illegal hiring _ practices,
unlawful voter registration tactics
and discrimination in public
places.Advertisement
"The Civil Rights Act of 1964
just didn Tt pass. Jt just didn Tt
happen," said Rep. John Lewis
(D-Ga.). oIt took many years and
many months of struggle on the part
of a disciplined and organized
movement that created a
_climate "created an environment for
action on the part of the
president... .and the Congress. ?
Lewis, former chairman of the
~ Student Nonviolent Coordinating
Committee (SNCC), was punched,
kicked and spat upon during street
protests rooted in righting the
wrongs of America's officially
legislated hostility toward Blacks in
the South during the 1960s.
A commemoration of the bill Ts
passage involved members of the
Congressional Black Caucus who
gathered on the steps of the Lincoln
Memorial Friday to both hail passage
of the bill and to pay homage to
Martin Luther King, Jr. It was there
that King delivered his classic "I
Have a Dream" speech during the
historic 1963 March on Washington
" a gathering of nearly a million
people that heavily. influenced
members of Congress into passing
the bill the following year.
Wii alelsi aa Orelaalaalelellaist "
oToday, we have come to this
hollowed spot to remind America of
the fierce urgency of now, ? said Rep.
Elijah Cummi (D-Md.),
Chairman of the CBC. oThis is no
time to engage in luxury of cooling
off or taking the tranquilizing drug
of gradualism.
~ _ Now is the time to rise fron the
dark and desolate valley of
segregation to sunlit path of racial
justice. Now is the time to open
doors of opportunity to all of God Ts
children."
Cummings was followed by Del.
Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C,)
who told BET.com that "African
Americans have been the leader in E
the development of the Civil Rights
Act of 1964." She said "the
celebration of the Act must be joined -
with a determination to seek a
renewal of the national commitment |
to civil rights enforcement."
Norton, who, like Lewis,
marched and protested, said: "I was
in the streets trying to get our
country to pass the [legislation]."
Norton was appointed §
chairwoman of the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission in 1977 by President
Jimmy Carter. The agency was "
created under Title VII of the T64
Civil Rights Act. The other areas
g policy ...and these are the issues
1988
Since
Complimentary Issue
iPlease Take One
(Retail Value: $0 Cents)
Vol. 17+ Issue 9 July 4-15, 2004
targeted by the bill include: _ TITLE VI - Nondiscrimination in
TITLE I - Voting Rights Federally Assisted Programs
TITLE I -- Injunctive Relief TITLE VII -- Equal Employment
Against Discrimination in Places of Opportunity
Public Accommodation With the country celebrating this
TITLE III -- Desegregation of breakthrough legislation that changed
Public Facilities America, do you think African
TITLE IV - Desegregation of Americans are taking full advantage of
Public Education the Civil Rights Act? Have people
TITLE V - Commission on Civil become complacent about civil -
Rights liberties? Have you
benefited?
Greenville, NC was the host city for the National Freewn Dapust was.
held recently at the new convention center. Pictured left and right of
Congressional Candidate, G. K. Butterfield is T Host Bishop
A. H.
Hartfield, and National President, Bishop J. E. Reddick. See pictorial on
page 6 Photo: Jim Rouse
African Americans in NC still face Stark disparities
RALEIGH - In a report unprecedented
in scope, the N.C. Center for Public
Policy Research examines racial disparities
actoss a broad range of indicators and
finds North Carolina minorities trail
whites in education, economic well-
being, housing, voter icipati
tion,
Internet access, health, and criminal
justice. The study released in June offers a
series of eight recommendations, to
dd ineluding, a
program, a
fe fr eee ee
Hickman
-fuition: assistance
GREENVILLE - Mr. Clifton B.
Hickman has announced his candidacy
for the
Commissioners (District A) in the July
Election. Election year ' 04' will be
crucial for all Citizens of Pitt County.
We are now experiencing the highest
crime and unemployment rates in the
history of our county. We have lost
many good jobs to the
~-Nerth Carolina
Pitt County Board of
health ents, and a Govemor's
Summit to address. these broad ranging
disparities in the public policy outcomes
for some of the state's population.
"Minorities in North Carolina face
stark disparities in health care they
receive, their educational opportunities,
and even the likelihood that they will be
attested or executed for a ctime," says
Mike McLaughlin, editor of North
Carolina. Insight, the joumal of the
the gap and move from disparity toward
~ Research. "As a state, we need to bridge
parity if we hope to move forward."
According to the US. Census,
North Carolina's population grew 21
percent from 6.6 million in 1990 to
more than 8 million in 2000. The state's
population is now 72.1 percent white,
21.6 percent African American, 4.7
percent Hispanic 1.4 percent Asian, and
1.2 percent Native American. The
census indicates that all minorities
combined African Americans,
Americans together now account for
neatly one-third (28.9 percent) of the
Hispanics, o ASiatis. ated \--Native es
state's population. Between 1990 and
2000, the Asian population in the state
grew by 128 percent. However, the
Hispanic population grew by 394
percent, the largest percentage growth
of any state in the country.
The Center's study is thought to be
the first effort to bring so many
measures of racial and ethnic disparities
in public policy outcomes into focus in
one report. The Center timed the release
of its. nésearch to come Ste month
the 50th Anniversary of the US.
Supreme Court's decision in Brown vs.
Board of Education, that desegregated
the nation's public schools. Center
director Ran Coble says, "We thought it
was time to take stock of where we are
in North Carolina - not just in
education, but. also in economic
well-being, housing, health, voting
participation, Internet access,, and
criminal justice. "And what we found
are gaps by race and ethnicity in all these
areas that we must bridge if we are truly
to become One North Carolina. ?
Education Outcomes...
The first area where the Center
found disparities is education. On North
Carolina's end-of-grade tests, neatly nine
out of 10 white students (89 percent)
scote at or above grade level in both
reading and math for grades three
through eight. That compates to 72
percent of Native Americans, 70 percent
of Hispanic students and 67 percent of
African American students. Asian
students T performance tanks second
highest behind whites at 87 percent. ~
Conitinies on Page.
makes run for Pitt County Commissioner's seat
telocation/closing of our major
industries, only to have them. replaced
by industries with lesser opportunities
for our Citizens.
Many quality of life factors are
being adversely affected by the drastic
cuts in budget-appropritions, for
example, education, social services,
recreations, emergency services, mental
health, services for the senior citizens, .
etc. It becomes quite obvious that we
need individuals on the Pitt County
Board of Commissioners who can
effectively create change and provide
positive leadership in addressing the
needs of Pitt County Citizens, With
over 14 years of experience as a
member of the Greenville «Human
Relations Council and the Greenville
Utilities Commission Board of
Directors and having over 22 years of
professional experience as a manager in
County Government responsible for
four major program areas that include
some 99 staff with a 94 million dollar
budget, Mr. Hickman is well qualified
to be a member of the Pitt County
Board of Commissioners. Mr.
Hickman received an Associate in Arts
Degree from Craven Community
College, a Bachelor's and a Master's
Degree of Social Work from East
Carolina University, and he has
completed 70 hours towards an
Cnristine Fitch
GREENVILLE - Christine L. Fitch,
a candidate for the 1st Congressional
District from Wilson is stumping the
23 counties of the district making
_ differnt
Associate Degree in Business
Administration at Pitt Community
College. Mr. Hickman is currently
employed with the Edgecombe County
the residents aware of her platform.
Fitch is an eighteen year employee
at East Carolina University in the
College of Education. She is an
Assistant Professor in the College
of Education. Fitch has served the
citizens of Wilson.County for the
last 14 '% years on the Wilson
County Board .of Education,
helping to set policies that have
moved the school system forward.
Fitch indicates that the issues
she espouses are not to much
from the issues. she
espoused two years ago when she
ran for the congressional seat. She
states . that Quality Education,
Economic Development and Jobs,
Affordable Healthcare, Affordable
Housing, Senior Care, and
Veteran Ts Rights & Issues are the
things that have relevance to the
Statewide Father of the Year Award goes to Greenville resident
Douglas C. Fields: Father of the Year
by Mildred A. Council
GREENVILLE, NC - Mr. Douglas
C. Fields was chosen as father of the
year representing the NC Sickle-Cell
Syndrome Program at the Annual
- Father's Summit on June 17-18,2004.
Mr. Fields is foremost a gentle,
Christian giant who is married to a
wonderful woman and they are the
proud parents of seven children, four
of whom were born with Sickle-Cell
Disease. They lost their eldest son to
Sickle-Cell Disease in 1991. Today,
three children are adults; one, a
daughter with Sickle-Cell Anemia is a
junior at ECU. They also have a
fifteen-year-old son who is a
freshman in high school and a
twelve-year old set of triplet girls,
two of which have Sickle-Cell
Anemia. This father is committed to
ensuring that his family receives no
less than the best in terms of meeting
their needs as the sole breadwinner.
Twenty-eight years ago, I met
Mr. Douglas Fields when he was
working in security positions for
McKenzie and Guardmart Security
while attending Pitt Community
College and earning his associated
degree. He later received his
bachelor's degree from East Carolina
University at night. He graduated
from college in December 1984. His
educational career began in the Pitt
County Schools, where he worked
five years as a teacher's assistant in
the exceptional children's program at
E.B. Aycock Middle School. He then
served as Art Teacher at Falkland
Elementary. For one year, he had to
work in Fayetteville City Schools
because there were no_ positions
open in Pitt County Schools, which
meant leaving his family three hours
away at home in Greenville while he
commuted home on weekends to
ensyre a better life for them. The
following year he was able to return
to Pitt County Schools as part-time
art teacher-fn two schools-].H. Rose
High School and Pactolus
Elementary School. After going
through the runaround he received a
full-time Arts Teaching position and
he is doing some remarkable work
with his students as their work has
won in various arts competition
during his tenure.
Outside of family and school,
he is active in his church. Bethel
Community Christian Center. He is
in charge of church operations and
he teaches adult Sunday school. In
the community he enriches the lives
of his children by making sure that
they are active. He finds time to
support Pitt County youth in
numerous endeavors. He was a
pioneer leader of the Pitt County
4-H All-Stars Club and for six years
he has served as a volunteer leader
for the club. The Pitt 4-H County
Council has also recognized him as a
dedicated leader. His four youngest
children currently participate arid
they all have been successful in
county, district and state
competitions in numerous categories
including project books,
presentations, and talent shows
thanks in part to the work of Mr. and
Mrs. Fields. Within the club, he is
noted for leading youth in creating
superb 4-H exhibits for the fair. He
has been thsole adult leader for the
4-H All-Stars as they participated in
the City of Greenville Spring Cleanup
service project for the past three years.
In 2003, Mr. Fields has played a major
role in the first and third phases of our
sweet potato project, which was the ff
Pitt 4-H County Countil Ts project of
the year.
His sickle-cell activities have
been too numerous to mention over a
twenty-eight year period but a
summary includes: always being a
visible father figure in his children's
life, being a wonderful supporter of all
program activities including ECU
Sickle-Cell Camps, research projects,
family picnic/outings, support groups,
teleconferences, and workshops at the
local, regional, and state levels. He has
partnered with his wife, Mrs. Gloria
Fields to ensure that the family utilizes
all of the comprehensive services they
needed.
In summation, Mr. Fields has
been a father of the year for |
twenty-eight years. I have known him f
to be a positive role model for all
especially for children who he dearly
loves. He is well respected by his
family, the church, school, 4-H, and
Sickle Cell communities.
_ Mildred A. Council, MSW Sickle Cell
Educator and Counselor has also been a
member of the Greenville City Council for 17
years
\
Department of Social Services as
Assistant Director. Mr. Hickman is
married to the former Sandra Allen;
they have two children (Corey-age 23
people of the district. o The issues
are interrelated and should not be
looked at in isolation. When we do
that we get piecemeal solutions.
We must work for _ total
solutions... ?said Fitch . We get
the same results when we keep
doing the same thing over and over.
Quality education "_ "impacts
economic development & jobs
which in turn impfcts affordable
healthcare and housing and the care
given to our seniors. Economic
development cannot rely on
bringing large industry to an area
when the infrastructure is not in
place. Therefore, we must look at
building small businesses and taking
advantage of the natural resources
of the area and providing diversity
to our farmers. Though the area is
and Comesha-age 17). Mr. Hickman is
pleased to offer his services to the
Citizens of Pitt County.
Candidate Stumps the Congressional District for Votes
resource that often are overlooked.
oTt have met wonderful people as I
have moved throughout the district
and want to work untiringly to
improve the quality of their lives ?.
Fitch urges all registered voters to
go to the polls on July 20 and cast
their vote for her to make your voice
heard and your vote count. The
voters have expressed confusion
regarding this election because of the
special election that has been
scheduled on the same day as the
primary. Contrary to the mistaken
information that the decision for the
congressional seat has been made, it
is the voters who will decide on July
20th. Nothing has been decided yet
and I concede nothing. I will
continue to get my message out to
the people until the last. vote is cast.
rural and poor, the people are a
Running for the House o Represenitives » NC District &
Mary Lawrence Williams
Address: 200 Barington Road
Occupation: Retired Librarian
fa | Family: Mother and Grandmother.
fm | Political Experience: Former member Pitt County School Board
s/| Professional Experience: Master Degree in Library & Information Services - ECU,
BS, North Cartolina Central University, Masters: University of South Carolina
Campaigne Issues: Safe Neighborhoods. Affordable Healthcare, Educational
Opportunities
Running for the County Commissioner Seat - District A
Ralph Love
Age: 54
Address: 200 Barington Road
Occupation: Clergyman .
Family: Wite, Patricia, children, Raloh, Jr. Sherman, Anthony and Shauntye.
Political Experience: Member of the Pitt County Board of Elections
Professional Experience: Pastor of the Holy Trinity United Holy Church for 24
years, leadership roles in several related associations
Melvin McLawhorn
Age: 56
Address: 100 Allendale Drive
Occupation: Training coorinator for Eastem N. C. Probation/Parole
Family: Wife, Sandra McLawhom, children; Maelvin McLawhom and Sharon
Mclawhorn
Political Experience: Past poll chairman; member of county ABC board and "
board of adjustment .
Professional Experience: National career development facilitator, N.C. Probation/Parole Association
member, N.C. State Criminal Justice instructor, National Association for Black in Criminal Justice.
i}
Get out and VOTE in the Primaries Tuesday July 2
otic eediieaeatiinnn se diiee ae aa
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ists, however, may have
okie.
last year
chumed that the Democrats,
to bea beer:
ane
- In a debate, John Edwards shot
beck de cree ? ole Ea sho
I all
(NNPA)
George
community like prostitutes by claiming i
to want the Black vote while snubbing
the NAACP Ts annual convention for
four consecutive years.
oWe're not fools. If you're going |
to court us, court us in the daytime, but
not like we're a prostitute where you
run around at night or behind closed
doors and want to deal with us, but not
want to deal with us in the light of the
day, ? says Mfume. oMr. Bush has now
istingui himself as the first
i since Warren Harding
(1920-1923) who has not met with the
NAACP. So, we've got a 95-year
history and a president that Ts
to take us hack to the days of Jim Crow
Segregation and dominance, an era
where dialog is required, not distance. ?
Bush was invited to be keynote
speaker at the convention, which starts
Sa in
rights group, the oldest and largest in
the nation, had hoped to have both
The Neocon Hothouse t
Neoconservatives, ? (neocons) a term
gt applied to a of former
communists and ex-hbeals who soured
on both their movements and the
Democranc Party and signed on with a
body of newly-formed nght-wing think
unuversity departments of _polincal
sence or policy studies. In most cases,
these organizations were generously
subsidized by funding from nght-wing
established by wealthy
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non-
Bush and his Democratic challenger,
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) at the
event. Kerry has confirmed. In a brief
letter from the president Ts scheduler,
Melissa S. Bennett, the White House
said:
oYour request has been given
every consideration. Unfortunately,
due to scheduling commitments, we
are unable to accommodate your
request. Thank you for understanding.
The President sends his best wishes. ?
Mfume was not surprised.
oIt Ts business as usual at the
White House, ? he says. oThey don Tt
view the nation Ts oldest and largest
civil nghts organization as any way of
igni Or importance. In their
minds, we do not exist. And that Ts a
course to take and a
dangerous path to go down because
you lee then begin to wnite
off a whole community of people
simply because ideologically you may
not agree with one another. ?
Hilary Shelton, director of the
Washington Bureau of the NAACP,
says the letter of invitation was sent to
Bush in December inviting him to
speak at any time during the five-day
resign, and William Knistol, the
influennal editor-in-chief of the
radical-right bible, The Weekly _
Standard.
As opposinon to embedded
Islam. Their
anything-goes machismo has corroded
respect for America friends
and alhes that took seven
if
centuist pitch did not alienate the white
middle-class and blunted the standard
Republican rap that Democrats pander
HF S2)\
li
can break the ironclad grip that Bush
has on the white Southern vote. Polls
show that white Southern males are
sull Bush's biggest and most
enthusiastic backers. Bush essentially
has an unbreakable lock on white
conservative voters nationwide.
convention. Shelton says he is
concerned that some people have
raised the question of how Bush
would be treated if he came to the
NAACP?
oWell, if you look at every other
president who has come before us,
whether we overall disagree with their
politics or agree with their politics,
they have always been treated with the
ing with us, ? Shelton says. oOur
people into our house, then indeed we
will treat you with and care. ?
Mfume scoffs a¢ the excuse that
Bush could not fit the convention
into his schedule. oMy mother always
told me you always make time to do
what you want to do. Clearly, the
President doesn Tt want to do this. ?
A former U. S. representative
from Maryland and former chairman
of the Black Caucus,
Mfume says he sees the Bush
rejection as a pattern of behavior he
has exhibited toward "_ Black
oThe fact of the matter is that the
president has refused to meet with the
will $ :
oSouth Carolina
Democratic primary. - Blacks make up
more than one-third of the
Democratic vote in that state.
But there's a pitfall. Campaign
Strategists may still press Edwards to
is adopt the Clinton " and to an extent
his boss Kerry's " strategy of benign
racial neglect. He may try to out-Bush
Congressional Black Caucus, refused
to meet with any real civil rights
Organizations, did a drive-by at the
Urban League conference last year,
where he whisked in for 15 minutes
and whisked out, refusing to even
meet at length with their delegates or
their leadership, ? he says.
The rejection letter was dated
June 21, less than two weeks before
Bush Ts White House celebration of
ights Act of 1964, attended by civil
ights veteran Dorothy Height and
Marc Morial, president and CEO of
the National Urban League.
oThose things are insulting, ?
Mfume says. oThese are not the good
oP days where all you had to do is
show up and take a picture with a
Black person and be considered a
friend or an ally. These are the days in
which you have to do
Well, Mr. Bush, is, in my opinion,
losing a huge
Opportunity to do something and
for whatever reason believe that
photo opts will get it done and I don Tt
think they will. ?
Given the fact that Bush received
The appointment of Bush to
the Presidency in 2000 sean the
of American ith
the White House for 24 of the t 36
years, and moved the nation rightward
with them. Understanding how the far
right emerged and expanded its power
ST Because whatever
failing education initiative. That would
send the message that Democrats
again are prepared to abandon black
interests rather than risk alienating
whites.
only 9 percent of the Black vote in the
2000° ion, his rejection of the
NAACP, will have little political
impact from his standpoint,
University of. Maryland Politica
Scientist Ron Walters. But, it does
make a statement, he says.
oIt continues to confirm that
Bush doesn Tt have a receptive posture
towards African-Americans, ? Walters
says. But, the even ter meaning to
the NAACP is that ? Coon
oAccess to the White House has
always been the currency of the
NAACP. For it not to have it says to
both parties that you're out of favor. ?
Bush and his policies have
consistently been out of favor during
each of the past four NAACP
conventions.
In his 2001 convention speech,
NAACP Chairman Julian Bond
likened the Bush administration to
othe Taliban. ? " In 2002, he
charactenzed Bush Ts civil rights
policies as osnake oil. ? Last year, he
described Bush Ts Africa tour as an
oexotic photo-op. ?
Mfume says he now wants to
speak at the Republican National
is essential if progressivism is to lead a
revival that restores the essence of
what a caring America has lost under
conservative .
Beatrice Webb, the British social
reformer, well understood that a
transfer of calls for the
of a peoph's consent oThee ne
such thing as spontaneous public
opinion, ? she wrote. "It all has to be
manufactured from a center of
conviction and energy. ? The
manipulation of the public's consent
rightward in America actually began in
the very shadow of Franklin
Roosevelt's dominion when it seemed
that liberalism would reign forever.
Conservatives of the period were
seen as bizarre isolationists, haters of
big government and the taxes needed
to fund it, pirates who Practiced
gloves-off italism dignified as
economic liberty. As Outsiders, lean
and hungry for power, they cast about
for a way to create that ocenter of
conviction and power."
They finally settled on a egatre
LETTER IEL
happens to Amert
America titst..
rights back on the national radar screen.
So far, he's the only top candidate who
seems willing to do so.
Hutchinson (ehutchi com) fs a
political analyst and author of "The
Cnsis in Black and Black" (Middle
Passage Press).
The test for Edwards is to resist _
prostitutes
Convention in New York. He says he
has been confirmed as a speaker at the
Democratic convention, but has not
received an answer yet from the
oOur approach to both of them
was pretty much to say, Hello. Here Ts
what we are doing. Here Ts how we
would like your party to participate and
we'd like to participate in some sort of
way by speaking or having the
ee! Our respective
- Conventions, ? Ufame saya. 7 eniees
four years ago and the }
said, No, we can Tt find any time on the
agenda for you. T And the Democratic
Party said, Yeah. You're free to speak
and we welcome whatever message you
would bring. ?
Despite his distance from Bush,
Mfume says it Ts just the opposite with
RNC Chairman Ed Gillespie.
oEd Gillespie and I have a good
working relationship. The fact that he Ts
the head of the Republican Party and I
was a Democratic congressman for 10
years really is secondary. | knew him
from my days on the Hill ? Mfume
says. oI have a lot of respect for him in
his current role. He will do good things.
hat William Simon built
se their shared hatred of the "liberal
establishment." Against this liberal
a remnant of far-nght thought gathered,
eventually devising a body of political
ideas that would define and drive a
accessful movement. In an influential
called Ideas Have Consequences
(1948), polincal ,
reanforce the Amencan Enterprise
Insumune (AF). The AEI aself bad been
a2 1943 no wal che bberal (at
the ame) Beookangs Institution, Ion, and s
aow mcopmaed 25 the pronecr
See Nescom Hothouse Page 3
The Manoniey Vos Newspaper
is Publiahed by
The Minority Voice,
Jum Rouse
Publesher /Founder
Gams O. Sims, Se.
405 Evsans St /P.O. Box 8361
NC 27835
Phone: (252) 757-0365
Fax: (252) 757-1793
The Minority Voice
oon nn
Radio
Greenville NC
Won. Cla, Gea, Mer.
WTOW Radio
Washington, NC
TTeveeeesr
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ate selecting a
~ for District A.
a
by Randy B. Royal
Commissioner District A
_ Thad decided to suzy out of the
fray as we go about the business of
new County Commissioner
It was only when I
_ Z heard leaders who are usually long on
oe ax to grind with either.
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very short on substance
did I decide to speak out, I should
begin by saying that both Bishop
Cliff Hickman are
good friends and great. Candidates.
ph, and I have shared neighboring
27 Churches for several years. Chiff and I
- were both
products. of New Bern,
North Carolina. I have absolutely no
I announced the day I became
your representative that I would seek
office for four years only. I did not
want to become a career Politician.
The one person who has consistently
shown interest in the position and has
kept me abreast of the concerns of
the voters was Melvin McLawhorn.
While I consider that a. noble gesture,
this alone was not justification
enough to support Melvin. I believe
character, loyalty, leadership, and
ethics should also be important
factors. For those of you who ask
The Neocon Hothouse that William Simon built
right-wing policy think tank. In 1964, it
supplied the brainpower that drove the
ptesidential campaign of traditional
conservative Senator Barry Goldwater.
A young AEI scholar, Karl Hess, served
as principal speech writer, and created
the notoriously well remembered words
of Goldwater's convention acceptance
speech which became the stamp of a
new, aggressive brand of movement
conservatism: "Extremism in defense of
liberty is no vice; moderation in the
pursuit of justice is no virtue."
Funding the Movement Against Liberalism
Goldwater's defeat was in fact a
beginning. The Johnson landslide of
1964 did not blunt the momentum of
the newly motivated radical right. In the
aftermath of the rebellious 1960s, a
political manifesto by a Richmond
attorney and future Supreme Court
justice, Lewis Powell, urged conservative
activists and experts to roll back perceived
threats to capitalism by gaining control of
power centers on campuses, in the courts,
in the media, in politics, and in the
iwidely:..;by. the U.S. Chamber of
Contanerc
: Powell's action): memo |
attracted wide attention, and it ehetgi
businessmen to T retutn to the politic
_arena from which the Depression. had
driven them, and to use their deep
pockets to fund a power apparatus that
could shift public opinion rightward and
carry the day in electoral politics.
Money from corporate and inherited
wealth was married to right-wing ideas.
In 1972, Joseph Cocrs, the beer
magnate, was persuaded by Powell's
memo to seed the Heritage Foundation,
the
right-wing think tanks, with $250,000.
Other hght-wing industrialists and
scions of inherited wealth such as Lynde
and Harry Bradley, Richard Mellon
Scaife, John M. Olin, and Randolph
Richardson established private
. foundations and dedicated millions to
fund the burgeoning activist front of
ass Incarceration: Wave of The Future?
Manning Marable is Professor of
History and Political Science, and the
Director of the Institute for Research
in African-American Studies,
Columbia University. This essay
appeared August 2000 in his column
"Along the Color Line, ? available on
the Internet at
www.manningmarable.net
There are today over two
million Americans incarcerated in
federal and state prisons and local
jails throughout the United States.
More than one-half, or one million,
are black men and women. The
devastating human costs of the mass
incarceration of one out of every 35
individuals within black America are
beyond imagination. While civil
rights organizations like the NAACP
and black institutions such as
churches and mosques have begun to
address this widespread crisis of
black mass imprisonment, they have
frankly not given it the centrality and
importance it deserves. .
Black leadership throughout this
country should place this issue at the
forefront of their agendas. And we
also need to understand how and
why American society reached this
oint of constructing a vast prison
industrial complex, in order to find
strategies to dismantle it.
For a variety of reasons, rates of
violent crime, including murder, rape,
and robbery, increased dramatically
in the 1960s and 1970s. Much of this
increase occurred in urban areas. By
the late 1970s, nearly one half of all
Americans were afraid to walk within
a mile of their homes at night, and
90% responded in surveys that the
US criminal justice system was not
dealing harshly enough = " with -
so-called General Motors of
the construction of new
what has Melvin done. I am grateful
that you asked that question.
Melvin was born and reared in:
the Cherry View Community of
Greenville for those. of you who
remember the geographic, social,
economic and cultural landscape of
ommunity. You know that.
elvin came from a community of
hard working, church going, proud
and progressive citizens growing up
around black owned businesses,
schools, and churches. This gave the
McLawhorn children the ability to
dream and achieve. These early
experiences supported Melvin with a
strong ifitellect to reason and
achieve great things.
To ~ become | County
Commissioner one must possess a
strong entrepreneurial spirit, Melvin
was not satisfied with just a job. He
and his lovely wife of many years,
Sandra, have created two Child Care
Centers. Not only does this create
entrepreneurial ship and income, but
it also separates his from the field, as
one of a few African Americans
CEOs who employs over 20
employees. That es him one of
Pitt County's largest minority owned
and operated businesses employing
advocacy organizations that were to be
the muscle of movement conservatism.
Patience and persistence were the
watchwords of new-conservative
philanthropic "grant-making. © The
patrons viewed it as long-term
investment, and focused giving on
advancing a narrow set of principles:
less government "interference," sharply
reduced taxes, unrestricted private
enterprise, personal responsibility,
economic freedom, rabid
anti-communism, and the export of
free-market gospel to the nation and
the world. The agenda was elastic
enough to gather disparate interests
under the big tent -- old and new
conservatives, libertarians, social and
religious conservatives - united against
the common enemy, liberalism.
The movement began to attract and
train fresh recruits through programs
that brought young and ambitious
political talent into the fold. With the
defeat of Hubert Humphrey " by
Richard Nixon in 1968, a group of
disillusioned right-wing Democrats,
former liberals T and ex-communists
ing power hard right. The
neoconservatives, and they lent fresh
energy, ideology, and organizing skills
to the movement. These new radical
right shock troops transmitted the
ideas of the far right through targeted
and popular media, and went to work
for candidates who could make those
ideas happen. They were, according to
Sidney Blumenthal, "a political elite
aspiring to become a governing elite."
William Simon and t the
Counter-Intelligentsia
No one _ exemplified emergent
ight-wi wer more than the hte
Vitae © Simon. Simon projected a
charismatic personality that drove
change. He used exuberant
salesmanship, ringing prose, and high
polemical style to move a movement.
He bridged the gulf between business
risons,
criminals. Politicians like Richard
_M. Nixon, George Wallace, and
Ronald Reagan began to campaign
successfully on the theme of "Lay
and Order." The death penalty,
which was briefly outlawed by the
Supreme Court, was reinstated.
Local, state, and federal
expenditures for law enforcement
rose sharply. .
Behind much of anti-crime
rhetoric was a not-too-subtle racial
dimension, the projection of crude
stereotypes about the link between
criminality and black people. Rarely
did these politicians observe that
minority and poor people, not the
white middle class, were statistically
much more likely to experience
violent crimes of all kinds: The
argument was made that law
enforcement officers should be
given much greater latitude in
suppressing crime, that sentences
should be lengthened and made
nfifidatory, and that prisons should
be designed not for the purpose of
rehabilitation, but for punishment.
Consequently, there was a rapid
expansion in the.personnel of the
criminal justice system, as well as
risons.
What occurred in New York State,
for example, was typical of what
happened nationally. From 1817 to
1981, New York had opened 33
state prisons. From 1982 to 1999,
another 38 state prisons were
constructed, The state's prison
population at the time of the Attica
prison revolt in September 1971
was about 12,500. By 1999, there
were over 71,000 prisoners in New
York State correctional facilities.
In 1974, the number of
Why I Am Supporting Melvin McLawhorn For Pitt County
African Americans, Can you imagine
T how much this helps us in this
depressed economy? Expect to hear
about, child-care number three soon.
To become County
Commissioner one needs some ted
perspective on the face of poverty.
On a whole, poor kids perform worse
in school, more poor kids die early,
babies from poor families weigh, less
than their counter part, and poor
people have more difficulty accessing
systems open to others. As Chairman
of the Martin, Pitt, Beaufort
Community Action program,
Melvin is programmatically
responsible for eliminating poverty
in these areas, Melvin is responsible
for the following head _ starts;
St.Gabriel Head Start Centers,
Everetts Head Start in Everetts, and
Martin County Community Action,
Inc. Head Start Program. Over 400
poor children are prepared for
public school. In addition, 130
homes this year has either been
repaired or weatherized. This
requires Melvin to oversee a 3
million dollar annual budget. Melvin
demands that each client from 1-100
be treated with respect and
compassion.
and right-wing politics. He was a full
partner of a major investment house
on Wall Street, Salomon Brothers. In
1973, under Nixon, Simon was made
federal "energy czar," despite his
espoused dislike of government. It was
government, Simon maintained, that
had caused the energy debacle. "All
governments know how to do," he
declared, "is to compound the problem
that government created in the first
place. ? He nonetheless remained part
of the new right-wing governing elite
when Watergate forced Nixon to
resign. Simon agreed to serve as
Secretary of the Treasury under
Nixon's successor Gerald Ford. Under
Reagan, in the early 1980s, Simon
helped funnel private right-wing funds
to Oliver North's secret government
within the government that smuggled
illicit arms to the contras against the
Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
His popularity and fund-raising
abilities made Simon a power. He cast
a vast otganizational presence within
the radical right. In Blumenthal's
phrase, he "controlled the wellsprings
of fundirig [to] make the movement
green." In 1977, Simon won an_ tanks
influential position that carried prestige
and vast funding potential. He became
the President of the John M. Olin
Foundation, and made it one of the
major sources of millions . in
contributions to radical right causes.
He was also on the boards of the
Heritage Foundation, the Hoover
Insttuton, and the Manhattan
Institute - all major generating centers
of nght-wing thought and action. He
wrote two influential books, Time for
Truth (1979) and A Time for Action
(1980) detailing his case against "stupid,
despotic" liberalism, whose
championing of equal rights was oa
morbid assault on both ability and
justice." Liberal leaders, he wrote,
constituted "as stubborn and ruthless a
tuling elite as any in history and worse
and
Americans incarcerated in all state
ptisons stood at 187,500. By 1991,
the number had reached 711,700.
Nearly two-thirds of all state
prisoners in 1991 had less than a
high school education. One third of
all prisoners were unemployed at
the time of their arrests.
Incarceration rates by the end of
the 1980s had soared to
unprecedented rates, especially for
black Americans. As of December
1989, the total US rison
population, including _ federal
Institutions, exceeded one million
for the first time in history, an
incarceration rate of the general
population of one out of every 250
citizens.
For African Americans, the
rate was over 700 per 100,000, or
about seven times more than for
whites. About one half of all
ptisoners were black. Twenty-three
percent of all black males in their
twenties were either in jail or
prison, on parole, probation, of
awaiting trial. The rate of
incarceration of black Americans in
1989 had even surpassed that
experienced by blacks who still
lived under the apartheid regime of
South Africa.
By the early 1990s, rates for all
types of violent crime began to
plummet. But the laws which sent
offenders to prison were made even
more severe. Children were
increasingly viewed in courts as
adults, and subjected to harsher
penalties. Laws like California's
three strikes and you're out"
eliminated the possibility of parole
for repeat offenders The vast
majority of these new prisoners
x
To become a Commissioner
tepresenting our community, one
tmust be keenly sensitive to the
specific needs we hold dear. It *is
inconceivable that one could serve
without having had an_ integral
relationship with the local civil
rights, organizations, Case-in-point:
Melvin championed our cause when
he single-handedly went before the
Greenville City Council to petition
extending Martin Luther King Drive
west of Fifth Street to the beltway
(by-pass) and East of Tenth Street.
As the Chairman of the state
Southern Christian "_ Leadership
Conference, an officer of the local
board and a citizen practicing the
principles of Martin Luther King,
Melvin was compelled to speak truth
to power. Whether marching for an
end to crime in our community, .
better relationship between law
enforcement and the community, or
economic justice for those caught in
the web of poverty, Melvin was
locked hand-in-hand with local
leadership. This gauges for us what
his posture will be behind smoked
filled doors far beyond the ears of
our community.
To be Commissioner, one must
July 1-15, 2004 The M-Voice Newspaper Page 3
M(vieVOICE OP/EDs Fiza
command respect from ones family,
community, peers, church, and
organizations. I am not aware of one
person in this city who has a
negative thing to say about Melvin.
Just ask anyone (except those long
on rhetoric and very short on facts.
- Melvin is a model citizen who is well
respected in the Red Oak
Community. Ask any of the 800
members of the Mt. Calvary Church
where he serves on the deacon
board. Ask his classmates from the
immortal Epps School. They all will
tell you Melvin has providentially
. prepared himself for this position.
Finally, the person who replaces
the current Commissioner will do "
more than meet two times monthly.
There will be many budget meetings,
closed sessions, county association
meetings in-and-out of state, ribbon
cuttings, mutual interest meetings
with Board of Education, City of
Greenville and Legislative meetings,
hearings, and called sessions. This
Position requires one who can think
on one's feet and make difficult
decisions. This person will have to
help develop a 200 million-dollar
budget, and monitor it. Besides this,
someone wilt have to replace me on
the following boards'. University
Health Systems Board of Trustee (Pitt.
Memorial Hospital and seven other
hospitals, Surgicenter plus budget
over 500 million annually; Pitt County
Mental Health, budget, over 4 million
dollars annually; Health Access Board
of Directors, Home Health Services,
ViQuest, budget 10 million annually;
Martin County Community Action
budget 3 million annually; and 27
other appointed or volunteered
boards and committees. The next
person will need to attend these
meetings. I have missed one Board of
Commissioner's meeting .in 4 years
(mother's death).
Melvin C. McLawhorn: is my
personal choice to serve in this
capacity. He' possesses the intellect,
talent, and critical time necessary to
represent our people. I urge you not
to listen to those who have -easy
access to the airwaves but who have
not paid their dues in our community.
We do not need divisive or
questionable leadership, we need a
conscientious builder who will listen
to the citizens and who can take us to
the next level. Respectfully Submitted,
Randy B. Royal Commissioner
District A.
than many because it is possessed of
delusions of moral grandeur." The
Republican Party was "stupid," as well,
and had to be shoved from the
accomodationist center into the
tabernacle of belligerent, far-right
conservatism.
Simon's creed, put simply, was to be
vigorous in belief, wise in strategic
planning, and united in collective
action. He picked up where Powell had
left off. His goal was to defeat the
oLiberal Establishment, ? and to replace
it by planting right-wing cadres as the
dominant force in politics, media,
academia, and the courts. They would
constitute an alternative power that he
labeled the "counter-intelligentsia," ? a
vast network of new conservative
thought that would challenge and
overwhelm seemingly omnipotent
liberalism. Under Simon, Olin funded
ptograms in law and economics,
political science, business, and major
fellowships and endowed chairs at
major American universities including
Harvard and Yale. With
neoconservative _theoretician
Kristol, he created the Institute for
Educational Affairs, which would
chur out young activists from
universities and right-wing leadership
programs to staff the institutes, think
» and journals of the
counter-intelligentsia that moved
ublic opinion rightward.
imon-izing a Network -
Though he died in 2000, the influence
of the organizations that Simon's
leadership and money helped to build
has been pervasive. Among other things,
according to People for the American
Way, they "stirred up" activism from the
national to the local level, funded
"scholars to push the _ intellectual
boundaries of the issues, graduate
students to form the next wave of
scholarship and movement leadership,
and college newspapers to shape the
milieu in which American's next
generation...comes to its political
awakening. ?
The impetus toward industrial
deregulation that took root within the
]
were non-violent offenders, and
many of these were convicted of
drug offenses that carried long
prison terms. In New York, a state
in which African Americans and
Latinos comprise 25% of the total
population, by 1999 they
represented 83% of all state
tisoners, and 94% of all
individuals convicted on drug
offenses.
The pattern of racial bias in
these statistics is confirmed by the
research of the US Commission on
Civil Rights, which found that while
African Americans today constitute
only 14%. of all drug users
nationally, they are 35% of all drug
arrests, 55% of all drug convictions,
and 75% of all prison admissions
for drug offenses. Currently, the
racial proportions of those under
some type of correctional
supervision, including parole and
probation, are one-in-fifteen T for
young white males, one-in-ten for
young Latino males, and
one-in-three for young
African-American males..
Statistically today, more than eight
out of every ten African-American
males will be arrested at some point
in their lifetime.
Guard tower © Michael
Jackson-Hardy, from Behind the
Razor Wire, New York University
Press
The latest innovation " in
American corrections is termed
"special housing units" (SHU), but
which prisoners also generally refer
to as The Box. SHUs are uniquely
designed solitary confinement cells,
in which prisoners are locked down
for 23 hours a day for months or
Democratic administration of Jimmy
Carter was generated by academic-style
"scholars" of the American Enterprise
Institute, a major recipient of Simon's
largesse from Olin. The campaign to
rivatize Medicare, under the rubric of
'reform," has been pushed with
diligence by the Heritage Foundation
since the 1980s. Heritage "scholars"
drew up the programs and policies of
the Reagan Administration in a volume
called Mandate for Leadership. Many
were carried out. Hundreds of young
cadres in policy-making and
government contributed to the
volume. More than 30 of them were
hired by the Reagan Administration,
including the controversial William
Bennett as Secretary of Education, and
James Watt as Secretary of the Interior.
The movement's network has offered
promising career paths to young
activists ever since. Campaigns for
public school privatization through
school voucher programs have been
spurred through the efforts and
funding of the Bradley Foundation.
The Smith Richardson Foundation
was the incubator of so-called
osupply-side ? economics, the perverse
school of "voodoo economics"
(according to George H.W. Bush) that
holds that the benefits of tax-cuts for
the wealthy will somehow trickle down
from the privileged to those lower on
the totem pole. Most recently
employed by George W. Bush and the
tax-cutting Republican majority in
Congress, supply-side policy has
resulted in economic class warfare, and
a vast and ever-widening gap between
those who earn more than $200,000
per year and the rest of us. Carried to
its logical extreme, the ideological
platform pursued by William Simon
has morphed into the policy excesses
of today over which the Bush
Administration presides.
Fault Lines on the Right
From out of the political wilderness
to dominion in Washington, the
once-derided "crazies" of the radical
right have, in the words of John
Mickelthwaite and Adrian Wooldridge
even years at a time. SHU cellblocks
are electronically monitored, pre-
fabricated structures of concrete
and steel, about 14 feet long and 8
feet wide, amounting to 120 square
feet of space. The two inmates who
are confined in each cell, however,
actually have only about 60 square
feet of usable space, or 30 square
feet per person. .
All meals are served to
prisoners through a thin slot cut
into the steel' door. The toilet unit,
sink and shower are all located in
the cell. Prisoners are permitted one
hour "exercise time" each day in a
small concrete balcony, surrounded
by heavy security wire, directly
connected with their SHU cells.
Educational and rehabilitation
programs for SHU prisoners are
prohibited.
As of 1998, New York State
had confined 5700 state prisoners
in SHUs, about 8% of its total
inmate population. Currently under
construction in Upstate New York
is a new 750 cell maximum security
SHU facility, which will cost state
taxpayers $180 million. Although
Amnesty International and human
rights groups in the US have widely
condemned SHUs, claiming that
such forms of imprisonment
constitute the definition @f-torture
under international law, other states
have followed New York's example.
As of 1998, California had
constructed 2942 SHU beds,
followed by Mississippi (1756),
Arizona (1728), Virginia (1267),
Texas (1229), Louisiana (1048) and
Florida (1000). © Solitary
confinement, which historically had
been defined even by corrections
of The Economist, "out-organized,
out-fought, and out-thought liberal
America the past 40 years. And the left
still shows no real sign of knowing how
to fight back" [emphasis added].
However, the signs of ideological wear
and tear are becoming evi as the
right-radical policies of the Bush regime
come into direct conflict with the
injunctions of classical conservatism. To
cite examples:
Though shalt not indulge in fiscal
ity. Bush's tax cuts have
ted to record depths " a deficit in the
current budget year of between $400-500
billion ~ causing consternation among
Republican ranks in the Congress.
Though shalt not engage in foreign
adventuring. The botched: war in T Iraq
has undermined America's standing in
the world, cost taxpayers $5 billion a
month, and claimed many thousands of
human lives. The price of impert
adventuring is stéep indeed. As y
Pat Buchanan comervates increase ,
point out, if you play at being an empire,
you're in of losing the republic.
And members of the ideological nght at
the state and local levels ate restively .
watching their own budgets wither as a
result of both Iraq and those tax cuts.
From the cefiter to the left, funders
and activists must study the means and
methods of the radical right in order to
reverse the damage. Communicating
effectively outreach to
disillusioned and alienated voters is a
key. So are efforts to mobilize and
activate the young. Uniting on common
objectives is another. To become a.
viable alternative for a majority of
Americans, "it all has to
manufactured from a center of
conviction and enetgy," with infinite
patience for the long haul.
[Among other works, the author is
indebted to Sidney Blumenthal's
eloquent history of the emergence of the
new conservatism, The Rise of the
Counter-Establishment (Times Books,
1981), now sadly out of print, for its
lucidity and political acumen]
the F uture of Black America
officials as an extreme disciplinary
measure, is becoming increasingly the
norm.
The introduction of SHUs
reflects a general mood in the
country that the growing penal
population is_essentially beyond
redemption. If convicted felons cease
to be viewed as human beings, why
should they be treated with any
humanity? This question should be
elevated and discussed in every
African-American and _Latino
neighborhood, community center,
religious institution, and union hall
across this country. Because the
overwhelming human casualties of
this racist leviathan are our own
children, afents, sisters, and
brothers. Those whom this brutal
system defines as being obeyond
redemption" are ourselves.
Costs of the system
What are the economic costs for
American society of the vast
expansion of our prison-industrial
complex? According to criminal
justice researcher David Barlow at
the University of Wisconsin at
Milwaukee, between 1980 and 2000,
the combined expenditures of
federal, state, and local governments
on police have increased about
400%. Corrections expenditures for
building new prisons, upgrading
existing facilities, hiring more guards,
and related ~ "s costs, _ "_ "increased
approximately one thousand percent.
Although it currently costs about
$70,000 to construct a typical prison
cell, and about $25,000 annually to
supervise and maintain each prisoner,
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that candidate cannot be setious about
nying to get federal resources for the
ie issues because it won't happen.
ohn Lewis Spe
who participated in the movement,
issued is statement to
commemorate the signing of that
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
just didn't pass. It just didn't
happen. It took many years and
many months of le on the
part of a disciplined and organized
movement that created a climate
created an environment for action
on the part of the President of the
United States and the C. SS.
One must understand that in
the American South during, the
1950s and '60s, there were signs
that said "White "Men," "Colored
Men," "White Waiting, ? "Colored
Waiting. ? Segregation and racial
ean anon pot the order of
fi . Asac ing up in
the American South, and as a
participant in the Civil Rights
Movement, | saw those signs.
piss aparttien water
ins in nt stores "a
shining water fountain marked
owhite ? and a spigot marked
tl to get water
to drink. Black people could go
into a store, buy a pair of shoes,
sometimes they were not
allowed to try on those shoes. They
R
The
fesponses to the Council's - written
questionnaire, interviews, candidate's
4
Elite Properties
218 E. Arlington Bivd., Ste. 100
Greenville, North Carolina 27858
Business (252) 215-0015
Home (252) 355-5359
Cell (252) 916-6403
Pager (252) 757-4344
E-Mail edwilliams21@yahoo.com
Canidate says
Na,
RR 8
Cau,
African-American and Latino young
people. In April 2000, utilizing
national and state data compiled by
the FBI, the Justice t
and six leading foundations issued a
comprehensive study
documented vast racial disparities at
every level of the juvenile justice
process, African Americans undet
age 18 comprise 15% of their
national , yet they
currently requcses oe 2% of all those
who are arrested. :
Prison © Michael
Jackson-Hardy, from Behind the
Razor Wire, New York University
America Resources are dwindlin
scared or uninformed
the First District. Go to the web site
below for a about
Weapons of Mass Destruction. The
Whole Truth About The Iraq War: A
must " watch . An
impressive roster of experts is
could go into a store, but they
were not even allowed to try on a
suit or dress.
They were welcome to go into
drug store to get a prescription
filled, but they were not allowed to
sit down at the lunch counter and
have a soda or something to eat.
They had to take their snack
out on the street and stand up to
drink or eat
There were separate waiting
rooms in bus stations or train
stations. White people and black
people couldn't stay in the same
hotel; they couldn't ride in the
same taxicab.
When I look back on it, on the
drama of the Movement the sit-ins,
the Freedom Rides, and the
marches were all the actions of
ordinary people _ using the
Philosophy the discipline of
nonviolence.
People had been beaten;
people had been arrested and
jailed. Some had been shot or
killed Medgar Evers was shot and
killed in May jas Sheriff Bull
Connor used | and fire hoses.
on non-violent protestors.
Because of what happened in
Birmingham and other parts of the
by Conservation Council of NC
environmental voting record, and
demonstrated leaders
on
environmental issues, and their
commitment to improving
environmental protection in North
Carolina.
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y
After enteri
justice system, white and oblack
juveniles with the same records are
treated in radically different ways.
Accotding to the Justice
Department's study, among white
youth offenders, 66% ate referred
to juvenile courts, while only 31%
of theAfrican-American youth are
taken there. Blacks comprise 44%
of those detained in juvenile jails,
46% of all those tried in adult
criminal courts, as well as 58% of
all juveniles who are warehoused in
adult prison. In practical terms, this
means that for young African
Americans who are arrested and
ing
assembled to provide a generally
withering commentary on the quality of
evidence and possible motivations of
Neoconservatives who T provi the
momentum and muscle behind
America's venture into tive war.
The fig leaf of the possibility of an honest
mistake on the matter of WMDs is
stripped away; what is left is the stark and
disturbing anatomy of deliberate deceit.
Watch it here. Windows Media.
http://www .informationclearinghouse.in
fo) artie6423 hm
ks Out On Civil Right Act
South, there was a sense of
righteous indignation.
All across America, by the
hundreds and thousands, people
started demanding that the Federal
Government act. People sent letters
to members of Congress and to the
White House.
And President __ Kennedy
responded on June Ilth in a
nationally televised address to the
nation, and he urged the Congress
to pass the Civil Rights Act.
The Congress debated that act
Jor many days and long nights, and
it was finally passed. On July 2.
1964, 40: years ago, President
Johnson signed that act into law:
So, I think it is fitting and
appropriate for us to pause to
celebrate the distance we've come
and the progress we have made.
Because of the actions of
hundreds of our citizens, and
because of the response of the U.S.
Congress, President John F.
Kennedy and President Lyndon
Johnson, we have witnessed what I
like to call a nonviolent revolution, .
@ revolution of values, a revolution...
vyiegs
of ideas.
And I say today, we are better
nation, and we are a better people.
charged with a crime, that they are
more than six times more likely to
be assi .to prison that: white
pouth elender. -
ple. who
For those young people
have never been to prison before,
more likely than whites to be
sentenced to. juvenile prisons. For
youths charged with drug offenses,
blacks are 48 times more likely than
whites to be sentenced to juvenile
prison. White youths charged with
violent offenses are incarcerated on
average for 193 days after trial; by
contrast, African-American youths
are held 254 days, and Latino
youths are incarcerated 305 days.
What seems clear is that a new
leviathan of racial inequality has
been constructed across our
country. It lacks the brutal
simplicity of the old Jim Crow
system, with its omnipresent
"white" and "colored" signs. Yet it
is in many respects potentially far
more devastating, because it
presents itself to the world as a
system that is truly color-blind. The
black freedom struggle of the 1960s
was successful largely. because it
convinced a majority of white
middle class Americans that Jim
Crow was economically inefficient,
and that politically it could not be
a large yellow sign over the door at "
Prison.
the public entrance to the
The sign reads:
doors pass some of
corrections
world. ? I asked . Reverend Bill
Webber, the director of the prison's
educational p: and several
prisoners what they thought about
the sign.
"demonic." One of the
students, a 35-year-old Latino named
ese
, finest
professionals in the "
Bill answered bluntly, |
M.A. -
Tony, agreed with Bill's assessment, ©
but added, olet us face the demon
head on." There are now over two
million Americans who are
incarcerated. It is time to face the |
demon head on. BRC-NEWS: Black
sustained or justified. Radical Congress
The movement utilized the www.blackradicalcongress.org
power of creative disruption,
making it impossible for the old
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New Halli
by Pratap Chatterjee,
Special to CorpWatch
OAKLAND, CA - New tesimony from
former Halliburton workers pay
congressional auditors released in
Washington, D.C, this week has revealed
millions of dollars worth of wasteful
Ptactices, major over billing and virn ually
rene of the corp ak to support
e US. mvasion and , ,
March 2003, pation of leag in
Under an agreement for logistical
support for Operation Imai Freedom,
Kellogg Brown and Root?
Halliburton subsidiary,
contract may even T be worth as much
ae y eventually be worth as much as
, ° : . . July 1-15, 2004 The M-Voice News aper
burton Whistleblowers Say Millions Wasted in I
In testimony submitted to members of
Congress, one truck driver explained in detail
how taxpayers were billed for empty trucks
driven up and down Iraq and how $85,000
vehicles were abandoned for lack of spare
7
tires. A labor foreman said dozens of
Workers were told to "look busy" while
doing virwally no work for salaries of
$80,000 a year. An auditor related how the
company was ing an av of $100
for every ange bag of lene oot $10,000
a month for company employees to stay in
five-star hotels.
"We saw very little concem for cost
considerations," David Walker, head of the
Geneml Account Office, the
investigative atm of the told
members of the Congress who attended a
hearing at the Government Reform
Committee saa House of
Representatives. ' ate serious
problems, they still exist, and they are
exacerbated in a wartime climate."
William Reed, director of the
Pentagon's Defense Contract Audit
Agency (DCAA), also released a to
members of Congress that stated: "In our
Opinion, the contractor's billing system is
cevboyoae in pat We soo fed sree
deficiencies resulting in material invoicing
misstatements that are not prevented,
detected, and/or comected in a timely
" "
Cnnics say that the Halliburton's
contract with the military has been
especially problematic because the
company has what ts called a T "cost-phis"
~ Contract, which means the company is
repaid for all expenditures, plus a
percentage fee and possible bonus on top
of that.
"While the Bush administration failed
to adequately plan for the safety of our
troops "as proven by its failure to provide
suffiaent body armor-it made certain that
Halliburton would make a killing long
before the war began, ? said Jim Donahue,
coordinator for Halliburton Watch, a
nonprofit organization based in
Washington.
But Republicans say the charges are
simply an attempt to muddy the image of
Vice President Dick Cheney, who was
previously the chief executive officer of
Halliburton.
Open an «So
Non « io
SAAD
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"Too many Democrats ... have
chosen to practice oversight...by press
release, oversight by leaking draft reports,
and , confidential briefings," said
Congressman Tom Davis, chairman of the
govemment reform committee. "This is a
strategy being driven top down by the
House democratic ip."
Davis refused to allow T testimony
from five former Halliburton employees
who had additional evidence of waste,
fraud, and abuse. Instead, Henry Waxman,
the highest-ranked Democrat on the
committee, released their statements to the
public. .
One statement came from David
Wilson, a Halliburton er loyee charged
with delivering supplies by from Camp
Cedar TI in southem Iraq to Camp
Anaconda just north of Baghdad between
November 2003 and March 2004. He
explained that his supervisors didn't care
what was being transported, so long as the
trucks drove as many times as possible
from one end of the country to the other.
"The paperwork I curried had no
details about the contents of our cargo -
basically all they were looking for was the
number of trucks with freight on them
(but) a related problem was that KBR
would run trucks empty quite often,"
Wilson said. "Sometimes they would have
five empty trucks, sometimes they would
have a dozen. One time we ran 28 trucks
and only one had anything on it. There
were several times when we had empty
trucks both on the way to Anaconda and
then on the way back to Cedar II. I don't
understand why KBR would have placed
our lives in danger that way for no reason. ?
He also described what appeared to
be a complete lack of cost controls and
systems to maintain equipment properly.
"When I arrived at Arifjan in Kuwait
last November, I noticed 50 to 100 brand
new trucks sitting there unused," Wilson
remembered. "Five months later, when I
came home. A large number of trucks were
still there, not being used. These are $85,000
(or more) Mercedes and Volvo trucks.
"As every other trucker working on
those convoys will tell you, KBR had
virtually no facilities in phce to do
maintenance on these trucks. There were
absolutely no oil filters or fuel filters for
months on end. I begged for filters but
never got any. I was told that oil
were Out of the question. KBR removed all
the spare tires in Kuwait. So when one of
Our trucks got a flat tire on the highway, we
just had to leave it there for the Imqis to
loot, which is just crazy. | remember saying
to myself when it happened, 'You just lost
yourself an $85,000 truck because of a spare
tire. We lost a truck because we didn't have
$25 hydraulic line to assist the chitch."
Another former "_ Halliburton
employee, Mike West, said that ptior to
Halliburton, he had working as an area
Enerpy with a yearly
salary of $70,000. "When heard about 4
chance to eam more with Halliburton, |
called them up," he said. "After just a few
minutes, the woman said I was hired as a
labor foreman at a salary of $130,000. I
didn't even have to send in a resume. ?
When he amived, West exphined he
was paid despite the fact that he had no
work. "I only worked one day out of six in
Kuwait," he explained. "That day, a
supetvisor told me to operate a forklift. I
exphined that I didn't have a license to
operate a forklift or any experience The
response was: 'It's easy and no one will
know."
ee
i
3
an
:
oe
Won. Geowatan, ong
When West got to Camp Anaconda
in southem Iraq, he says that he didn't have
any work to do. Nor did most of the other
35 workers. The supervisors told them to
walk around and look busy. Then they
went to a camp in Al Asad, where they had
only one day of work out of five days. They
were told to bill for 12 hours of labor every
day. From there, his group was. sent
Falluyah for six weeks, where once again he
had almost no work to do except help with
secunty and follow Iragi workers around to
make sure they cleaned the toilets properly.
"One day, I was ordering some
equipment. | asked the if it
was OK to order a dil, ? West said. "He
said to order four. I responded that we
didn't need four. He said: Don't worry
about it. It's a cost-plus contract T I asked
him, So basically, this is a blank check? The
camp manager laughed and said, 'Yeah' He
repeated this over and over again to the
employees." |
As a Haliburton employee, I was
disappointed by all of the company's lies
and disorganization. As a taxpayer, I'm
disgusted by all of the money spent by
Halliburton to pay employees to do
nothing."
A third person who submitted
testimony to Waxman's office was Marie de
Young, who had previously worked for the
military for 10 years, rising to the level of
"captain. De Young, who had also authored
two books about women in. the military,
worked for Halliburton in Kosovo and was
hired in December to help oversee
Operation Iraqi Freedom contracts in
Kuwait.
"I soon discovered that there was not
a complete up-to-date list of all of the
sub-contracts.. also, the document control
department had provided incorrect lists to
all of the task order managers from an
maccurate database," she said.
In January and February 2004, a series
of articles in the media, especially inthe
Wall Street Journal, chronicled " the
overcharging T arid fraud in Halliburton's
operations. In response Halliburtott hired '
what it dubbed the "Tiger Team" to audit
and correct problems. De Young worked
Closely with the team and discovered not
only that it did not correct anything, but
that the team contin oquestionable
auditing and administration practices."
"When the liger Team examined a
subcontract, they just checked to make sure
that all the forms were in the file," she said.
"They didn't assess the reasonableness of
the price or consult with site managers. The
team's sole purpose was to close as many
N
Page 5
re a 2
a rm, f *
2 a
eR
subcontracts as possible, under the mistaken
assumption that everything that was closed
ptior to the arrival of the goverment aucht
team would be exempt from further scrutiny.
For three months, this Tiger Team occupied
waterfront villas at the Hilton hotel and
shuffled papers, but did nothing to effectiveh:
clean up old subcontracts.
"We were instructed to Pay invoices
without verifying whether services were
delivered. I personally told a KBR Tiger
Team member not to pay an invoice that I
knew was a double billing (but) the long term
KBR employee told me I didn't know what I
was doing. ?
De Young says that Halkburton paid
the Kuwaiti subcontractor la Nouvelle S100
pet bag for lundty services "four times more
than they were paying elsewhere. That added
up to more than $1 million per month.
Another time, the company ordered 37,200
cases of soda at $1.50 a case, but was
delivered only 37,200 cans, resulting in
charges that were five times the normal
wholesale cost for the drinks:
Halkiburton housed the liver Team at
the five-star Kempinski Hotel for $10,000
per employee per month. At the same time,
soldiers were required to live in tents at a cost
of $1.39 a day. The military requested that
Halliburton employees move into the tents,
but they refused, De Young said. :
"The Halliburton corporate culture is T
one of intimidation and fear," De Young: T
said. "I had been advised by subcontract *
administrators who quit the company that
employees get moved around when they get _
too close to the truth. I personally observed T
and experienced this as a routine compafy
practice. Ironically, other Previous managers
who tolerated bad practices were promoted
to better paying jobs in Iraq or Houston or °
Jordan."
In an email, Haliburton spokeswoman
Wendy Hall told reporters: "We take any
charges of improper conduct seriously...
We -will:look into these assertions. If igsees **
arisd, we art odftirhitred to addtessing them!
fe thiivt thy aridl bbs iN" eee OF eet ads
"Hallibuttein beleves ies tins in Iraq
are designed to deliver the best quality
products and services con the best oterfis -
available as called for th our conmaet;We will: .7
work with the committee to assist thena in
fulfilling their important Oversight functions. ?
Meanwhile, top " executves of
Halliburton have been asked to testify next
month before another " cx megressional
committee investigating potental favontism
and waste in Trag reconstruction contracts.
ame as it
VOTE FOR
CLIFTON B, HICKMAN
TT COUNT
Distictan®
appears on the ballot}
HE'S INVOLVED...
P
co
E'S ACCOMPLISHED ...:
Education & Experience
Masters Degree in Social Work from ECU
Accomplishments
» Co-Founder/Vice President/Fundraising
This is the proportion of
Senators to the people of
makes the significance of
knowing your Senator a
Your decision about your
Senator affects your life.
If this does not mean anything
Shelly Willingham to be
50 / 8 Million
North Carolina. This
little clearer.
to you...fine. If it does,
then you want
your Senator.
Working for your issues..
your community...
Chairman - Jackie Robinson Baseball Our Time Has Come.
League
Community Service Award - Eastern NC
District funeral Directors & Morticians
Association
Community Service Award - Ebenezer
Seventh Day Adventist Church
Pitt/Greenville Man of the Year - 1997
Adjunct Professor with ECU School of Social
Work
Vietnam Area Veteran (U.S. Army)
Asst. Director of Social Services
Community Involvement
City of Greenville Human Relation Commission
Greenville Utilities Commission
Board of Directors of Edgecombe County
|
L
|
|
7 Vote Shelly Willingham
Wi North Carolina Senate
District 3. July 20, 2004
Covering all of Edgecombe, Martin and
a ' . . 4
Democratic Precinct Chairman Employees Credit Union ; Affordable Housing
Certificate of Appreciation - Awarded by High Utility Bills
Professional Organizations
North Carolina Child Support °
» Enforcement Association
Gov. James B. Hunt
Finalist - Best/lIrons Humanitarian Award
Foxy 104.3/107 Citizen of the Year
Medical Care for Senior Citizens
Economic Disparity
North Carolina Social Services Association Helped establish the GUC Neighbor To . Salas . |
| ® United Council on Welfare Fraud | m Neighbor and GUC Scholarship Programs We won't survive tough times if we
stip ti don't stand together"
Paid forby the Committee to Elect Shelly Willingham to
American Public Power. # EHO. | i
NC Senate
rOPTEERRSONTON SMI GSHAN
JULY 20TH
f Hickman - County Commissioner
ca
TUESDAY -
Paid for by Concerned Citizens to elect
THE NATIONAL ma Y
OF FREE WILL BAPTIST
TIONAL: BAPTIST CONVENTION: .
Let God rise in power through prayer, praise and preaching, ? was the theme of the Gonvention, which
began Tuesday morning duly 6. oduly 82004. Over the three-day period, church services were offered
daily at 9 a.m., 11: a.m, 3 p.m, and 7 p.m, Workshops, offering information mainly for teens and parents
on issues like peer pressure and sexually transmitted diseases, were held between services,
I | The M-Voice Newspaper July 1 - 15, 2004 Page 7.
HISP [AT
ANICS: A Threat to American Culture?
Renee io Best threat to WHO WE ARE. Unlike America's "Anglo-Protestant" Hispanic immigrants really are Southwest, Hispanics SO percent of Mexican-American
Hispanic Ot terrorism. It is previous = generations of culture. | Accustomed to dif erent. In the past, dominate local poe and children speak only English at
ae aos Haugtation, | Says immigrants, Mexicans and frequent visits back to their European immigrants came in culture that Anglos feel like home." After 30 years, most
firebomb of a nen oak once other Hispanics are refusing nearby homelands, Hispanics - fluctuating waves, and were unwanted minorities. America Mexican-Americans own a
of. alled,
to assimilate to what he calls are "belligerently" clinging to forced to adapt to a distinct is now rapidly on the way to home, ofte® in an ethnically
their ethnic identities, refusing culture shaped by America's becoming like Canada or diverse neighborhood. When
to learn English, and white, Protestant founders. Bel lum---- a nation of they have children, they sink
Vote For rgjecting the American dream That culture is now diluted. multiple languages, identities, roots here, and embrace the .
| of climbing the economic Millions of Hispanics are and cultures. That would be American dream of progress,
from one generation to the
Melvin Cc. McLawhorn ladder. If left unchecked, flooding the country, legally "the end of the America we
Huntington believes, and illegally, in a wave with have known for more than next. That optimistic dream,
for immigrants from south of the no end; when they arrive, they three centuries. . and the willingness to pursue it,
: border will split America in live in insulated Hispanic Other contrarians feel that is what binds us together as
Pitt Count | two. One commentator communities, speak Spanish, Huntington is wrong. They Americans "not the words
y remarked that racists would watch Spanish-language TV, say evidence shows that "Anglo" or "Protestant".
Commissioner, Seat A warmly welcome this book. and identify with their home Hispanics are assimilating in Condensed from Talking
How convenient to have "a countries, not America. the same way Italians, Irish, Points" -
Districts 1 & 2 world-renowned intellectual" Rather than learning English, Germans, Scandinavians, and This article was submitted for
justify their growing theyre insisting that t ?,? rest other immigrants once did. R teation by Sucjette Jones of
resentment of Hispanics. But of us learn Spanish. In Miami, The first arrivals may not Reflectionds, Expressions
7 The candidate with a record of successes!!! the author argues that parts of Texas, and the speak much, English, but by Reviews.
| | | a the third generation,
Let the record speak... in Loc : " " " "s
Melvin has served and/or continues to serve as follows: Drotessional Barber & Beauty Salon ee @ ss Cc ?,?@ir Y v
@ National Association for @ Pitt County Board of ~~ = | hattaanutd RCC a CE ee
Blacks in Criminal Justice Adjustment - 8 year term gue
@ Chairman, Martin County -@ Trustee & eC
Community Action Deacon-in-Training, Mt.
@ Member of National, State Calvary Church ed
| _ and County Chapter of SCLC Past Chairman, Pitt County
@ Member, NC Probation and ABC Board
Parole Association @ Life Member, Kappa Alpha
@ Member, Nat'l Assoc. for the PSI Fraternity e «Graduate,
see of Colored _ A&T State University as ee -
eople . @ Past Master, Mt. Herman Traci i sca LAM
e National Career Development Masonic Lodge #35 : Reggie Bobby K. mete A - you'uL SA VE AT
acilitator @ Poll Chairman, Precinct . . v
| @ Recipient of the John Larkin 12-A Hours: Tucs - Fri 9 to 6 Saturday 8 - 5 nmeaAawUrT
| Award - 2000 (Highest Human @ Instrumental in the re-naming Curis @ Relaxer @ Master Cuts @ Facials USA VE
Service Award/or State of NC) of West Fifth St. to Martin @ Garbers & Beauticians Wanted! yl.
| @ Eagle Scout Luther King Jr. Drive | 3112 Memorial Blvd Green CLEAN ERS
Paid by the Committee to Elect Melvin McLawhorn, County Commissioner for Seat_A Ph: 355-7 1 33 & 757 4 $3 |
Please call 327-6559, 321-978 ar 916-2693 for auestions or additional information om 9 bad tos ; - WHERE WHITES
tt BE WHITER
a BE
COLORS Wi
BRIGHTER
4056 S. Memorial Dr
- Greenville, NC
Bee sn Mm CO, SRR Y Bhp erecs en iad EP ESS BBS Fa
A Candidate Who Stands For:
-¢ Quality Education * Economic Development & Jobs * Y! e For Alll The People!
1. * Affordable Health Care «Affordable Housing « VOTE
Veterans T Rights & Issues ¢ Senior Care ¢ July 20, 2004
a
Even with a system as safe and secure as your
natural gas system, a leak could occur. That's
why you and your family need to know what to
do in case you smell gas.
OBRR LG ha Serine wire rier were
, 17] | @
j
| o % MELAS
Visivde © Vaud + i¥le E NEWSP,
snasaeensntnensenaanasnensaeamnatannasaanassansentennsnisttat icatitamessitininemeta
=. »Labor Day Gospel Family Reunion
Smith Stadiurn | Nene Seay 6,2004|
First, call Greenville Utilities immediately at
551-1567 or 752-5627. Call anytime, day or
night, and we'll correct the problem. |
Hwy. 13 South Gunes Open - 11:00 2mn.. Program 12:00 Moon
Greenville, North Carolina RAIN OR SHINE
[Ack Adm. $14.50 - A Gate $16,50- Children 6-12 $8.00 Ai Door
While you're waiting for repair service, open a
window, don't use any matches, and don't
Operate electrical switches or appliances.
. 7" ge JAMES BARRETT oe oe Leave the site until the GUC representative
« THE GOLDEN JUBILEES whee. arrives.
svoin eve Tour E owanns ; |
EDWARD SISTERS fai. |
ROGER WHITEHEAD el Oe Chances are you'll never experience a gas
GOSPEL EXPRESS leak, but it's good to know what to do just in
case. If you don't know what natural gas
smells like, you are welcome to stop by our
Office and pick up a scratch and sniff brochure.
| 551-1567 + 752-5627
AN Greenville
.A Utilities
7 -
Page 8 The M-Voice Newspaper July 1 - 15, 2004
Community Voices
The following article was
perusal
which wall appear in our necct issue - Ed
to Solve The Problems Cited by
By Hazel Trice Denney
NNPA Washi Correspondent _
WASHINGTON (NNPA) " While
comedian and philan
was busy criticizing low-income Blacks
for not fulfilling their obligations to
society and to their race, there wer
thousands of already engaged in
helping the very people Cosby was up
braiding.
"We run a wide range of after
school programs
And many of them are successful. We
touch probably about 600,000 to
700,000 kids a T year, which is
considerable, ? says Marc
Mortal, President and CEO of the
National Urban League. "For example,
by Mrs. Jomes in place of rigs
ist Bill Cosby
across the country. o
we have a male responsibility program
that we run in Chicago.
. _ T said to the director, 'How many
people do you serve in a year? 'He said,
300. T
I said, How many could you T
serve? He said, "Awe man, I could
serve 5,000 if I had the resources."
More than 100 Urban League
chapters around the country, most
surviving on corporate donations,
foundation grants or government
contracts, reach as many people as
possible with after school tutorial, job
training, leadership development and
responsible decision making programs.
And they would be doing more
" if they "had the resources."
"On an overall basis, one of our
core competences, one of the most
important things we do is reach out -
arid serve youth in America's urban
communities," says Morial, former
mayor of New Orleans. "But one
thing | have noticed is that even with
Our most successful programs, we're,
not touching the ones we need to
touch because of money."
The Urban is among
thousand of organizations that seek to
address many of the age-old problems
cited Cosby.
Speaking in Washington, D.C. at
an observance of the 50th anniversary
of the Brown v. Board of Education
Supreme Court decision, Cosby
complained, "the lower economic
le are not holding up their end of
tise ?
He said, "These people are not
parenting. They are buying things for
their kids " $500 sneakers for what?
And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked '
on Phonics. T They're on the comer
and they can't speak English."
Psychologist Julia Hare,
Ralph Love, St. is the best choice for County
Aside from his role on the county's board
of education, he has demonstrated his
leadership qualities and abilities at home,
in the community and within his church
affiliation. Bishop Love is dedicated to
this community and to its future. He has a
vision that is geared toward making, sure
there are sufficient jobs available and jobs
with wages high enough to raise children
and Pees families face. He
understands the need to seek and find
alternative methods of ing the
First Lady
Fashion Show
Planned
There will be a First Lady
Fashion Show held at the Phillipi
Church, 1610 Farmville Blvd. in
Greenville, July 24th, at 4:00 P.M.
Any First Lady of a church
affiliation who would like to
Patticipate, please call Sandra at
258-2008 i the church at
752-7205. This is going to be just
a time of good fellowship and
more!!!
eee |
Use what talent you possess: the
woods would be very silent if
no birds sang except those that
sang best.
"Henry Van Dyke
eee
County employees will appreciate the
leadership Bishop Love brings to the
board of Commissioners. He
recognizes them as the most valued
asset of the County, as he has employed
people. The business community will
find in him a person who is thoroughly
familiar with the responsibilities that
come with operating a business.
Understanding business is a tremendous
asset for a county commissioner. His
Past experiences with education will
serve the most important of
individuals best: ou children Finally,
Reflections, Expressions @ Reviews
co-founder of the San Francisco based
Black Think Tank, says .Cosby Ts
comments would have been more
helpful had he suggested ways to
address the problems.
"He should have said, Following
this meeting and this feel good session
of Brown v. Board of Education, I am
going to personally gather together the
Jack and Jills, the Links, all of the |
Greek letter organizations, the
coalition of this, the coalition of that,
like 100 Black Women, 100 Black Men
and the Black church says Hare. "You
(Cosby) throw out all. of these
ciiticisms and you don't have any kind
of solutions, I've got to look at you
and. I just wonder if you're just floor
showing."
The Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
(AKA), the oldest of the Black Greek
letter sororities, has operated its Ivy
Reading Academy for grades K-3 has
for nearly two years with $1.5 million
from the U. S. Department of
Education.
Linda White, AKA's national
president, eagerly explains why her
Organization chose to focus. on the «|
early years of a child's life.
"Children who have not
developed the basic reading skills in
the very early years find it extremely
difficult to become competent readers
in the later grades," she says. "And
when they are unable to read
effectively, then they don't perform
well in the other subjects and other
higher-level educational tasks and they
don't finish school, they can T t.
function in society."
She adds, "Most of us would not
be where we are today if someone had
not reached back and helped us,
whether it was the neighbor next door
Commissioner Seat A.
Bishop Love will work well with other
community and elected leaders in
addressing the needs of a growing county
like Pitt and his work will
County remain the "hub" of the East and
the center of healthcare and commerce
and an ideal community for raisi
families. For the sake of our county's
future, I urge voters to vote for Ralph
who encouraged you or the teacher in
your school. Most of us did not come
from _ "_ well-educated ~ "_ "_well-to-do
backgrounds."
What matters is the person who
shows some caring and love and
provide encouragement for that child."
Julia Hare says children too often
get the blame for circumstances over
which they have no control.
'_. "They're not responsible for the
ebonies," Hare states. "They're not
responsible for the situation that
causes, them to stand on Street
corners. If you look at the figures, you
have a society that will not efnploy
their mothers, will not employ their
fathers. In fact, you have a society that
sent most of their fathers to prison."
DeLacy Davis, a sergeant in the
East Orange, NJ. police department
and executive director of the
department's TRY . (Together
Redirecting Youth) program, is using
the police department to help rather
than lock up troubled youth."
"They come every day and they
go straight to the police department.
We give them access to the Internet.
They do their homework at the police
station. My staff comes from behind
the desk and the children take over.
. We teach them office skills. We show
them value and love, ? Davis says.
"We call'it giving an overdose of
support services for that child. In
other words, while the parents may be
drug addicted, it doesn't mean that
child can't make it. They may say, I go
to the gang because it's protection. I
go to the gang because they feed me. |
go to the gang because it's my family.
What we're going to have to do is
make sure that child is eating every
day, that we remove all of the factors
that our children have tofd us as
reasons for them going to gang
activity. We take those arguments off
the table."
And the program is working, says
Davis, who is also president and
founder of Black Cops Against Police
Brutality.
"Two children last year who
failed every subject, they were 15 and
16, they were held back in the 9th
grade and now are on honor roll. ?
Such support and encouragement
is crucial says Mary Lee Alien, director
of Child Welfare and Mental Health
Division at the Washington, D.C.
based Children's Defense Fund, a
non-profit organization that researches
and advocates on behalf of children."
G
"We try to ensure that there are
comprehensive services and s
available to the children and the
families because you can't separat®
child from the family and community in
which they're living and in which th
being raised," she says. "There are
in terms of being able to reach the
needs, but there are. some things that W@
know work. But what we've got to do i
try to make those things work for many,
many more children." :
Start program 18
The federal Head
a terrific example of a comprehensive
program that provides an early
childhood education to children T 3 to
year old. Alien says, But Head Start
serves only 60 percent of eligible.
children, more than a third of th
Black. Alien says Head Start should be
expanded to serve children from birth
to age 3 as well as assisting their paremt¢
Moral, the head of the National
Urban League, says everyone has an
é ¢
obligation to help the needy.
"Anybody who's _halfwat T
enlightened understands the '-
interdependence in Society," tie
explains. "You can't build a wif
around yourself and pretend to be
successful if there's pain and sufferirig
all around." /
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VOTE
= G K BUTTERFIELD
For Congress
Early Voting Ends July 17
ELECTION 'D
?"?
JULY 20
Se
| W VOTE G K BUTTERFIELD IN THE SPECIAL ZLECTION
V VOTE G K BUTTERFIELD IN THE PRIMARY ELECTION |
The Cand'date for Our Com mur ity
oe wah GO Ew ee
PORT ®
Ce
! Don't forget - vote two times
at |
i
page 9 The M-Voice Newspaper July 1 - 15, 2004
Fommunity Voices
ner self, the unfading beau
id quiet spirit which is of
Beauty & Adornment
four beauty should not come from
sans adomment, such as braided hair
di the wearing of gold jewelry and fine
es Instead, it should be that of your
of a gentle
great worth in
(i Peter 3:3, NIV).
Physically, emotionally,
WOMEN, empowered women-women
of God-are at their sexiest and most "fly"
interior as well as their exterior... the
biology, emotions, and psy of
being a wornan. And that takes
age, experience, and time. In
other words, you grow into becoming a
woman. One event (losing your virginity
ot having a baby) does not.make you a
woman. REAL WOMEN ate intelligent
because they are smart and wise
to know that brains and intellect are
from God and are to be used under His
direction. They dress modestly and in
good taste because there is no reason to
advertise or flaunt any part of their
bodies. REAL WOMEN know that
Paper dolls are cheap, disposable, and
replaceable! This is your body so honor
it, respect it, and learn how to take care
of it Read God's Word and begin to
understand the reason why God
intended sex to be practiced within
mattiage. Learn now what it means for
from the Desk of Mrs. Beatrice Maye
your body to be the temple of the living
God. Let it be the site where God can
spread out his comfort, peace, and joy.
Let it be the place where God calls
home. You do that and you will become
not just a woman but a REAL
WOMAN of God.
American F.
Let's consider some little foxes that
spoil the family: 1. Say over and over
enough again, "My family, my home is the-most
important institution in the world ?. 2.
See that the true values in life, and
especially, in the home, are not material
but spiritual. 3. Recover family feeling, |
that sense of unity that gives strength
when all else would " destroy. 4. There
must be some moral standards in the
home by which the family lives. 5. Home
ought to be as attractive as possible.
Home ought to be so attractive that
daddy can't wait to get there at night, and
children never hesitate to invite: their
friends home within them. 6. Keep good
celebrating ali lives that have been lived, and believe that success is providing
:
ea
transition to acceptance.
U
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Commissioner of Agriculture
oTom Gilmore would do an outstanding
job for the people of North Carolina as
Commissioner of Agriculture. ?
- Jim Hunt
\ tae"
four-term Governor of North Carolina
opportunity and fair play. We must elect Tom
aps my. yor sslindepabr da
oTom Gilmore's foresight and vision paved the way for many
bring good government back to the Department of Agriculture. ?
- Eric
literanare handy, and especially the Bible.
A Bible ought to be readily available
for every person to readjust before sleep.
7. Finally, we must recover teligi
religion.
Religion ought to be a vital part of every
famuly
Church attendance of a family unit
tt to be as normal as breathing,
"clin Should we eg A our
children going to Sunday school and
church?
Yes, and we should insist on going with
then bens
Make religion practical and vital in the
family. Talk of Jesus and God and prayer
and salvation as as bread
and soap and the car. Set aside ten or
~fifteen minutes daily for devotion - Bible
America: .
Touched By Evil .
By Faith May
For those who are wotried about
terrorist attacks, warfare and the
horrible things that are happening in
reading, prayer and the reading of
classics. Use The Upper
spiritual
Room or the
Daily Bread or whatever devotional help
a ees ee
provides.
Five Commandments for Modem
. Parents
1. You shall remember that time
2. You shall remember that a good
example is better than many words.
3. You shall give your child
encouragement.
4. You shall give your child freedom
with love. T Discipline is necessary.
5. You shall introduce your child to
God.
Our best crop as patents is to "grow"
Iraq, can have some peace of mind
with a personal relationship with
God. Most Christians know that
God is not responsible for these
horrible events. However, many still
sttuggle with the question of oIf we
serve a God who cares, why would He
allow such a horrible thing to occur? ?
The honest answer and the reason
terrible things happen or may happen
to America is the same reason
tragedy
happened to the old Patriach Job. His _
hedge was down. Likewise, America Ts
hedge is down...and has been for far
too long! The reason it is down is
because of a long and progressive slide
away from the values and principles
that made this nation great.
America Ts greatness is not a
result of a superior group of people.
America is great
because it was founded and based
upon the Word of God. It is a fact
that over 60% of the source material
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/ TV Safety Tips
1. Don't allow children to sit in front of
a TV for more than an hour a day.
2. Be involved in your children's choices
of television.programs, then watch those
with them.
3. Never put TV sets or computers in
children's bedrooms, use a shared family
room.
4. Watch out for junk food consumption
5. Balance media time with indoor and
(Mrs.) Beatrice C. Maye 1225 Davenport
Street Greenville, NC 27834
Edification of a New Generation
used to write our founding documents
came directly or indirectly from the
bible. As a result, God blessed America!
But sadly, we Christians have allowed
our nation to slide away from God
through prayerlessness and
Nonpatticipation in our civil
responsibilities. As a result, the concept
of secular humanism has taken root to
the extent that our children are denied
the right to pray in school!
__ ___We also-can look to the Word
of God and see very simply that these
horrible acts of evil are a result of the
time we live in. We are the generation
that will usher in the Second Coming of
the Lord. Jesus warned us in the
gospels that in the last days we would
witness a time of stress on the earth
never experi before. Yet, in the
midst of all this trouble Jesus said, oSee
that you are not troubled; for all these
ings must come to pass. ?
There are demonic
ptincipalities in the heavenlies that are
the source behind terrorism. The bible
says we are to stand against them. Just _
as God works through man, so does
Satan. This demonic warfare must be
fought on two planes "spiritual as well
as physical.
First of all, all Christians must
ptay. Pray against these powers of
darkness that seek to annihila te the
people and nations that tepresent the
Judeo-Christian ethic of freeto m. Pray
for the peace of Jerusalem. If you
would like a closer relationship with our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, now is the
time. ;
ues article was based on a
news. from the Ministry of Livi ing
Word Christian Center. iv
YOU ARE
CORDIALLY
| INVITED TOTHE ~°
_ ANNIVERSARY OF
MOUNT CALVARY'S
SENIOR USHER
MINISTRY SUNDAY,
_ JULY 18, 2004 TIME:
4:00 P M PLEASE
COME AND HELP US
LIFT UP THE NAME
OR THE LORD IN
SONGS WITH OUR
SPECIAL GUEST BIG
JAMES BARRETT
AND THE GOLDEN
JUBILEES
Mount Calvary FWB
Church
411 Watauga Avenue
Greenville, North Carolina
Sis. Johnnie Dawson,
Chairperson
Bishop Henry Browa, Sr.,
| Pastor
|
Pitt County Commissioner
Seat \/ Combine Distriety 1&2
The most Qualified and Experienced Candidate
* Pastor of Holy Trinity United Holy Church ~ 24 vrs
* Member of the Pitt County Board of Education ~ 12 vrs
* Past President of the Pitt County Black Ministries Conference
| VCITVGHE OF Me Deane WHEE WEEE OF pert HCE a
(rack record in public office in Pit County Government.
Put "Love On Board" July 20, 2004
* Presiding Bishop of the Southern District of the United Holy Church ~ over 200 churches
* Past Chairman of the Greenville Public Transportation Commission
Paid for by the Committe to elect
Ralph "Bishop" Lov
County Commissioner
rows , (ik é8 Oe nn nw ww aw we i we wee eee ee ete eee eeeee POPP eee EL ES:
O80 SO OELGAE LL SISISTEEGSEDES PG ASTER SESE TESA, OOOO ed ee OO ya
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10 M-Voice Newspaper
Black Chil
WASHINGTON, D.c " Many
black children develop a sense of
'less-than-ness" after years of
school lessons and reading text
books that mention very little about
African-American contributions.
In addition, most lessons about
black history are taught during
ebruary and feature the same five
br six black people every year.
hen combined with the negative
tereotypes of black TV thousands
bf black children feel inferior and
tite themselves off before they
pegin.
Unemployment crisis looms f
dren Need
psychologists, African-American
children need to be taught the
value of their heritage. Knowing
the significant contributions made
by Africans and
African-Americans throughout
history can reverse the effects of
Negative media images and
Stereotypes that cause low
self-esteem and poor self-image.
21st Century Educational
Services, a nonprofit organization,
to help inspire and motivate
thousands of disadvantaged black
African-American youth.
worked
wonders in several schools
high school dropouts and 16.8% for reports that an increase in the federal
To Be Taught The Va
BC.
Educational The series has been so
Services is adopting schools, one successful in schools that, CBS
school, at a time, so that every News interviewed the author and
child in that school gets a set of one of the teachers using the Just
the Just Like Me Series. Using the Like Me Series in her classes.
series in a classroom setting has
ptoven to improve self-esteem, sponsor150 schools with at-risk
destroy African-American students in the
at-risk following cities: Dallas, Houston,
The goal for 2004 is to
Chicago, Atlanta, Philadelphia,
July 1-15, 2004 The M-Voice Newspaper Page 11
more job loss as a result of a wage hike.
New York, Baltimore, Detroit,
Charlotte, and Washington, D.C.
Our children need your help!
The group is offering
sponsorships of 10 students for
$150, all of which is tax
deductible. Small businesses and
corporations can sponsor 10
students, an entire school for just
$7,500 or 10 schools for $75,000,
all of which is tax deductible.
: POWER ILLUSTRATED
° minimum will cripple employment GatewayJobs.com, a website launched
. ~ further. According to their research, when caisis in entry-level emp and details
H sis continace § _ , . the minimum wage is increased, low- how the push by Senators Kerry and
. Owever, a crisis continues or many job The U.S. Senate is expected to take teenagers. Black teens, in particular, en j level workers lose job opportunities Kennedy j to increase the minimum wage to
rs paera Wage Proposal may be s ets i the entry-level workforce that the debate on increasing the minimurs received the worst news with an to higher skied workers thes ae $7.00 an hour will further hurt those
already struggling entry-level job could be exacerbated by a Proposal from " wage on (Tuesday.) - unemployment rate of 32.6% " the third to the new wage. Research by economists individuals already struggling to find jobs.
WASHINGTON _ 7 Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, The Department of Labor revealed straight month of ~ increased at Comell University concludes that high The site is regularly updated with statistics
= ~ The June 2004 both Democrats from Massachusetts, to significantly high unemployment rates for unemployment. . school dropouts and African-American detailing the employment market for
good news for (age a! a fawase the minimum wage to $7.00 per traditional entry-level employees: 8.8% for The Employment Policies Institute young adults would suffer four times entry-level employees, and provides vital
Nation 0/0. Our. 8
information about a host of government
lue Of Their Heritage
Eighty-five percent of all
donations go toward books and
services for the students.
Information on donations is
available at WWW justgiive.org of
www.
just likemebooks.com/whatisnew.ht
m For more information on 21st
Century Educational Services, goto .
www.guidestat.org.
many
children across the c "=Scientific contributions made by .
According to leading clinical developed the Adopt-A TSchool _ black people dating back to 6000 "POWER ILLUSTRATED INC." needs be that offences come: but woe to
: THE MISSING INGREDIENTS" that man by whom the offence cometh.
"FORGIVENESS; From a camal perspective dealing with
RECONCILIATIONS, AND LOVE" offences is not easy. However, from a
It's impossible to live on planet earth without "_Believer's perspective, God gives us:
being confronted with various forms of knowledge in how to handle the offending
offence. Matthew- 18: 7 tells us "Woe unto party.
| ae ae OY the world because of offences: for it must If we follow Gods approach step by step
Ped dradrus Pen . we can, through the anointing of God, win
1900 South Pitt You are] se py hata et
s n Ss 5
Greenville, NC 27834 to shall we? | hacigeweae
Listen In the heat of a nasty debate, two believers
252-321 -6991 are arpuing over God's word. Neither wish the first move, then you do, because you are
. o to to resolve their differences: How can we portraying Christ.
Shop CC's for Your Fresh The solve this? Step - 1. Proverbs - 15:1"A soft Note Herbews - 12: 3 "For consider him
Cakes & Breads Bev answer tumneth away wrath: but grievous that endured such contradiction of sinners
Smith Words stir up anger. If you know that you against himself lest ye be wearied, and faint
at her are night in what you ate saying, then why i your minds". Christ endured conflicts,
are you so angry? Why can't you silence why can't we?
New Time from yourself for the sake of Christ? Is being "R. And to conclude our session, Step - 3."L.0.
7PM to 10PM L G. H. T." in your own Eyes wotth V. E." was the missing Ingredient. Note
nisking your salvation? Since you see the Luke- 7: 47 "but to whom litle is forgiven,
wy cat yea eee eee named ee Ee Is your bre
y cant you e or het? measured your amount of
AM 1340 woow Remember, the you really ate, is the un-Foggjreness?
personality you interject ?, Note To The Readers.
Step -2. Reconciliation: Each of you are Elder Chavis serve as Sunday School
chiming to be believers. But, if we truly are Teacher at the New Beginning Church Of
trying to personify Chriss nature, then Deliverance, under the jurisdiction of Bishop
ptide cannot be a ruling factor. If the Jack Richardson
individual offended don't wont to make
i Bites pe WILLIFORD
|
7 if rt oe Vi . 4.
a health Care. ror you. North Carolina District #1
ee ae Us House of Representatives
For Your Family and His - A Representative with Values
AIRE REI
aera ttter tates: ee
. a
(hh, ea "
saat
The progress of our public schools, the continued excellence of our university system
and community colleges, the protection of our environment, the creation of jobs, the %
well-being and safety of our citizens " all of these are my objectives. I truly believe %* Charles
that together we can come up with creative ways to address all these issues and more,
vw Restoration of Family Values
through proper management of our state Ts assets.
vw Utilization of North Carolina's Natural Resources
vw Increased Long-Term Job Growth
w Reformation of Social Security /Disability
vw Equitable Tobacco Buyout
KHKKAIK KE
Paid for by the Jerry Williford for US House Committee
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wille Clutomotive
5307 Reedy Branch Rd, Winterville, NC 28500
om Lodatarcreyal
Ginna ACs SENATE,
* DISTRICT 3
You deserve representation in the State Senate by someone who understands our
people and our way of life. On July 20th I ask for your vote to send me back to the
North Carolina General Assembly as your Senator from District 3.
PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO ELECT CHARLES JOHNSON
www.CharlesJohnson2004.com
+
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Page 12 The M-Voice Newspaper July 1-15, 2004
Hazard of Weight
somehow so flawed that they fail to
~"People don't know what to
make of it," says Dr. Steven
T Heymsfield of Columbia University.
Blacks stil have a lot of strokes and
attacks, but maybe it's for
reasons other than BMI."
Also unclear is whether the same
is true for le of African descent in
other + of the wodld, experts soy
since studies like those in the
United States have not been done.
One of the largest reports to look
Gain for Blacks Unclear
at this, an analysis of Ametican Cancer
iety data on more than 1 million
U.S. adults, found s ties between
weight and longevity fer whites bar
much less solid evidence for blacks.
For instance, the study found
only about a 20 percent increased risk
of death among ov
women, and even then only when
their body-mass index exceeded 35,
which is well into the obese tange. The
risk for black men began to tise when
they reached the overweigh t category,
but thé increase was small.
Study is the first to focus on black Americans
Eyedrops delays
by Kathleen Fackelmann (USA)
' urgen
case for on of Sa early for
warning signs of glaucoma, says Paul
Sieving, director of the National Eye
Institute, part: of the National
Black marriages need chu
By Yolanda young
This is the peak wedding season,
but for many African-Americans,
who marry at a rate lower than any
other ethnic group, in the place of
wishful anticipation is a sense of
hopelessness.
This is especially true for black
women, only 31% of whom have
husbands with 54% for
whites; 50% will not be married by
age 40. This is largely because of the
Institutes of Health, which paid for
the study. -angle glaucoma
affects pore T than ? 2 million
Americans and is the leading cause
of blindness among
African-Americans, he says.
Researcher Michael Kass of
Washington University-St. Louis
and his colleagues had shown in a
Previous study that prescription eye
drops that lower pressure in the eye
high number of black males who are
incarcerated, jobless or in interracial
relationships. Even more sobering
are studies that project 70% of black
marriages will end in divorce.
Reports suggest that married
people live longer and are less likely
to commit suicide, suffer from
alcoholism, depression or acute and
chronic illnesses. They earn more,
save more, are promoted faster and
have better sex lives. Conversely,
could ward off glaucoma in white
Americans. The new study,
published in this month's Archives
of Ophthalmology, is the first to
focus on blacks. The people in the
study didn't have glaucoma but did
have elevated pressure in at least
one eye, a major warning sign of the
disease.
Glaucoma develops when the
fluid in the eye drains too slowly,
studies show children _ " of
single-parent households have a
higher tate of infant mortality and
behavioral problems and are twice
as likely to drop out of school.
' Even so, these factors are not
Proving to be enough of an
incentive to keep black couples
together.
Family _ therapist Audrey
Chapman says black couples face
more obstacles than whites.
erweight black |
than if their BMIs were in the
overweight but not obese category.
glucoma in blacks
leading to high pressure and eye
damage. In eae stages of the
disease, people typically don't notice
anything. By the time symptoms
become ap t, the disease is
advanced. People with glaucoma
gtadually lose peripheral vision and
can become legally blind.
Kass and his colleagues gave
half the African-Ameticans with
high eye pressure the daily drops,
ch's help
Education and finance affect all
matriages, she says, but because of
higher rates of unemployment and
underemployment, black couples are
affected more. Also, because many
blacks have been taised in
single-parent or dysfunctional
two-parent families, they do not
have a template of a successful
matriage.
Couples, activists and the
government are realizing that there
Brazil Sets Example for Taming AIDS
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) -
A decade ago, health experts predicted
an AIDS explosion in Latin America,
striking hardest at Brazil, with its
teeming population and sexual
permissiveness. But the explosion
Never came, and experts say Brazil's
handling of the problem may keep it
from ever happening. '
oIf you look over the map of
HIV/AIDS in Latin Ametica it looks
like the African map from 15 years
ago, ? said Paulo Lyra, a consultant on
Latin America for the Pan American
Health Organization.
oBut what's different with Latin
America is that it is by far the
developing region with the most
Black Sheriff Tells a Poi
Book Release of "Great Courage:
The First Black Sheriff Elected in the
South Since Reconstruction", an
Autobiography by Lucius D. Amerson
with A.E. Amerson
Fort Washington, MD - With the
access to antiretroviral treatment."
Antiretroviral drugs reduce the
HIV in the bloodstream, making
HIV infection a chronic disease
rather than a terminal one.
In Latin America and the
Caribbean, about 400,000 le are
believed to need AIDS drugs and
about 55 percent are getting them. In
Africa, an estimated 4.4 million
people need drugs but only 2 percent
ate getting them.
The biggest success stoty is
Brazil, thanks to a program of crisis
management that has been praised by
AIDS :
With a population of nearly 180
million, Brazil has by far the largest
release this week of the co-authored
autobi y, "Great Courage", the
late Sheriff Lucius D. Amerson, with
son A.E. Amerson document the
true-life encounters and fast-
action associated with the late
number = of __ patients. By
manufacturing _ "_chea eric
versions of the otherwise expensive
AIDS drug cocktail and offering
them free to all who need them, the
country has put itself at the forefront
of Latin America's war on AIDS.
Brazil's drug industry faced a
threat when the country entered the
World Trade Organization, which
mandates compliance with trademark
rules. But it was able to negotiate
deep discounts with pharmaceutical
makers simply by tening to
break the rules if treatments became
too costly.
Brazil was a global pioneer in
the manufacture of cheap generic
Amersons initial term in office as
Sheriff of Macon County in Tusk
Alabama (1967). Sheriff Amerson
served five four-year terms until
retirement in 1987.
The book is being marketed as
AIDS drugs and still manufactures
those patented before it signed its
intellectual property law. It
distributes these to patients who
have not yet developed resistance
and need more advanced drugs.
Brazil spends about 1.5 percent
of its health or $175 million a
year, on anti-AIDS drugs.
- The giveaway cut the death rate
in half in just four years, saving an
estimated 100,000 lives. Since then,
the death toll has crept back up, but
only gradually
In 2002, the last year for which
numbers are available, 11,047
Brazilians died from the disease, o;
slightly more than the 11,024 who
one of the forgotten civil rights story
of the 20th centuty. Amenowe historic
election over an incumbent white
shenff gained national media attention
in 1966. The election marked the first
time an African-American was elected
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Scmte question the signi ot
the racial comparison. say that
the studies might underestimate the
health effects of weight or fail to
account for weight loss that results
"I don't think a direct comparison
of the relative r i risk in blacks
and whites is woinit Shi
Kumanyika, an epidemiologist at th
University of Pe ia. "You
would have to know _ the
circumstances that influence death
actoss the BMI distribution in the
black population."
Stil, if blacks truly suffer fewer
consequences of modest weight gain,
she and others speculate that differences
in body fat distribution might partly
explain why.
Fat is thought to be most _
dangerous if it is packed around the
internal organs. This kind of fat is most
biologically active, throwing off
cholesterol levels and forcing up insulin
levels,
ight blacks tend to have
lower levels of harmful triglycerides and
higher amounts of protective HDL than
do similar-size whites, and this might be
due to where their fat is deposited.
Blacks tend to carry a larger proportion
of their fat in a layer under the skin
rather than deep in the belly.
_ Daniel Q. Haney is a Medical
and half received the standard care
-- frequent checks for any sign of
disease but no eye drops.
_ Daily eye drops reduced the
number of people who developed
the disease by about half: The team
found that 84% of the
African-Americans who received
eye drops developed the disease,
compared with 16.1% of those in
the standard-care group.
The study confirmed other
reports suggesting that black
Americans are at higher risk of the
disease than white Americans, says
Mildred Olivier, a spokeswoman for
Prevent Blindness America of
Schaumburg, Ill. Scientists suspect
that the disease is more aggressive in
blacks, leading to greater damage at
an earlier age.
The researchers suggest that
black Americans get an eye exam
once. every two years starting at age
40. Evetyone else should get eye
exams, too, but they can start at age
60, says researcher Eve
Higginbotham of the University of .
Maryland.
Not everyone with high eye
pressure will go on to develop _
glaucoma, so people should ask theit
may be no better place to turn for a
message of hope on marriage than
the black church.
A study by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
found that couples for whom
religion was important divorced at a
lower rate than other couples. This
month, the Brookings Institution
conducted a panel discussion called
"The Marriage Movement and the
Black Church". And House
Republicans have introduced a
measure that would provide funding
to religious institutions to promote
healthy marri
Though Rep. Elijah Cummings,
died in 1997.
In 1990, the World Bank
estimated Brazil would have 1.2
million people infected with HIV by
2000. Today, authorities estimate the
total is about half that many.
Proportional to population,
Brazil has had far less than its share
of the 100,000 people who died of
AIDS across Latin America and the
Caribbean last year.
Its neighbors have taken heart
from Brazil's example.
Experts who argued that
treatment was too expensive and
complicated in the
impoverished region now hold up
Brazil's program as a model.
The Brazilian government funds
five pilot programs in Latin America,
providing free anti-AIDS drugs and
expertise.
gnant Story Of The Real South During
as sheriff in the Deep South since the
Reconstruction period. Amenton
attributed his election to the recently
passed Voters Right Act of 1965 along
with support from student activists at
Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee
D-Md., chairman of the
Congressional Black Caucus, does not
believe that can be
legislated, he says African-Americans
should seek out institutions, such. as
the church, that provide a nurturing
environment. Chapman, too,
concedes that her clients with
religious influences fare better. It
seems for African-Americans to make
theit marriages work, they've got to
have faith.
Yolanda Young is author of On
Our Way to Beautiful: A Family
Memoir.
Most of these programs only treat
about 100 patients, except in Bolivia
and Paraguay, where the total number
of patients is only about 500. Brazil
treats nearly everyone.
Also contributing to Brazil's
success is its frank, often graphic
AIDS propaganda, and the
distribution of millions of free
condoms at festivals such as the Mardi
Gras carnival. 7
Still, some 80 percent of
Brazilians are Roman Catholic, and
although their church has not come
out strongly against the condom
ptogram, distribution. : is _less
widespread outside the cities.
There are. no guarantees that
Brazil has been spared for good, warns
Mauro Teixeira, an adviser with the
Brazil Ant-AIDS program.
He points to the tiny southern
The Sixties
University) and rural residents of the
county.
Sheriff Amos as he was called by
residents of the county was a Ko
S$ afrest of
enforcement officers for
and several near death experiences
; his twenty-year tenure iff.
| aune ty-year as sheriff
t documents the little
known history of the office of sheriff as
well as a profile of other
African-American sheriffs across the
United States.
Book is available online at
www.s TSON.COM
CONTACT:
What's Your Story Publishing
Phone: 301-792-6106
War veteran, who became known fo hia
no-nonsense in face style of
pee enforcement. fe enforced fe law
and equally, of color,
The book highligh i renee details of
Amerson! white hw
: beating an
unarmed African- ica man, a