: ‘Teachin EASTERN NORTH CAROLINA'S MINORITY VOICE - SINCE 1981 cam VoiIC ‘f we are ever to be rid of the bestiality of free manhood... & CALS JOYNER LIBRARY E IREENVILLE Ne PER IODI W.E.B. Dubois WEEK ENDING JANUARY 17, 1997 ‘ by Aisha Molake As the media-fueled debate ~ about Ebonics raged through the Black community, Oakland, Ca- - lif.. Unified School Board mem- bers met with the Rev. Jesse Jack- son on Dec. 30 in an effort to clear misconceptions about their deci- sion earlier that ignited a national debate about the legitimacy of “Black English.” Board members, who rendered a policy Dec. 18 to use Ebonics as a method to teach Black students _ standard English, claim that me- » dia distortions of the Ehonics pro- gram resulted in harsh criticisms from city officials and prominent Black leaders, including the Rev. Jackson. However, Rev. Jackson retracted his initial statement that Ebonics is “teaching down” to our children and that the program is “border- ing on disgrace,” offering his sup- port to the program. “Their intent is to teach the chil- dren standard English. If the in- tent were not to teach the stan- dard English I would object,” he said following his meeting with board members. “This past week gave us a very clear indication of the power of the media,” Oakland Superintendcnt Carolyn Getridge told The M Voice, “The fact that all across America people did not understand the goals and intent of the board can be directly linked to the message that was portrayed in the media. I want to be clear that we are not teaching Ebonics ... our goal is that every student in our school district speaks, reads, and writes profi- ciently in English.” During Oakland’s winter break, students were overwhelmed by reporters, who often stopped them on the street to ask about Ebonics. “They were unaware of the policy so of course the students’ response was, ‘well, we don’t need to be taught slang,” Ms. Getridge said. However, parents have grown sup- portive after learning of the board’s ojectives. Calls have also poured in from other predominately Black districts around the nation that have expressed an interest in the Ebonics programs, she said. In a Dec. 25 statement Supt. Getridge said she hoped others who have criticized the school board’s decision will take time to obtain the board’s policy, as Rev. Jackson has done. Public figures such as Oakland Mayor Elihu Harris, State Supt. of Instruction Delaine Eastin, NAACP President Kwesi Mfume, poet Maya Angelou, and historians and linguists at uni- versities around the country have g Black Talk? criticized the school through the media. “The Rev. Jackson’s primary con- cern was how the decision was played in the media and how it was perceived in our village,” board member Toni Cook said of the Dec. 30 meeting. At the outset, Oakland residents appeared convinced by media re- ports that the school board was using Ebonics as a ploy to obtain federal funding. “This is the way many in our village heard the story. They did not know the city, the district, and school board were pre- dominately Black. But, Rev., Jackson’s visit and The Final Call newspaper brought clarity, so all praise is due to Allah,” Ms. Cook said. Black students in Oakland ac- count for 53 percent of the district’s population. Call-in radio forum is held to discuss recent murders Community leaders look for, ask public for solutions By Dawn Bryant The Daily Reflector Churches, parents and residents need-to join efforts with the police department to solve Greenville’s re- cent rash of murders and make the city safer, local leaders said Wednes- day. City, county, school and civic lead- ers participated in a two-hour call- * in forum Wednesday spon sored by “ WOOW radio The group, which included Mayor Nancy Jenkins, Pitt County school board member Michael Dixon, three city councilmen and Bishop Randy Royal, discussed several solutions: getting thecommunity, churches and parents involved; organizing a task force and giving young people in West Greenville—-where the mur- ders happened—alternatives to hanging out on the street. The police department cannot do it by themselves,” Bennie Rountree, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, said. “We all must take a part.” Jim Rouse, owner of WOOW radio and West Greenville resident, organized the commercial-free session. “In 1997, our community is being plagued by young men killing each other,” he said. “Sometimes it’s not about money but dealing with prob- lems that are in front of us. We made progress (Wednesday) because we brought white folks and black folks together to the table.” Four black males have been shot to death in West Greenville since Christmas Eve, three killings occurring Jan. 2- 4. Police have made only one arrest and still aren’t sure whether the killings are related. Several of the panelists, including Greenville Police Chief Charles Hinman, said drug activity played a role in each of the murders. County Commissioner Jeff Savage hada dif- ferent view. “It could very well be not drug related,” he said. “I’m not quick to write it off to the drug culture. We could have a psychopath on our hands.” The group agreed it will take more than the police department’s efforts to keep crimes from occurring. Churches should reach out tothe community, parents should become more involvedin their children’s lives, andresidents should take a more active stand in revort- ing crimes and keeping crime out of their neighborhoods, panelists said Residents who do have information about the murders or other crimes are afraid to go to the police, one caller, who did not give her name, said. “Tf all of us start talking they can’t kill us all,” Rountree said. “If people would talk today they would prob- ably solve it by 5 o'clock. “The police department does not know whe killed these people but the people in the community know. i AB] a 4 oliday Time at “The Golden Touch” Beauty Salon. Sister B.J. thanks all of her clients for heir continued patronage and support with a holiday party, Smiling faces were the order Of the day. (BELOW) Sisters Ruby Taylor (L) and Doris Hansley (R) are ready to put the shing touches” on their styles. vorceeee a (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Rouse) So open your mouth.” Fourteen residents called with questions and comments. Brenda Smith said the violence isn’t limited to one area. “It’s not where we live and how much money we have that makes things look bad,” she said. “People are just mean now. You can’t stop that. We can pray for the people.” Royal recommended a task force be appointed within the next couple of days. Instead of forming a new group, some of the city’s established boards, including the Weed Task force, should become involved, Ms. Jenkins said. “We know that it is going to take all of us working to- gether,” she said. “It is going to take every single one of us.” Compared with other cities, Greenville has been fortunate to not have had more vio- lent activity, Ms. Jenkinssaid. “This has never occurred here,” Savage said. “We don’t want this to be the norm in 1997.” Supreme Court Rejects Request The U.S. Supreme Court has ended the complex legal battle over the role of race in drawing Louisi- ana’ s congressional districts, nar- rowly rejecting a request by Con- gressman Cleo Fields of Baton Rouge to reconsider the map that eliminated his majority black dis- trict. Tracking recent rulings against what the court has called racial gerrymandering, thejustices voted 5-4 to reject an appeal by Fields and the state’s Legislative Black Caucus to rehear the case. The decision killed any hopes of overturning Louisiana’s current congressional districts. That means the new map, which con- tains just one majority black dis- trict, will likely remain in effect until the next round of redistrict- ing after the 2000 census. The ruling brings to an end a battle that has been waged since four Lincoln Parish residents filed suit against districts drawing after the 1990 census. “This is all over,” said Ray Hays, one of the residents involved in the suit filed in 1992. Under the old map, Fields’ dis- trict meandered across the state in a pattern resembling a giant “Z.” The district was drawn to link up pockets of black voters around the state to create a second black-ma- jority district, in keeping with Jus- tice Department policy that states maximize black voting strength. But the Supreme Court questioned that policy and recent decisions have resulted in states redrawing maps to eliminate a number of majority-minority districts at the congressional, state and local lev- els. The Louisiana Legislature re- drew the map to make the 4th District more compact, but a panel of federal judges threw that one out and drew its own, leaving one black majority district in New Or- leans. The Supreme Court's deci- sion leaves intact an 8-1 ruling the high court made in June that de- clared a challenge by Fields and the Justice Department legally moot. W.E.B. DuBois and Martin Luther King Jr. some of the country's greatest orators. As teacners learn more about Ebonics, they not only gain a better anderstanding of Jents but can show students how to turn those cultural attributes into strengths. The state of Cali- fornia and the federal govern- ment have been finding the re- search that has gleaned these simple truths for two decades. As long as a few academics ban- died the theories about, no cared. But programs like Dr. Lemoine’s have discovered that the targeted children do learn standard English better when taught this way. Oakland teach- ers have piloted the Standard English Proficiency program, of- ten at their own expense for three years, attending conferences, do- ing their own ad-hoc in-service and sharing their results with whoever would listen. The deci- sion to adopt their strategies on a district-wide basis is an object lesson in schoo] reform—-not fod- der for talk-show hosts. ! People like Delaine Eastin, the superintendent of schools, who automatically attach lower stan- dards with “Black” do not set foot in these schools where parents and teachers and students are tackling textbooks and curnicu- lum that do not meet their needs. Black parents particularly are fed up with the “soul murder” being committed on their young- sters before they even reach the fourth grade. If school choice and parental input are meaningful concepts, then these programs that are makinga difference must be nurtured, refinery and dupli- cated. It is time to stop the sys- tematic-demotivation that Carter G. Woodson, father of Negro His- tory Week, wrote about in 1931 in “The Miseducation of the Ne- gro.” I would urge any critic of the Oakland program to read that book first before commenting on the program. San Francisco-based writer John William Templeton man- agesan independent pub- lishing house that provides social science and pedagogy books to Califor- nia school districts. He s also edi- tor of Griot, the African-Amert- can, African and Caribbean busid ness BY John William Templeton The coverage of the Oakland School Board’s decision to em- brace the Standard English Pro- ficiency program district wide an example of “straw-man journal- ism.” Some reporters have pulled a “gotcha” on high-ranking state and federal officials by asking them ifthey embrace the district “teaching Black English.” Be- trayed by their ignorance of the linguistic and pedagogy issues involved, those officials have is- sued truly loony statements. Since 1991, it has been a policy of the State Board of Education to recognize Ebonics, the syncretization-of African and European languages, while de- signing curriculum strategies. Dr. Ernie Smith, a Southern Cali- fornia linguist, developed the term and the research behind the findings. Dr. Noma Lemoine put the theory to work in Los Angeles with the Language De- velopment Program for African- American Students, which has been in effect in dozens of Los Angeles schools for more than five years. Like many who hear a snap characterization of “Black En- glish,” I was somewhat skeptical of the concept before hearing Dr. Lemoine explain it. Simply, the primary human language acqui- sition occurs before age four. Any language learning after that has to occur on the foundation of that original language acquisition. A French person who learns En- glish still thinks in French. The language patterns common to Af- rican-American communities across the Western Hemisphere, whether expressed in English, French, Spanish or Dutch, carry a common set of grammar and syntax rules that are traced to the languages of the Niger-Congo region of Africa. Those patterns are not just incorrect English, but an intentional retention of that culture. Ebonics is far more than non- standard use of “to be” and com- bining consonants. It is also the magical use of simile and meta- phor, the mastery of inflection and tone and the persuasive qualities that have made people like Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Mary McLeod Bethune, ‘their stu one “PLL ALWAYS LOVE MY MAMA”.... Deacon Wheeler Brown proudly shows off the love he feels for his mom...Mother Sadie Brown... who was celebrating her birthday recently. Deacon Brown readily attributes his success to the God- fearing upbringing he received from mom, Even the “Good Book” says the child that is brought up the way he should be shall not depart gr it. (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Row <7858 ca semen _ 2~THE . Royal Oakes, legal analyst for Los Angeles’ all-news KF°WB AM, . was on the air within minutes of the - announcement that OJ. Simpson ' had just won custody of his two , youngest children, Sydney and Jus- ‘ tin. Oakes, who also covered the K@ Yi.’ criminal trial, and had told me that \ he believed that Simpson had mur- @ | dered his ex-wife, Nicole Brown - Simpson, andher friend Ronald Lyle Goldman, was explaining to his lis- ' tening audience that the law pretty | much sided with Simpson through- out the custody suit. Then he threw in this biased caveat: “The children were awarded to Simpson because he had beaten the [murder] rap.” And soit goes in the continuing saga of O.J. Simpson; whether or not he killed two white people on the night of June 12, 1994. The media thinks he did it, from the highest towers of power down to the lowly newspaper T=) mm fol els Ls ca 4 y ' pe 2009 W. Wilson Street Tarboro, NC 27886 (919) 823-5166 OV ANELL Wr NA AS \ To get your "M" Voice by mail write to: The '"M" Voice Newspaper PO Box 8361 Greenville, NC 27834 SUBSCRIPTION PAYMENT MUST BE INCLUDED WITH ORDER mae "3 agen “Mt VOICE - WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 - JANUARY 17, 1997 oe e a sea = Media bias prevents Simpson from getting fair coverage stringer. This Othello/Willie Horton- type murderer has beaten the rap and. the mass media have taken it upon them selves to right the al- leged wrong. Down at the ocean front Santa Monica courtroom, termed “0.J By the Sea,” media bias against Simpson sticks out like a sore thumb. Consider, for example, how differ- ently the mainstream media cov- ered two of Simpson’s expert wit- nesses; renowned blood expert MacDonell and noted forensic pa- thologist Michael Baden. Last week, MacDonell could not be shaken from his expert analysis that blood from the torsos of Brown Simpson and Goldman was planted ontoSimpson’s socks allegedly found in his bedroom and that the infa- mous Isotoner gloves found both at the murder scene and at Simpson’s estate could not have shrunk almost 25 percent. His testimony got al- most no coverage. He and his wife, "M" Voice 225 Tarboro Street _) Yes, I'd like a 6 months subscription by mail $15 Rocky Mount, NC 27801 G Yes, I'dilike.a 12 months subscription by mail $30 (919) 446-0436 Nane a : . . Tess i Edgecombe Community College. Changing City F stag Zip communities...changing lives. - An equal opportunity institution The ae ’ 12 ‘ ‘m’ Voice Phyllis, stayed around for the after- noon session after his morning testi- mony and the media literally ig- nored him. It was a different story, however, for Baden, whose resume . includes involvement in the cases of John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, John Belushi and a host of other highsprofile deaths. Ed Medveng; the quintessential “Phila- delphia lawyer” who represents the plaintiffs suing Simpson, launched intg a sophistic line of questioning which was designed to embarrass Baden. Sophistry is the ancipnt Greek art of making half-truths And outright distortions appear credit- able and factual. Badenhadclaimed, both in the criminal trial and in the civil one, that the scars on Simpson’s finger couldn’t have been made by Brown Simpson’s fingernails. He also testified that Goldman stood on his feet long enough not only for the : blood to have traveled down from a ‘ f f his thigh to his shoes, but also long enough for him to have vigorously | fought off his assailant(s) so much that his knuckles were seriously bruised. Yet Medvene asked ques- tions which prompted Baden to an- swer - not “yes” and “no” as the lawyer wanted, but with responses like, “yes, but . .., no, but,” or “let me explain” or “let me clarify.” Re- sponses like those are like blood toa shark for cross-examining attorney or a biased reporter. Predictably, reporters jumped at the bait. They skewered Baden in their coverage. Another example came tolight when this columnist encountered former L.A. County District Attorney/now trial analyst Ira Reiner in the trailer of a television network. While the network producers and we were dis- cussing the stormy relationship of Simpson and his estranged wife this writer mentioned that since the Continued on page 4 proudly salutes Dr. Martin ~ Luther King Jr. Remember Dr. King's message. "I havea Dream" Keep the dreamalive. Have hope for a better tomorrow. Work hard and peacefully for it to- day. Don't let the struggle Dr. king went through be forgotten. You too. should have a dream. a 518 E. Greenville Blvd. Greenville, NC Sister Lila Jones, owner-operator shown here with her lovely young daughter as they enjoy “bringing home the bacon” to prepare a scrumptious meal fordad. After all, meal time is “Family Time”. FURNITURE. - f F: € of Hair Connection, is (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Rouse)’ 6 we bee ' Mrs. Beatrice Maye S gp Beauty Supply ///,,/ te Aditi y, on 296 r ered today. Pa et + eh and =‘. . PITT COMMUNITY COLLE GE. a Faille a th RR I f° De v Oar pie Me cet gage r wunlgn Moyles peth,! were MR 8. tt, aoa 6 Pitt Community College. «+» ie Greenville, NC tit» 9° a Nene a y LD arg: se es he va aT Hie’ 3H, Hh, & Sava. oR OW grate By, # oe \ CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM MEDIA RELEASE The LITTLE WILLIE CENTER announces the sponsorship Name of Sponsor of the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded Child and Adult Care Food Program. The same meals will be available at no separate charge to enrolled participants at the center(s) below, and will be provided without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should write immediately to: Administrator, Food and Consumer Service, USDA, 3101 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302. Insert Name of Center(s) and/or Home(s) Here. LITTLE WILLIE CENTER THE FOLLOWING HOUSEHOLD SIZE AND INCOME STANDARDS ARE USED TO DETERMINE ELIGIBILITY: HOUSEHOLD YEARLY MONTHLY WEEKLY SIZE Free = Reduced Free + Reduced Free Reduced 1 10,062 14,319 639 1,194 194 276 2 13,468 19,166 1,123 1,598 259 369 3 16,874 24,013 1,407 2,002 325 462 4 20,280 28,860 1,690 2,405 390 §55 5 23,686 33,707 1,974 2,809 456 649 6 27,092 38,554 2,258 3,213 521 742 7 30,498 43,401 2,542 3,617 587. 835 8 33,904 48,248 2,625 4,021 652 928 For each additional household member add: 3,406 4,847 2A 404 66 94 EUUGIBILITY STANDARDS FOR THE CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 1996 THROUGH JUNE 30, ‘997. For Sponsor Use Only Sent To: WOOW Radio and M Voice Newspapers Date 9/15/96 The Daily Reflector 9/1 Media Ootiets WNCT TV 9 9/1 Routing: Submit original to media outlet and one copy to State Agency. Retain one copy for your files. Nutrition Services Section (7/96) Black History Month 1798-1866 James P. Beckwourth was a true pioneer. He was a lover of adventure, a fur trapper, scout, and trader. He was adopted by the Crow Indian nation. This mountain man discovered a passage through the Sierra Nevada Mountains which helped many settlers reach California more easily. Beckwourth was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on April 6, 1798. His father, who was White, fought in the Revolutionary War. His mother was a slave in his father’s house. Beckwourth had twelve brothers and sisters. After completing only four years of schooling, he then worked as a blacksmuth’s helper for five years in St. Louis, Missouri. As a young boy, Beckwourth had heard stories about the mountain men who lived in the West. He dreamed about being an explorer and living in the western wilderness. When he was 18 years old, Beckwourth decided to seek adventure in the West. Because he was Black, he had a difficult time finding work. In 1823, he found both work and adventure. He joined up with General William Henry Ashley’s Rocky Mountain Fur Trading Company. Living in the wilderness, Beckwourth soon became an expert hunter and fur trader. He quickly became a crack shot, who never wasted a bullet. He learned the ways of the Indians including their languages. He could throw a tomahawk and bowie knife with the best of them. In 1825, Beckwourth left the trading company and went to live among the Indians for six years. He was asked to join the Crow and Blackfoot Indian tribes. He was adopted by the Crow nation when a woman Claimed that he was her long-lost son. The Crows made Beckwourth a chief and called him “Bull’s Robe.” He fought bravely in many of their tribal wars and became a mighty warrior. At the age of 40, Beckwourth left his Indian friends and returned to the life of a mountain man. He opened and operated two trading posts. He fought in the Seminole War in 1842 and the war for California in 1846. In 1848, Beckwourth and his Indian wife met General John C. Fremont. Beckwourth was asked to become his chief scout. In 1850, while on a scouting journey, he made an important discovery. Just a few miles from what is now Reno, Nevada, Beckwourth found a passageway through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. James Pierson Beckwourth People who make things happen. “Restoring traditional family values is one of our main objectives for the 90s.” Pre Nati if Council of Negro Wome! Doroth; Height is a symbol of commitment. She has led the first national coalition of Black women’s organizations for over 30 years. With innovative pro- grams such as the annual Black Family Reunion Celebrations, Height and the NCNW are keep- ing alive the history, tradition and culture of the Black family. That’s why Anheuser-Busch supports the National Council of Negro Women, just as we support other educational and cultural programs, community projects and the development of minority businesses. At Anheuser-Busch we're committed to a better quality of life. For everyone. ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES Faith Tabernacle of Praiseof] fort North Carolina since the a of thirteen, under the leadership of Donald and Debbie Crooms. I began singing shortly after I received Christ. I have sung in various denomination church func- ‘ tions, public auxiliaries, inaugu- | ration of legislative officials, Char- ; lotte Jazz Festival, peace marches, } from as far as Miami Florida, At- ; lanta Georgia, North Carolina, and New Jersey. I am currently a Junior at East Carolina University, in Greenville, North Carolina. My concentration, ! is Political Administration and Transportation. My future goals is to bein the political arena to be the bridge for the improved living con- ditions for minority citizens. Min- istering to the lost, abused, and the broken hearted through song and service is the center focus point of my career objective. I plan td work internationally with build4 ing and organizing better living conditions for communities and providing jobs that will affect the improved welfare for all. There are many aspirations we all have in life, but I will say that my aspirations are not focused orf just the career or the degree. It ig knowing that all my heavenly fas ther has given me in this life to succeed through his power, I have given back to Him by glorifying His excellence here on earth. Nof, just by being a difference but mak ing the difference. Then and only; then can I say to God be the glory, ‘J Ld § Navy officer returns} after six months out: January 9, 1997 (FHTNC)— Navy Petty Officer 3rd class Anto~ nio L. Moore whose wife, Daneille, is the daughter of Darlene Short of, 3344 Tobbaco Road, Greenville, N.C., recently returned from a six-{ month deployment aboard the fast} combat support ship USS Supply. Home ported in Norfolk, Va., Moore was one of more than 550-, Sallors aboard the ship Who trav- | eled more than 38,000 miles while } operating with the USS Enterprise } Battle Group. The battle group } included eight tactical aircraft ' squadrons, seven combatant Ships ' Continued on Page Four. ! 3. ars ete ee te ee Black History Month | Clara Brown 1803-1885 Clara Brown dedicated her life to finding her lost family. Clara Brown was born a slave in Gallatin, Tennessee, in 1803, but grew up in Kentucky. She later married and had four children. Life for Clara was hard, but she found a way to survive. She found comfort in having her family with her. However, in 1835, most of Clara Brown’s family was divided and sold to different slave owners. For the next 20 years, Clara would search for her family, uselessly. After the death of her owner, in 1858, she paid $100 toward her freedom. In 1859, gold was found in the mountains of Colorado. The news spread fast that men and women were making fortunes. So began the Colorado Gold Rush. The famed “Fifty Niners,” as they were called, came from everywhere just for one reason — to find gold. To some people, gold was not the most important thing to be found in Colorado. Clara Brown had heard that one of her daughters, Eliza, might be there. Clara Brown found a job as a cook on a wagon train traveling west. She walked most of the 600 mile trip, which took eight weeks to complete. She lived in Denver for a while but later moved to Central City. She worked with the miners in the hope of hearing information about her daughter. She started a very good laundry business. Brown turned her home into a shelter for the homeless. Her home also served as hospital and a church. Because of her kindness, she became known as “Aunt Clara”. After the Civil War, Aunt Clara had saved over $10,000! Some of the money was used to buy land in Colorado. The rest of the money she used to search for her family. Aunt Clara began her search in Virginia and Kentucky. When she returned to Central City, she had found 34 family members! She also paid the fare for 16 other newly freed slaves. She helped find jobs for many of them. In 1882, Aunt Clara heard that her daughter, Eliza, was living in a town in Iowa. She was, by this time, almost 80 years old. She was happy because her long journey was now over. Both mother and daughter fnally met in a happy, yet tearful, reunion. Many well-wishers and newspaper reporters covered the event. In 1885, the famous “Aunt Clara Brown” died in Denver, Colorado, at the age of 82. She left a warm feeling in the hearts of all who knew her. Her kindness and charity were famous, as judged by the many friends that attended her funeral. A plaque honoring Clara Brown was placed in the St. James Methodist Church; Clara Brown was believed to have been the first Black settler in the city, and a seat in the city’s Thousands of settlers, pioneers, and those seeking gold could now reach California through the Opera House was named in her honor. “Beckwourth Pass.” Later, on the way west, the railroads built tracks through this same pass. Tales of the mountain men are legendary. They helped settle the West. Preferring to live off the : land, the mountain men avoided the comforts of city life. Early western writers wrote about heroes like Carpet Draperies Kit Carson, Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone. However, many writers failed to mention that one of the ; a greatest men of this time was James P. Beckwourth, a Black man. Speaking of Beckwourth, one writer Vinyl Bedspreads stated, “Probably no man ever lived who had met with more personal adventure and danger... Wood Blinds In 1866, Beckwourth fought in the Cheyenne War. 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Middle ageis when many people slide into inactivity. Older people can benefit as well! YE! HEAR YE! 1. Never miss a chance to keep your mouth shut. 2. Some people pay a compliment as if they expected a receipt. 3. Be a fountain, not a drain. 4. One of the greatest victories you can gain over someone is to beat him at politeness. 5. Nearly two out of every five children in the U.S. do not live with their father. . 6. Thirty percent of all U.S. children are born outside of marriage. 7. Sunday morning is the most segregated time in America. 8. Could this be you? Whenever there's a telephone message, you say, "Just a moment, let me get a pen/pencil ora piece of paper." Why not keep a pen/pencil and paper beside the telephone? 9. A man says what he knows, a woman says what will please. 10. Never...be mean in anything; never be false; never be cruel. 11. Do not speak ill of the dead. 12. Do not-kick against the pricks. 13. Patience is the best remedy for every trouble. 14..Practice yourself what you preach. 15. Nothing can be created from nothing. ee i: ef [ . } (f . Mrs. Beatrice May OJ 9 continued from Page 2. couple often engaged in confronta- tions after they had both been drink- ing, the resulting tiffs amounted to the civil legal act of “contributory negligence.” To which Reiner re- sponded, “Yea, she didn’t duck.” The subject of media bias was first brought up last month in acolumn I wrote for The Los Angeles Sentinel / NNPA where I named the names of those reporters who I knew were biased against Simpson. When I came to the courtroom last week, one network talk show anchor based in Fort Lee. N.J., approached me and thanked me for mentioning his name in the article. Later he joked, “If you ever want to quote me, just spell my name right, R-o-g-e-r C-0-s- s-a-c-k,” spelling out the name of another talk show host on another net work. Similarly, Bernard Katz, the former Superior Courtjudge who comments on the trial for alocal Los Angeles station, thanked this writer for not (and rightfully so) including hisname on thatlist ofbiased scribes. Next year, the civil trial convenes along the Pacific Ocean. The biased reportingis certain not tostop. Why? Mainly because the editors, publish- ers and owners of these media out- lets are just as biased as the report- ers. Mortimer B. Zucllerman, owner of U.S. News and World Report, is just such an example. Following the criminal trial, Zuckerman wrote a scathing Oct. 16, 1995, editorial blaming Black America for “getting Simpson off.” He said that Blacks are used to violence and the verdict handed down by the predominantly Black jury was proof positive. When the bias comes from as high up as Zuckermarl, no wonder the report- ers are turning in anti-Simpson eS Harris Barber Shop The Professionals FULL LINE OF HAIR CARE PRODUCTS AVAILABLE Carl Harris, Owner e Relaxer 919 - 757-3412 14th & Myrtle Ave. Specializing in all cuts & styles Afro Cuts ¢ Shags ® Brush Cuts Box Cuts ¢ Fade-Aways Greenville, N.C. 27834 Carl Harris * Rodney Harris * Tarry Barnes Irvin Beaman ¢ Shawn Joyner * Rod Moore “The ultimate measure of a | daughters; news copy. Dennis Schatzman, a | former district court judge in Pitts- burgh, is an NNPA columnist, jour- nalism professor at California State University at Fullerton and co author of “The Simpson Trial in Black and White.” Mr. Harvey Newton Mitchell’s Funeral Home an- nounces the death and funeral ser- vice for Mr. Harvey Newton age 76 of 116 West Corbett Avenue Greenville, N.C. who died Thurs- day, January 2, 1997 at Pitt Memo- rial Hospital in Greenville, N.C. Funeral service were held Sunday at 2:00 P.M. at Dilda Chapel Free Will Baptist Church Fountain, N.C. with the pastor, Elder Melvin Payton officiating. Burial was in the Sunset eur Gardens in Farmville, Mr. Newton was a native of Pitt County where he attended the bounty Gihool * He was amember of lida Chapel Free Wij aptis aioe p ‘ee Will Baptist Heissurvived by his wife, Eldress Maggie M. Newton of the home, 5 Rosa Walker of Greenville, N.C:, Shirley Latham of Robersonville, N.C., Linda Newton of Ashland, Va., Patricia Younger of Danberry, Ct., and Dorothy Brockett of Washington, D.C., 3 sons: Harvey | Newton, Jr. of Vineland, N.J., Leroy Me) Hyman of Greenville, N.C., Linwood Mon. Thurs. 8:30 am - 6:00 pm man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and conve- nience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” MARTIN LUTHER KINGJR., 1929-1968 Building a future in partnership with the community. rg Anheuser-Busch Com Busch, Inc. brewers of Budweisere, Mic BD ANHEUSER-BUSCH COMPANIES nies, Inc. is the parent company of Anheuser lobe, Michelobe Light, Budweisere Light, Natural Light, Busche, LAw, Michelob Classic Darke beers and King Cobra Premium Malt Liquore y Hyman of Jacksonville, Florida, 1 | foster son, Kelly Daniel Mooring of j| Prinston, N.J., 3 brothers: Herbert Newton of Pinetops, N.C. 32 grand- children, 21 great-grandchildren, 2 | Sreat-great grandchildren, a num- er of nieces, nephews, other rela- tives-and friends. For further information concern- ing this obituary, you may call Mitchell’s Funeral ei s Winterville. Telephone: 756-3492. Home in { “2? eee ee & © © © Fastcombat ship to ‘and armament to make this scrose different lines and - dure faster and safer, reducingthe - ‘ parse male yea jets of congo and 870 pallets of ammunition while alongside U.S. Navy and allied ships. Moore’s ship supports carrier battle groups by supplying ammu- nition, oil products and stores through underway replenisnment, a dangerous operation where sup- 4-H NOTES Dale E. Panaro Extension Agent, 4-H Parents are often interested in finding the most effective style of education for their children as soon as they begin asking those ‘why’ questions. Learning is recognized as the key to accomplishing long term goals which will shape a child’s future. Choosing learning styles is not a decision that par- @) ents can always control but when possible parents can enroll their € children in programs which offer | optimum learning experiences. Experiential learning is widely “7% recognized as a learn by doing’ method. This style of learning in- volves the child in the activity. > After the experience the child can , Continued on Page Six. | Comunity Recoguition Decy February 9 (994 The Minority ¥:00-y,49) Ve) (exom |alon N CR wore Hi ((, Baptist Chucek Creenville,l.C. Thewe: ~ . ; , 1) . a Hfvieat- Americas Zr Crig Richtss + ‘ c ve he Q pprarsa ( ef a peafer v Sister Carol Cartee(( Wateigh, FC REALIZING THE ream Asa nation we've come a long way in recognizing the dignity and civil rights of each and every individual. We owe that progress in large part to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. his wisdom, vision and faith touched all our lives, and continues to do so in countless ways. But there’s still much progress to be made before the dream is fully realized. As we celebrate his birth, we renew our pledge to work toward that goal. ety’, 758-8093 * f a supportsitips, vulnerability ofthe serviced ship. " Jike USS Supply, have the speed Moore's ship is the first-ever of her pac gonng visited Ste arth wor’ ire Oman, ely oan, Terk ae _Navyin Deemer 08. Black History Month’ WILLIAM ALEXANDER LEIDESDORFF 1810-1848 In the early days of America, California belonged to Mexico. Because of the efforts of a Black American pioneer, California became a part of the United States. William Alexander Leidesdorff was a land owner, diplomat, ship owner, and one of the first Black millionaires in the United States. Leidesdorff was born in 1810, on St. Croix, in the Virgin Islands. He was one of three sons born to a Danish father and an African mother. He and his brothers went to New Orleans to work in the family’s cotton business. Leidesdorff later inherited money from the sale of this business. In 1841, aboard his ship the Julia Ann, he left New Orleans and headed for California. When he arrived, San Francisco, California, was still a part of Mexico. There were very few city comforts. There were no hotels, stores, or roads. Yet, Leidesdorff was able to get the Mexican government to give him two large pieces of land. He later built a store and a home on the land. He quickly became very popular with the Mexican officials. Wanting more land, he became a Mexican citizen in 1844, and obtained a 35,000 acre ranch. He named his ranch Rancho Rio de Los Americano. In 1846, the Mexican mayor of San Francisco gave Leidesdorff land within the city. By this time, he was the city treasurer, a council member, and chairman of the school board. Though California was owned by Mexico, the United States and England were both trying to capture the land. Leidesdorff played a key role in the struggle for California. Though a Mexican citizen, Leidesdorff aided the Americans by telling them about the city’s defenses. The American Navy waited off the coast of California. In July of 1846, U.S. Marines landed and took over the city’s governent. The day before, Leidesdorff warned the citizens what was about to happen. He translated the soldiers orders from English into Spanish for those who did not understand. Two weeks after the invasion, Leidesdorff gave a victory party for the Americans at his home. The Americans allowed him to keep his land, property, and titles. Leidesdorff built San Francisco’s first hotel and opened the state’s first public school. He was the first to bring steamboats and horse racing to California. Leidesdorff built a warehouse and leased it to the U.S. government. He also was named American Consul. Leidesdorff’s successful career and fame did not last very long. He died of typhus, or brain, fever, on May 18, 1848, at the age of 38. In a brief time, he had become a man of great political power and wealth. His land holdings alone, valued at over $1.5 million, were later sold for a mere $75,000. A street in the heart of San Francisco bears his name. William Leidesdorff was truly an historic Black American pioneer. 2000 Dickinson Avenue Sian ~~ Greenville, North Carolina 27834 ANDERSEN WINDOW HOM E Fax (919) 758-9477 W Phone (919) 758-4151 4 Builders Supply Co. Serving Greenville-Pitt County Since 1948 They Made The World A Setter February is Black History Month, a time to recognize and remember the contributions and achievements of Afro- Americans throughout the years, They helped to make the world a better place! CAROLINA EAST MALL Meeting the consumer needs in the community pi acne ‘ air ee snc ot ‘ KWANZAA... the children of Jeff and Angel Savage were excited about learning all - about KWANZAA when they held the different observances | of the week-long | celebration in theirhome. = Happy New Year to all S from the Savage Family. (STAFF PHOTO: Jim fs Rouse) & “Mi” Newspaper Presents the 4tn Annual MINORITY BUSINESS EXPO | Friday, February 28 * Saturday, March Ist Sunday, March 2nd, 1997 Starting Daily at 9AM at the NATIONAL GUARD ARMORY Hwy. 11 Greenville, NC Booths Available Vendors are welcome to display their business. ¢ Live Entertainment ¢ Voter Registration ¢ Health and Education, Economic Development Save Up To ()" on all vendors Application for Vendors & Businesses Name Address ig SION —| ADMISSION State & Zip FREE WOOW & WTOW & General Public The M Voice NEwspaper Invited - 919-757-0365 or 754-6418 Fax 919-757-1793 Drowning In Debt? Too Many Credit Cards? Too Much Interest? Consolidate Your Bills PAY 0% INTEREST Stop Harassing Phone Calls NOKG 1D UMS sie Call Finnancial Solutions — Today! 919-551-3788 907 Allen Koad - ie 72, [ > eenville, NC ey. NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION . SUBSCRIBER: : AS WE ENTER ANOTHER YEAR OF NEWS REPORTING IN THE WISH TO THAN! YOU FOR PARTICIPATION LAST YEAR. a Ee UE SOME OF OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS EXPIRE SOON. I tay 1TH “9 paps is N. IF YOU ARE IN THIS GROUP, AN NEWAL WILL BE APPRECIATED. RE PAYMENT MAY BE SENT TO: THE “M” VOICE SUBSCRIPTION DEPT. P.O. BOX 8361 GREENVILLE, N.C. 27835 757-0365 THANK YOU AGAIN, JIM Z=TRADE MART Trade Oil Company Wholesalers and Retailers of Petroleum Products EDWIN CLARK © 3602 HWY. 264 EAST GREENVILLE, NC 27858 44 Locations Bus. .919-752-4366 Fax. 919-752-9957 A Salute To Martin Luther King, dr Wooten & Associates RE kg Main Office 1003 West Fifth Street Greenville, NC 27834 Associates: Johnny Andre Wooten, Michael Angello Wooten (919) 752-9806 Johnny Wooten, Proprietor A Salute to Martin Luther King, Jr g Due to the huge inventory build-up recently experienced we & have decided to have a special Christmas Inventory Reduction Sale with nearly 2500 assorted men's and ladies’ rings in stock, we will offer, for a limited time only, every ring at... RINGS ONLY! -@. Sale Absolutely Ends At 12 Noon, Dec. 24th MEMORIAL COINS & PAWN, INC. Corner of Memorial Dr, & Dickinson Ave. Phone 756-6767 i EAST CAROLINA COINS & PAWN, INC. § . Corner of Dickinson Ave. & Tenth St. Phone 752-0322 SOUTHERN GUN & PAWN, INC. 1014 North Green St.- Phone aaa Cath, Credit Card or Approved Checks Accepted All Sales Final, No Exceptions, No Layaway's ALL GOLD CHAINS, BRACELETS, EARRINGS & PENDANTS 20% OFF q ‘Sohenited by. Sandra Boyd . When I lived on the West side of ‘Gree (on Third Street) and aw some of the things that were ‘lowing « : (a) How sick am *ofit? (b) How tired am I of it? (c) {How long will Ibe willing to put up st swith it? (d) Do I want to get in- “tvolved? (e) Is it any of my busi- ness, or do I leave it to the police? (f) Will I be considered a busy- body in others’ affairs? (g) Will it be worth it? (h) If I’m going to get involved, what is the first step I should take? I knew then that I had to take some actions on my own. The following is how I went about it... - with GOD leading the way. - I contacted the police sources . with names, addresses, license : plate numbers, and descriptions : of individuals that I knew did not . -live in my neighborhood, but who .-had a frequent habit of visiting ‘others who had just moved in the neighborhood. I listened to what the elderly on my street would tell me had gone on during the day while my hus- band and I were at working (Such as names—if they knew, what they looked like, and which house they would frequent. The elderly will talk; but, because they fear some- thing might happen to them, they don’t want anyone to see them talking to the police.) Next, I found out who owned these residences and took to the phone book and street and con- tacted these landlords and in- formed them that I personally would not put up with what was taking place in my neighborhood. I told them that I would only give them a certain length of time to do something with their tenants (three days max.) and that, if they did not take some action, I would certainly take the matter a step : further and go as far as I needed to go because I was sick and tired of ‘it. - If the landlords had not taken any action against their tenant(s) ‘(the ones I contacted did), my next step would have been the Section 8 . Office on Broad Street to find outif the tenant(s) were receiving any government assistance to help them with their rent. I was going to report what was taking place in these residences. If it had gone this far (which it didn’t) and Section 8 didn’t move fast enough, my plan was to con- tinue to call the landlord and Sec- tion 8 everyday until I got some action. If nothing resulted in a week, or maybe two, then I would have contacted the City Council representative for my District and Continued from Page Four share the results with others, looks back at the experience and en- courages the child to think what they have learned that is impor- tant to remember. Ideally the child will further connect the learning to real life situations and finally will use this information in per- forming another activity or apply to a similar situation. The experi- ential model of learning is an ex- cellent experience for youth to ac- quire and retain information. It is appropriate for youth at young ages and it is often utilized in group settings. The primary steps of expe- riential learning, experience, share, process, generalize, and apply are easy to relate to the scientific process of acquiring and testing knowledge. This higher level of thinking and acquiring information will be an asset as a child becomes a functioning citi- zen in the community and society. The North Carolina 4-H Program has adopted this learn- ing by doing experiential style of learning for youth who participate in 4-H activities. The project ma- terials are currently being reevalu- ated and redesigned to bring the materials in line with this style of learning. Each child will have the option of selecting projects which interest them and as they utilize the 4-H project material, they will process through the experiential steps. Learning acquired experi- entially is more complete and re- tained longer because it is con- crete and can be compared to ac- tual real life situations. The 4-H program is open to youth between the ages of 5 and 19 and offers a variety of learning experiences, clubs, special work- shops, camps, school enrichment, and after school programs. Through 4-H youth are encour- aged to develop their potential as , Lasked myself the fol- ~ future citizens and community | leaders. For more information about participating in 4-H pro- grams, contact the Cooperative County Center, 757-2802. eee eee ee eee Extension Service at the Pitt viewed my feeling and complaints. In other words, talk and complain until you see results. I had no choice but to take the action that I took when an elderly person tells me that they sat on their front porch and watched a very nice-looking young lady put a needle in her vein in broad day- light, right out in the open, as if it were nothing. I had no choice but to take the action that I took when I go to sit on my porch on a nice Saturday night to get some air and, as I walk out of my front door, the first thing I see is a drug deal going down right in my front yard, mid way of the street. I was left no NAV@X Big Screen Ne 45" SLIM BIG SCREEN TV VS4543 styling with a © Advance icture-in-picture Be aliiingual ultilingual menu system \° eg lines horizontal resolution FREE PF E> celvey I> pace, fa MITSUBISHI 8 aa © Oak or black vinyl P1999" =i A Ma MITSUBISHI *” choice but to take the action that I took when I walked out of my back | door and I see drug deals going down in the parking lot ofa Church - day and night - with no respect for GOD’S house. I had no choice but to take the action I took when you hear ‘an elderly lady with a sick husband ready to give up their’ home that they worked and paid for and then get so frustrated that they want to give it all up. It shouldn’t have to come to this. When God blessed my husband and me with a home we moved off of Third Street, everyone that I had complained about had moved before we moved. 32" STEREO MONITOR CK23638 i § @ Advanced : , picture: in-picture. * Inputs: Stereo audio. * Outputs: Variable stereo audio. nly 499°" finish tray fea Delivery in Pit County a VC on-screen ATT . RITER'S | ‘I meat , ad It was a great feeling knowing that I hadn't just sat by and done nothing. You don’t always have to be visible; you can also work invis- ibly. Ido and I plan tocontinue. I may not live on the West side any longer, but I have an elderly mother, an aunt, and other rela- tives and associates still on the West side who haven’t arrived where] am yet. So Istill have a lot of work to do. The Greenville Police Depart- ment can’t do it all and we, as citizens, can’t do it all, but we all can do something together. We can take one street at a time, one child at a time. 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My pad and pen are ready to take down license plate numbers, addresses, descriptions, and landlord names. We need to remember that GOD has not given us the spirit of fear; but HE has given us the spirit of power, the spirit of love, and a sound mind. Let’s get busy and seek God and let our elderly, our children, and our community know that we all care. Join me! “ Lm Caloric; @) PIONEER’ The Art of Entertainment Months No Payments . No Money Down No Finance Charge and Home Theatre Headquarters 4-HEAD HIFI VCR HSU410 ® Multi-Brand Remote Stereo IT 7 Th JUN #98 @) PIONEER’ The Art of Entertainment 51" DIAG. BIG SCREEN TV * Delta-Brite Projection roNeRRLT Lens System * Seg Audio System And Surround Sound * MTS _ ¢ Picture-in-Picture 11999 OpeuU SS}! 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Orc: APR ee Ge . ay” Tals 18 ; PINGS “Ebonics: A ’ * aa oie ; oe a Ar By JIM CLEAVER All of this furor over the Ebonics issue gets to be a bit much. - For the past several weeks, we have listened to the pros and cons of teaching teachers in the Oak- land area how to relate to various African American students dents ‘ and the language they use. '. Some things ought to be clear by now. Although some of the alleged scholars maintain that there is an Afrocentric language, the bottom line is really kind of simple. This is the United States of America and the principal lan- guage is now and has always been English. This does not pre clude the fact that other languages are spoken here and in all probability, will continue to be spoken here. But Ebonics, in my estimation, should not be one of them. If we examine the use of lan- guage in our society, we will see that we have learned to-use words that did not always mean what they appeared to mean. This was done as a meatis of being able to communicate with each other and not alerting the enemy as to what our plans, thoughts and concerns might have been. This was done at a time when we considered all non-blacks either an enemy or potential enemy. It had nothing to do with Afrocentrism. It still does not. It is simply a case of not wanting to be accused of trying to ‘ be White.” When we realize that men like Rev. Ben Hooks, Johnnie Cochran, Martin Luther King Jr., A. Philip Randolph, Thurgood Marshall, just to mention a few, all came from basically the same back- ground, we can easily jsee they have more than mastered the lan- guage of the land. | None of these men were born rich or given special tutors to teach them to speak English. They went to public schools. They went to Southern colleges, if they went at all. They learned to master the language as well as any Harvard graduate. They did not need any special instructions about how to talk like black people. This whole notion that some spe- cial classes have to be given to teachers to teach black children how to talk is ludicrous. Did some- one teach James Earl Jones how not to sound like a ‘ po’ cullud man”? What about Roscoe Lee Browne? Or maybe even Paul Robeson? If that takes you back too far, then try Congressman John Conyers or Mayor Willie Brown. Who can forget the eloquence of the late Barbara Jordan? Or Yvonne Brathwaite Burke? The list is end less and we are steadily making excuses for the lack of skills exhibited by our children. The an- swer all of this may very well come down to the idea that we have set our standards too low. Through the years, we have man aged to come up to the standards of their general community and in most cases, we have surpassed oth- ers. Now all of a sudden, when we are faced with some kind of educa- ‘We Still Making Excuses for the L: tional crisis, we would turn back the hands of time the days when we had to be talked to in pidgin or patois. First of all, we need to realize we are members of the American soci- ety. As such, we must learn the language of that society. The hu- man relations manager at a major corporation is not going to look too kindly on a person who walks into his establishment, seeking employ- ment and unable to speak the prevailing language. The cold hard fact of the matter is we are Americans. Not Afri- cans. If we choose to become Afri- can, then we had best make cer- tain we have some special kind of skill. Then we should apply for immigration to the African nation of our choice. The next step should then be to spend at least a year learning the language and grammar of that country. Then if we are lucky, we might be admitted on a trial basis - asaresident. That how ever, is not to this country to become edu and then to back to their nations and apply whatever knowledge they have acquired. They use the system to their best advantage. In the meantime, we jive, talk trash and make al] manner of ex- cuses about the system. It is not the system. It is us. When Afri- cans, Europeans and Asians come to this country as adults and learn the language from scratch, there is no excuse for us, native born and reared, not to become at least as proficient as they are. We need Ebonics like we need another hole in our heads. What we need are some strong parents who run their homes and some dedicated teachers who under stand the problem. If we are going to win this skir- mish, then we need to Bet some real men in the game. The punks who now call themselves men are the same ones who allow the chil- dren to run over them at will and are two different things. It o to mean that we have master the language of the nation as well — as the historical overview of the — various languages of our African forebears, yea What it seems to mean today,is — an excuse for not taking the time — to learn or having the guts to take on something might require alittle gray matter. The notion of Ebonics defeats all of the years that we have worked to bring our people into the mainstream of society. To be sure, there is racism in our society today. ; Further separating us through the spoken or written word de feats the purpose. In all candor, we need to throw Ebonics out of the window and go back to learning just plain old English. O.J. Il: The Real Cost Of Losing A Child By DENNIS SCHATZMAN many people believe the fix is al benefitsfromthatchildmorethan ment , the net loss is $ 173,269. 25 year-old waiter just making thecase at hand? Although Brown Contributing Writer readyinonthiscase(conventional the financial costs they expect to Similarly, if the child dies at age mini mum wage and tips will not Simpson worked barely more than wisdom suggests that this case bear on behalf ofthe child. “They 18, the net loss is reduced to always remain a waiter. With two months, she did bring O J. The 18th Century poetSamuel has the right judge, presiding in explain that ifachildis born and $120,360. In the issue athand, Brown Simpson, whoonly worked Simpson into the family. The de- Johnson once said: “If a person says he’s doing something not be- cause of the money involved, but for the principle of the thing, it’s the money! “ Which brings us to the subject athand. How much are the right courtroom buttressed by the right amount of mass media and talk show host support) that one question re mains: How much is the loss of love actually worth? The question was posed to a char- lives to be 19 years old, it is antici- pated that a parent, or parents, have invested about $10,000 per year for the care and upkeep of that child at a financial benefit of $5,208 per year. Ifachildis “wrong- what would the deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman be worth financially to their parents at the age they and Goldman be worth financially to their parents at the age they were wrongfully killed, a total of two months as a wait- ress, and two weeks as a sales person, it is harder to measure. In the second article, “The Use of y Value of Life Estimates in Wrong- ful - Death Matters,” economists fendant, in turn, put the Brown family in the Hertz Rent A-Car business and paid for the educa- tion of Brown Simpson’s other sis- ters. In a civil case like the current one, it is clear to many the civil trial plaintiffs goingtoget termemberofthe American Acad- fullykilled”atthatageoryounger, according to the formula estab- James - Ciecka and Seth Epstein that 0. J. Simpson will lose the from 0. J. Simpson should they emy of Economic and Financial the parent(s) ‘loss of future ben- lishedbyIrelandand Ward? These of Depalll University in Chicago, case and some compensation will prevail in this latest ‘murder’ ExpertsduringarecenttriptoLas efits, both financial andemotional experts would say that a 25-year- correctly deduce that “no amount _ be granted to the plain tiffs. It will trial? Lawyers for the plaintiffs, the families of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Lyle Goldman, said recently that the . punitive and compensatory dam- ages are worth $50 million. This seems rather peculiar since it was the Goldmans who have publicly stated r that their civil action against Samson had nothing to do with money. The action is about money, and one should understand that. Since Vegas. He responded by citing the Winter, 1995 edition of the Acad- emy-published Journal of Legal Economics which contained two very interesting and pertinent ar- ticles on that very subject. In the first article, “The Investment Ap- proach to a Parental Loss in the Death ofa Child,” economists Tho- mas R. Ireland and John Ward of the University of Missouri Kansas City, explain that “when parents decide to have a child, they are, in large part, valuing the anticipated Marvin Gaye: Pride & Joy His music mesmerized an entire generation. He was the Marvelous One, the Prince of Motown, The Shy Guy. He was Marvin Gaye! Undeniably one of popular music’s most enduring icons, Marvin Gaye’s musical biography is presented in a two hour radio special available for broadcast on April 1 & 2, 1997 - the anniversary of his untimely death and what would be his 58th birthday. Listen as his colleagues and _- friends reminisce about this musical genius. Narrated by urban radio news veteran Ron Brewington, there’s exclusive interviews with Berry Gordy, Anna Gordy, Smokey Robinson, and Stevie Wonder plus Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Gladys Horton and more! A RICH MUSICAL HERITAGE There s no artist in the history of R&B who has affected an entire generation in the same manner as Marvin Gaye. His music wove an insightful story of the state of society. His love songs exuded uncommon levels of raw emotion, his poignant attempts at Sinatra-like grandeur while unsuccessful, still emanate a very special talent. You'll get it all with Marvin Gaye: Pride - Joy. From his earliest hits to the famous duets with the ladies of Motown to the seminal What’s Goin’ On to the once in a lifetime version of the Star Spangled banner at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game. Marvin’s music is alive in this radio tribute. Your station can become part of the celebration today! The program will be available via reel on March 25. 1997. There’s 12 local avails and 12 national avails, plus we’re ready to work with your station to develop local add sales solutions (promotional opportunities, exclusive Marvin Gaye giveaways. etc. ) Call Your Hannibal Group Rep Today! Like to get your station cleared for this great radio special? All you've got to dois call us at (818)508-4519. We'll send you the affiliate contract is far greater than the child lives to—say—age 58. Ireland and Ward estimate that the earlier a child is wrongfully killed, the greater the financial loss to the parents. They cite, for ex ample, that if a child is born in 1977 and dies wrongfully the next year, based upon a parent ~ investment” of $10,000 at a real three percent rate of return (estimated at $ 17,024) the net loss of the parents is $242,303. If the child is killed at age 9, at the same rate of invest- old waiter would be worth $87,913. Brown Simpson, who was 35 when she was killed, would have cost her parents $51,791 in lost finan- cial benefits. Had each of them lived to be age 58 before they were killed, they would have been worth $22 to their parents. That is, as- suming they both worked all their lives at the same rate of current pay. In Goldman’s case, it is hard to measure. One can guess that a of compensation” emotionally sat- isfies a grieving parent.” Ciecka and Epstein say that “people with larger incomes have a greater value of life than poor people, and awards based on the value of life may lead to granting richer people more compensation for the lostjoy . of living than poorer people.” There fore, the economists say “the value of life is larger when income is larger.” What does that mean in not be $50 million as the plaintiffs envision, but it will be something. In granting an awardin a wrong- ful death suit, there is no attempt to make a victim or dependents whole; it is simply a recognition that every one wrongfully killed is entitled to be compensated equal to the value of a statistical life, assuming, of course, that Simpson is “liable” in the wrongful death of the Brown and Goldman children. SLNI receives $40,000 grant The North Carolina Rural De- velopment Center has awarded a $40,000.00 grant for the fiscal year 1997 tothe South Lee Street Neigh- borhood Improvement, Incorpo- rated. Grant funds will be used for staff support and community de- velopment activities. Founded in 1995, South Lee Street Neighborhood Improve- ment, Inc. is a non-profit commu- nity owned and operated develop- ment corporation that seeks to eliminate poverty, rehabilitate housing, create jobs, and improve the overall quality of life for South Lee Street neighborhood of Ayden, North Carolina. By working to- gether as a team with the commu- nity in equal partnership, South Lee Street Neighborhood Improve- ment plans to build new housing, create new jobs, and foster a new sense of community pride. South Lee Street Neighborhood Improvement'’s area is two census blocks which covers 40% of the Ayden population andisestimated to include half of the town’s build- ings. The organization will also seek other funding for various pro- grams and activities. SLSNI’s Executive Director, Sherrian Brown said “this is a major building block for us, a re- ally good sign that we are moving in the right direction.” Our motto is “We're puttingit all together, all we need is you”. With the commu- nity and SLSNI working together, we will accomplish our goal! Graham addresses Farm Bureau Federation WINSTON-SALEM — Cur- rent and proposed regulations on farming are making farmer’s jobs more difficult, North Caro- lina Agriculture commissioner Jim Graham said in his address to the Farm Bureau Federation meeting Monday. Graham pointed to the pro- posed rules on buffers for river basins, the attempt by individual counties to regulate the livestock industry and the federal estate tax laws which impact farms as examples. “We, the agricultural family, our neighbors when they are in need. We support our churches, our school and our government. We are good citizens; contribut- _ ing over $45 billion to the state’s economy. Agriculture cannot be taken for granted. We are the backbone of this economy and one of the few positive trade bal- ance exports.” Graham said solutions to envi- ronmental issues, such as requir- ing buffers along river basins, need to be balanced between do- ing what is right for the environ- ment and allowing farmers to the bad guys in the quality is- sue, while al the same time mu- nicipal sewage plants have dis- charged hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw human waste into creeks and rivers, “Graham said. “I'll be the first to admit agriculture has contributed to problems in the Neuse River, but we are not alone. I’m willing to take my share of the responsibil- ity, just as I know you are. “We need to plant buffers that fit both a conservation plan and a plan for production agricul- ture. But we cannot sit back and A cooperative effort at finding solutions is needed, Graham added. Graham also unveiled the department’s desire to change its name to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to better re- flect its mission. The change would have to be approved by state legislators. “Changing the name better re- flects the work the department does on a daily basis,” Graham told the gathering. “We service the public’s needs in the area of and affidavit forms right away. Look out for a demo of the program jake great pride in uur honest makealiving. Thesolutionneeds allow agriculture to be the mar- food and drug testing, inspec- within the next three weeks. toils of labor and the return we to involve all contributing par- tyr, thinking that eliminating _ tions of gasoline and gas pumps, givetothecommunity,”Graham ties andnotjust the agricultural agriculture will cure the Neuse meat and poultry inspections, We’re proud to co-produce the Marvin Gaye Radio Special with B&B Productions. Another stellar radio product from The Hannibal Group, Urban Radio’s New Syndication Generation. 818-508-4519 The Hannibal Group Pastor S D esk, continued from Page 7. actually engaging themselves with evil spirits. It’s more than just a mind altering experience. When a Black men begins to change his clothing by wearing “thuggish” or “gangster style” clothes combined with an earring, Americans can know that the ear- ring thing is more than just a fash- ion statement. If you look at the problems facing Black men today, you'll see the increase in illiteracy, poverty, full potential in life be- cause they are either killed or placed in jail for killing someone, said at the 61st annual meeting heldin Winston-Salem. “We help community, he said. “Farmers are made out to be or any other river basin in the state, “ he said. structural pest control and other consumer-related area. “ Justice makes peace with Medgar Evers in 'Ghost of Mississipp1' By TALISE D. MOORER Whoopi Goldberg, the hardest working woman in show busi- ness, vacates comedic genre to assume the dramatic role of Myrlie Evers, widow of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers in 20. “Ghost of Mississippi” is a true story about the trial ‘sur- rounding the murder of Medgar Evers in the driveway ofhis home inJackson, Miss. Nearly 30 years would pass before the perpetra- tor would be brought tojustice, a plight kept alive by the persis- The idea of making a major feature film around the Medgar Evers case was initiated by pro- ducer Frederick Zollo (“Missis- sippi Burning”). On a visit to Jackson, Miss. during the 1994 trial, Zollo attempted to attend the verdict but could not do so learned more about the injus- tices, I wanted to take the case,” stated Bobby Delaughter. Three major moments for me during the process were: meeting Myrlie Evers, finding crime scene pho- tos, and ultimately coming up with the murder weapon. it is normally a sign of a gang in most cases, over drugs. “Ghost of Mississippi,” a feature tence of Myrlie Evers. In]964,an due to its overflow crowds. At times I was afraid of what activity,criminal activity, anddefi- TheimageofaBlackmantoday film released by Castlerock En- all-white, all-malejurycouldnot Frind and Pulitzer prize win- may happen to mv children and nitely drug use. Parents shouldbe as portrayed on TV in most cases tertainment. Joining Whoopi in render a verdict; however, the ning author Willie Morris wit- whether I was putting them at able to identify that right away. _is an earring wearing man with this deeply penetrating produc- second time around was acom- nessed most of the proceedings ri sk, since I was awarded More and more Black men are goldteeth, dressedindarkclothes tion are Alec Baldwin, assuming _ plete reversal. and suggested to Zollo that the customdy of my kids following a wearing earrings on their jobs. In and concerned about nothing but the role of Bobby Delaughter, “I loved playing the role of storyofthetrialswouldmakean nasty divorce. I was hounded by essence, they are enslaving them- rap music, drugs and theworldof the ingenious district attorney Myrlie. She’s a deep, likeable uplifting motion picture. extreme groups of people about éelvesrightbeforetheiremployer’s women. Wecan’tblame Hollywood prosecuting white supremacist person who kept the light going. | Whataddsdepth tothe film is this case; one group pressing for éyes. They have found a symbol anymore about the Black man’s Byron De La Beckwith, played Myrlie’s friendship with Bobby themeticulouspreparationofthe justice regardless of the evidence, that has no substance to it. image. We are doing this to our- by actor James Woods. Delaughter took some time to cast. Alec Baldwin actually vis- and the others becoming irate There is definite connection be- selves. And as you sit down and =““Cyaig T. Nelson stars as Ed develop, She made Bobby earn ited Mississippi to meet with that we weuld consider reopen- ; tween drug and Black men wear- observe Black men today, look at Petorg: Darrell and James Van her trust,every smile, and every BobbyDelaughtertodiscusshow ing the case,” adds Delaughter. . ingearrings.DruguseintheBlack their dress code, red divection Evers play themselves in the hello, I was amazed at this hefeltwhileconductingthetrial. In summation, “Ghost of Missis- community has been on the rise ere Tae wilesethocm” flick; and Yolanda King, daugh- woman's strength, covering a “When ImetMyrlie,Ifoundthat sippi” is a familial, historical 7 i rbd Hasrnp: crery sention wilh dlgeac rebellion ioe terofthelateRev.MartinLuther span of30years,andI wantedto she was not like others who piece of work and should be sup- | an “api ort ava hediniaaes ¢ "King, is cast as Reena Evers, beapartofsomethingthatsays grieved over a homicide. ported by thecommunity-atlarge — Oy just the bestneing. New Black — Prayerfully submitted, Sadigei’s tly daughter. Thefilm the system can work,” stated At first I was curious. As | Dr. Howard WParker, Jr, opens nationally on Friday, Dec, Whoopi. i as a step away from films com- prising “Black exploitation.” a vith, ceo | ‘The first shots of the Civil War - were fired in South Carolina. The Southern troops rallied under the banner of the Confederate flag, andthe battle was lost. Lives were lost, property was destroyed anda racial divide was formed. In 1962, THEM VOICE - ~ WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 6 - JANUARY 17, 1997 lost the Civil War and must not win the flag war the South Carolina legislature voted to place the Confederate flag — on the dome of the State Capital building in Columbia, S.C.. The flag flies in what is deemed a place of honor just. below, the United States flag and the Official State flagofSouth Carolina. Recently, the governor of South Carolina, proclaimed that he had conferred with God and received a revela- tion that the flag was racially divi- sive. The governor proposed to bring the flag down from the State Capitol Building and place it in the | front of the building next to a Confederate soldier’s statue. While it is honorable for the governor to compromise to bring the flagdown, many now believe that the flag will be even more divisive. Sort of an “in your-face” kind of thing. Many people had to look up to see the flag on top of the building, now all they have to do is look straight ahead and it is directly in their faces. Biblical scripture teaches us that we must be as wise as a We Salute His Dream MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. serpent and calm asa dove. While it may seem like a victory for pro- ponents of the flag removal, there are some issues that remain un- solved. The flag is deemed a sym- bol of racism and hate to many. It is used by the Ku Klux Klan and many white supremacist groups, not only in South Carolina, but throughout this country. The re- cent guilty verdict rendered in the case of the Caucasian couple who beat a nine-year-old African- American boy. The two years the jury sentenced them to, only 6 to 8 months will more than likely be served. (Was justice really present?) Can you imagine what the sentence would have been if it had been the reverse, African- Lumber Co.,Inc. American couple guilty of beating 9-year-old white boy; the drive-by shooting in Pelion, S.C. by two young angry Caucasian men who had just left a Klan rally, held in Continued on page I1 Sharing “INSIGHTS ON BONE MARROW” are these two very talented, capable ambassadors... Sister Marlene Anderson (L) and Connie Gorham-Walston (R). They can be heard on Radio Station WOOW weekly as they share information about this,dreadful sickness. They solicit and welcome your support.” (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Rouse) THE SHOE OUTLET 752-2106 701 West 14th Street Open Weekdays 8:00 to 5:00 Saturday 8 to Noon A ® Hardware THE BUDGET STORE WITH _ TRUE DISCOUNT PRICES 4% FT We have a large selection of all-leather Name-Brand shoes, priced $3.00 to $19.00... Men’s and Ladies Shoes.. work/ dress/ and casual shoes. You can choose from Easy Spirit, Hush Puppies, Revelations, Soft Spot, Nurse Mate, Timberland, Stacy Adams, Bostonian, Dexter, Bally, Cole Haan, (Just to name a few). WE ond We also have Stride Rite shoes for children. Use our convenient lay-a-way plan. Shop the Budget-priced store and save BIG !!! That’s the Shoe Outlet, located on the corner of 4 Ninth and Washington Streets in Greenville. a Join The City Of Greenville, SCLC And Others in Celebrating The Life and Work of DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. SUNDAY, JANUARY 19 - 6:00 P.M. SCLC MASS RALLY Philippi Church of Christ 1610 Farmville Boulevard SPEAKER: Rey. Ernest R. Sutton Pastor of Apostolic Church of Faith and National SCLC Board Member Elizabeth City, North Carolina Inspirational Selections: Gospel Ensembles of Apostolic Church of Faith and Fresh Anointing Choir of Philippi Church of Christ MONDAY, JANUARY 20 - 12 NOON Cornerstone Missionary Baptist Church 1095 Allen Road SPEAKER: Rev. Gregory Taylor First Baptist Church Bladenboro, North Carolina YOUTH PROGRAM 12 NOON - 2:00 PM _ Philippi Church of Christ 1610 Farmville Boulevard 2:30 PM “Poorman's Feast” East Carolina University - 6:00 PM Candlelight Vigil and March (College Hill to Hendrix Theatre) Hendrix Theatre - 7:30 PM SPEAKER: Attorney Bernadine Ballance Inspirational Selections: East Carolina University Gospel Choir Winterville Concerned Citizens & Development, Inc. Wish To Salute The Honorable Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. In Keeping The Dream Alive! © ee a ee a SP . . . , , d | A > Organized in February 1993. Organized to address the changes in the - fight and struggle against racial injustice, and there by bringing about ‘ equality for all people regardless of race or color and that all men can ‘ live at peace with each other. | Auditions for |: Musical Pla th ake A a ad “2 o a we a = - wf +o w i wo ef se ct ved af iat sd wa ‘ad a a LI or ~ $@&.8.8 You can tell we want your business. \\: Equal Housing Lender Member FDIC |i : Come see T. F. “Butch” Congleton For retail and small business loans or call him at 919-757-2200 le A * is Gt tn Sk, cnet Map <1 reer MLK Salute Sponsoreds by ' Heilig Meyers pee determined political pris Thai as aparthend avtiy grate ion, aad mastic proud father and Prisoner, a Nobel Poace laze wy; as 2 EY Josheson pro UnACOMpromising aires 1, the book brilliantly car viske olormation demystifies tated compass . breast { ’ te t POd9I08 Of GRE of the vw, ‘ 7, ated offers strategies J Hnpantant leakers Aatobiographiys Litthe Bes ; i ( . detire't nin 4 . ” ie t Naa cene s row & Ca _— SEER ANE UTES, ISBN: 0.216-45034.6 $29.95 a fealbie} ; Van Sasha & Beary Publishers ® foBS, 6 6 344 24g 19.45 410 Evans Street (Mall) ¢ Greenville, NC 27834 ne Monday - Saturday 10-5 PM ANDERSEN WINDOW W. 2000 Dickinson Avenue Greenville, North Carolina 27834 Fax (919) 758-9477 Phone (919) 758-4151 Serving Greenville-Pitt County Since 1948 A Salute 0 Martin Luther King, Jr. HOME Cabinets Millwork Lumber Plywood Roofing LWitarekehwas Builders Hardware Drywall Masonry Products Faingold - Denver Hilton MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize for 1964 1900 DICKINSON AVE. P.O. BOX 1373 GREENVILLE, NC 27834 WRECKER SERVICE DAY: 752-3632 NIGHT: 757-2485 NIGHT BEEPER 551-0460 CHUCK AUTRY’S PAINT & BODY SHOP GENERAL AUTO MECHANICAL REPAIRS CHUCK AUTRY Owner ii ANTONIO ORTIZ, the newest addition to the staff of Radio COBB’S BARBECUE... for that down home, lip-smacking, GOOD barbecue... the staff of Station WTOW, JOY 1320 in Washington. We're glad to have Cobb’s Barbecue in Farmville are ready to serve you. Brother Ortiz aboard the “JOY” crew. . (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Rouse) (STAFF PHOTO: Jim Rouse) & * > +) be beg ee _ By EMANUEL PARKER Staff Writer African Americans across the pation were stunned in August _ whentheSan Jose Mercury News _ published a three-part series that , alleged the CIA was aware that Contras were selling drugs to -' street gangs in South Central ‘Los Angeles. The charges sent shock waves through the nation’s black communities and outraged elected officials, community lead- ersand, concerned citizens joined _ in demanding federal, state and local investigations. CIA Director John Deutch met with a raucous crowd here in Los Angeles in November and vowed to conduct a full investigation. Then Deutch was out as CIA head andhis, successor, National Security Advisor Anthony Lake, has yet to make a similar com- mitment. While B-list celebrities from Loni Anderson to Pamela Ander- son Lee brought scattered atten- tion to Superior Court in 1996, it was a drop in the ocean com- pared-to “O.J. by the Sea.” The only case worthy of its own me- dia encampment, the O.J. Simpson wrongful death trial in Santa Monica held just about every local news agency and doz- ens from out of town in thrall for the last half of the year. “O.J. II” gave “Kato” Kaelin a second chance at fame, made Americans face the quiet ramifi- cations ofa gag order and put the phrase “ugly-ass shoes” in the vernacular. More significantly, the defen- dant took the stand for the first time, and testified not only that he didn’t kill his ex-wife Nicole and her friend Ronald Goldman, but never beat her as the plaintiff's alleged. The case will start again Jan. 6, with an off-day scheduled for _Jan. 7. Simpson is expected to return to the stand next month, followed by rebuttal testimony, closing arguments, instructions and deliberations. U.S. Com- merce Secretary Ron Brown was can business leaders on a trip promoting investment in the former nation of Yugoslavia in April when his Air Force plane crashed, killing him and 32 oth- ers. An Air Force investigation into the cause of the crash ended the careers of several high rank- ing Air Force officers. Last year saw Compton City Council- woman Pat Moore convicted by a racially-mixed jury of taking nearly $50,000 in bribes, after claiming she was entrapped and targeted for prosecution because she is black. She intends to appeal her con- viction, and to demand a con- gressional inquiry into the government's investigation of political corruption in Compton. Former Rep. Walter Tucker, D-Compton, who was convicted last year of taking $30,000 in bribes in the same sting that netted Moore, also claimed, tobe a victim of government entrap- ment. He called the case against him “asetup from the beginning.” He is serving a 27-month sen- tence. After waiting 25 years, former Black Panther Party leader Elmer “Geronimo” Pratt was granted a hearing to deter- mine if there is enough new evi- dence to grant him a new trial. Pratt, 49, was convicted in 1972 of shooting Caroline Olsen to death on a Santa Monica tennis court and of critically wounding her husband during a December 1968 robbery that netted $18. Pratt has always claimed he was at a Panther meeting in Oak- land when the crime occurred. The hearing, which will resume after the holidays, began Dec. 16 in Santa Ana before Orange County Superior Court Judge Everett W. Dickey. Johnnie Cochran is representing Pratt and the hearing is focusing on recent revelations about key prosecution witness, Julius “Julio” Butler, a former Panther and former Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy who testified that Pratt confessed the Olsen mur- dertohim. Also in’96, the final chapter to one of the most divi- Whitener appointed to Board Tammy Suggs Whitener, a Greenville native has been ap- pointed by the Board of Directors at the State Employee’s Credit Union to serve a two year term on the Greenville Advisory Board. The Advisory Board serves as a liaison between the members of the Credit Union and the Board of Directors. The Board makes a large contribution toward the ex- pansion of membership and im- provement of services. Ms. Whitener is a North Caro- lina A and T State University graduate. She has been employed with the North Carolina Depart- ment of Transportation as a Right of Way Agent for 10 years. If you have any concerns or comments feel free to contact me. From the Pastor’s Desk | “BLACK MEN AND EARRINGS - FASHION OF IDOLATRY” As we look at the state of Black America today, it almost seems as if one Black murder is destroying our future and sending many of our young people to anearly grave. Gang violence and crack cocaine are destroying our neighborhoods, our schools, and many young lives. The increase in teenage pregnan- cies and single parent households are guaranteeing poverty for an- other generations of youths. In 1995, Back-on-Black murder was so brutal in New Orleans (at one point 21 people were killed in one week) that Mayor Morial him- self thought the city may have been under a curse. And if there is any physical sign of acurse among Black men, one may easily find a connection with Black men wear- ing earrings. Besides being a symbol of Sla- very, research shows that men wearing earrings is also a sign of idolatry and witchcraft, which also law enforcement officials, God and this country. If idolatry, is related to false gods and worship of evil things, just think about what happens when Black youths, clad with ear- rings and dark, baggy clothes make acommitment to gangs. They make a pledge for violence, murder, re- bellion and toward every evil thing. The other side of idolatry is decep- tion. Many Black men today are operating under a major force of deception. Under such deception, many Black men believe they're in a war, a war with each other over territory they don’t even own. But, for some reason, they don’t mind dying for it. It’s almost as if they live to die or live to kill. For many of them their life’s agenda is three- fold: ~ KILL... ‘ STEAL... sd and to DESTROY. The Connection Between Ear- rings and Idolatry in Genesis 35:1-4, Jacob is about to travel to a place called “Bethel”, which means “House of God”, He was going there to renew his covenant with God. He commanded all those traveling with him to “put away prio nga your gar- ments”. It was very common in those days in Eastern culture to sive periods in Los Angeles his- tory was written when U.S. Dis- trict: Judge John G. Davies de- clined to send former Los Ange- les Police Department officers Stacey Koon and Laurence Powell back to prison. Davies, whose lenient sentence of the two men was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, ruled the offic- ers convicted of violating Rodney King’s civil rights need not spend any more than the 30 months in federal prison they had served. Popstar Michael Jackson made a brief appearance in federal court last year, popping in for one day to testify that he never promised to appear on aJackson family TV special that ended in millions of dollars in losses for the producers. The case ended in amistrial. Former Rams defen- sive star Darryl Henley, con- victed months earlier in Santa Ana for helping ship cocaine cross-country, found himself in more legal hot water, this time in Los Angeles. He admitted conspiring to kill his cheerleader ex-girlfriend, who had testified against him in Orange County, and the federal judge who presided at the trial. He now faces 41 years in federal prison. The guard who gave Henley a cellular telephone to plot the murders decided to go to trial, and was convicted in November. Rodney Anderson claimed he helped Henley because he was threatened by Marion “Suge” Knight’s brother. Ron Knight, was indicted with Henley and Anderson, but the charges were dismissed and his case was sealed. “Suge” Knight’s legal troubles are far from over, though. Federal prosecutors want his probation for firearms traffick- ing revoked because he allegedly smoked marijuana in violation of the terms of his supervised release. Knight’s probation on a state court assault case already has been revoked, which could mean trouble for his pioneering Death Row rap music label. Weeks before his latest legal problems, Knight survived a drive by shooting in Las Vegas that left Tupac Shakur, one of Death Row’s top performers, fa- tally wounded. There also was mixed news for African Ameri- cans on the education front. On the same day as a land- mark settlement of a class-ac- tion lawsuit requiring the dis- trict to begin over hauling its special education programs was approved, Superintendent Sid Thompson announced he would be stepping down as head of the nation’s second-largest public school district when his contract expires in June. Thompson, who became the district’s first black superintendent in 1993, said it is time to move on after more than 40 years with the Los Angeles Unified School District. The 65-year-old administrator and former teacher said the job had grown increasingly demand- ing and that he could not see himself handling it as he ap- proaches 70. “I'd like to think I’m Super- man, but I’m not,” he said. The Board of Education has started a nationwide search fora successor, despite protests from Latino parents, students and community activists who want Ruben Zacarias, Thompson’s deputy, appointed. The reason- ing is that the district is over- whelmingly Latino, so Zacarias should get the job. The board also began to implement other changes as well, adopting a re- vised “master plan” for English language learners, developing new academic standards for stu- dent performance and adopting a new standard test to replace the older Comprehensive Test for Basic Skills. | But CTBS scores released in December showed that district students continued to lag behind the na- tional averages. Scholastic As- sessment Test scores rose an average 3.5 points, but were still well under national averages. The district also experienced tragedy in 1996. On Feb. 22, Figueroa Street Elementary School teacher Alfredo Perez was struck in the head by a stray bullet from a — gang shooting while standing before his fifth-grade class. Perez survived, but he suffered brain damage that required him to begin an extensive rehabilita- tion. The incident led to another symbol of the troubled ’90s—in- stallation of bulletproof windows at the school. The trial of two teen-agers charged in the shooting ended in a mistrial in October 7, after a chief witness equivocated on what he had told authorities ear- lier. A retrial is under way in Compton. In other judicial proceedings, ajudge ordered a free-lance jour- nalist to pay Michael Jackson damages for telling “Hard Copy” he had seen a video of the pop star molesting a teen-age boy. Death Row Records loomed large in the city’s criminal courts system in 1996, beginning with Snoop Doggy Dog’s acquittal in a murder case and ending with the rap label’s co-founder jailed for assault. It was Feb. 20 when Snoop, also known as Calvin Broadus, left the Criminal Courts Build- ingina Rolls-Royce, having been cleared with bodyguard McKinley Lee of the 1993 shoot- ing death of a gang member in Palms. The 24-year-old rapper and father of a 2-year-old boy went onto enjoy more commercial suc- cess, with the top selling album “The Doggfather.” But the good fortune didn’t last for the billion dollar label. In September, Death Row lost a big moneymaker when the late Tupac Shakur was fatally shot in a gangland-style drive-by shoot ing in Las Vegas. And by November, the 300 plus-pound man who had been driving the BMW that Shakur was riding in, Death Row co- founder Marion “Suge” Knight, was on his way to prison. The reputed former gang mem- ber was convicted of violating his probation on a 1995 assault con- viction for joining Shakur in a brawl a few hours before the rap star was fatally wounded. Knight spent the holidays be- hind bars awaiting sentencing, while federal authorities inves- tigated his company for possible links to street gangs, money laun- deringand drugtrafficking. And by year’s end, Shakur’s mother, who last week won a court battle forcing Death Row and two other firms to stop selling unautho- rized Tupac gear, had hired an independent auditor to see if the label shortchanged her son his royalties. According to reports, Shakur owed his label $4.9 million at the time of his death, despite CD/ eassette sales of more than $60 million . Other long-running criminal cases were finally resolved in, 1996. It was Halloween, three years to the day that they had slaughtered a trio of trick-or- treating boys in Pasadena, that three gang members learned of their fate— death. —_ Lorenzo Newborn, 25, Herbert McClain, 26, and Karl Holmes, 20, had been convicted in December 1995 of the ambush, mistaken iden- tity murders. With the OJ. Simpson civil trial miles away in Santa Monica, there was little evidence left of the 1995 “trial of the century.” But that changed briefly in early October. Former LAPD Detective Mark Fuhrman resurfaced, leaving his new home in Idaho to plead no contest to perjury. The charge: lying when he testified in Simpson’s criminal trial that he had never in the previous 10 years used the word “n___,” to describe a black person. Attorney General Dan Lungren said the vilified inves: tigator who went over the wall of Simpson’s Rockingham estate to find a bloody glove “is now a! convicted felon and will forever bebrandeda liar.” The renewed focus on the Simpson case couldn’t have come at a worse time for District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He barely managed to turn back a challenge by Deputy District Attorney John Lynch in a race that sharply divided the office and led to the ‘relocation’ of several deputies who supported Lynch. Hampton Leads Black Colleges Hampton University has the highest graduation rate among large, historically black colleges, according to the autumn issue of the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. Fifty-three percent of the university’s students earn their diplomas within six years, a rate that outpaces 17 other historically black colleges nation- wide. The survey was based ona report that ranked graduation rates for students and student athletes at 305 NCAA Division I colleges. “I really think it’s due to the teaching-learning environ- ment that’s created at Hamp- ton,” said Elnora Daniel, the university’s executive vice presi- dent and provost. “There’s a defi- nite plan for mentoring our stu- dents and creating a nurturing environment.” Carlton Brown, vice president of planning, said the 53 percent graduation rate is actually lower than the rate in the previous three years, falling 5 percentage points from 1994. Ms. Daniel said the university has also received grant money in the past four years geared to- ward student retention, which allows the Virginia-based uni- versity to provide additional tu- toring by faculty members. Al- though Hampton’ s graduation rate has traditionally ranked high among historically black colleges, it still lags behind many top-rated mostly white colleges. The University of Virginia's graduation rate for blacks is 84 percent, the highest graduation rate for blacks among thenation’s large public universities in states where the black’ population ex- ceeds 5 percent. William and Mary’sgraduation rate for blacks is 77 percent. A new foundation established After going through the finan- cial struggles from having a sick child to care for, Marlene Ander- son and Connie Gorham-Walston established The Bone Marrow Foundation of Eastern North Carolina. This Foundation is a non profit organization that will help families with members that are stricken with Leukemia or Aplastic Anemia. There are a lot of needs to be considered such as use earrings and nose rings in dif- ferent forms of idolatry. Many people in those days carried little handmade idols carved out of wood, Today, many Black youths use their own version of idols; ear- rings, nose rings, hair picks in their hair, gold teeth, medallions, tattoos, and gangster style clothes. These are some of the outward signs that they are involved in a system of crime, rebellion, mur- der, hate and they doit religiously. To the point where many of them can’t even sleep unless they com- mit some evil deed. Black men today want to dress in a manner that identifies with crimes, gangs, rappers, and every evil thing. EARRINGS AND DRUG USE (WITCHCRAFT) Another symbol of Black men wearing earrings is witchcraft, also known as sorcery. Witchcraft, is derived from the Greek word, “pharmakon”, which means “drug”. egal drugs are destroy- ing Black America. Black men are dying everyday from the crack co- caine epidemic. When Blacks, or any race of people are involved in drugs, research shows they are Continued on page? monthly bills, gas, food etc. We are trying to make it as easy as possible for families that are re- ally going through difficult times. Families should not have to worry about finances when try- ing to deal with sickness. We have experienced these things first hand and we know howhard it is. There are a lot of Founda- tions out there, but none that support financial needs. We are praying that this Foundation will grow strong and businesses will make donations to help these families. All donations, of course, are tax deductible. We will con- tinue to have fund-raisers to put money into the Foundation and we area soliciting help from the community. No one ever knows when a tragedy will hit home, Hardworking & dedication, heel sew quik, located at The Carolina East Mall - Owner but if it does we are hoping that this Foundation will be a re- source. For further information you can contact Marlene Ander- son 756-7297 or Connie Gorham- Walston 355-7012. For donations send checks to: Bone Marrow Foundation of Eastern NC, c/o Attorney Earl T. Brown, P.O. Box 2216, Greenville, NC 27836- 2216 f % » ae brother Marvin Staton is shown displaying the award he received for being #1 heel sew quik in the country, Brother Marvin shown with brother Staton is his ishop Paul Thomas. ng : Pare Bi member of Victory Christian Assembly. Also