Serving Eastern North Carolina Since 1981 December 31, 1999 - January 7, 2000 Putty’ Big Date is Valentine's Day; Girlfriend Lopez is off the hook By Vinette K. Pryce After a high- profile, date-filled 1999, Sean “Puffy” Combs’ big date for Y2K is linked into his itinerary for Feb. 14. A time and place || is already confirmed f| for a court date with | the district attorney on Valentine’s Day. Combs made this a priority after mem- bers of the New York Police Department apprhended him and three colleagues when his vehicle raced “recklessly” through Manhattan streets after a shooting incident inside a Manhattan nightclub. According to Officer Carmen Melendez, the Dec. 27 shooting occurred at approximately 2:55 a.m. at Club New York “A dispute started inside the club...three victims were shot.” she said. She named 29-year-old Natanya Rubin, who was shot in the face, and Julius Jones, 27, and Robert Thomas, 39, who suffered gun-shot wounds to the shoulder. Reportedly, 19-year-old Jamal Barrow, of 783 E. Sist St. in Brooklyn, was arrested. He was charged with three counts of attempted murder and possession’ of a weapon. Subsequently, a vehicle was spotted driving recklessly through the streets...” It was that vehicle which carried Combs, 30, singer Jennifer Lopez, Wardell Fenderson, 41, and Anthony Jones. All were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of stolen property. Jones, 34, was also charged with criminal possession of marijuana. Lopez seemed to have negotiated immunity and was not charged. Combs has pleaded ignorance to ownership of the 9mm gun. He has been adamant in explaining that he does not carry or own a gun. However, the negative publicity has clouded his image as a young, successful entrepreneur. Combs has been courted by the media as a glamorous fella, record mogul, ladies’ man, player and celebrity magnet. His picture appears often gossip pages as a constant companion of the rich and famous, some of whom include Donald Trump and Damy—Bevito. His high-profile stance,-however, has resulted in the dredging of his past misdeeds. Since the incident, television has reminded viewers that Combs was fully responsible for another December incident nine years ago at City College, where nine young people were killed due to a stampede prior to a celebrity event to which basketball had lured youngsters. Another event which linked Combs to criminal activity resurfaced with reminders of a beating he reportedly gave a record company executive who allegedly violated a request to refrain from releasing a video which depicted the Bad Boy head as a crucified Jesus. While Combs is being pinpointed as criminal-minded, his Christmas date, Lopez, is being urged by her Latin friends to “dump the punk.” Maria Gonzalez, a Brooklynite, said “she has more to lose than he does. Her fan base is in the Latin community and we know her as an angel not a thug.” When asked if Combs were perceived as a thug, the response by Gonzalez and her friends was resoundingly unanimous: “He is a thug.” Nyika O. White, Currently; #2 in North Carolina, as a Glass 1 Elite Gymnast, of The United States Gymnastics Association. Finished the 1998-99 Season, as NC State Sell oh Class 2 Elite Gymnast. Nyika, has also been inducted into the National Beta Club as a “Junior” at Williamston, NC High School. He is steady an course to become a World Class “Athlete”, and World Class “individual”, along with attaining a Quality Education! Photo by Jim Rouse + ’ Wishing Everyone a Successful and Prosperous New Year ! Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration The Pitt County Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference is honored to invite everyone to participate in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration 2000- "Where Do We Go From Here?" being held at J.H. Rose High School in Greenville, NC. This year's cele- bration is special because it is the first one of the New Millennium and we are expecting it to set the tone for our organization for the years to come. Celebration 2000 will begin on Saturday January 15, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. with a "soul stirring" gospel concert with Brother Darius Shackleford serv- ing as the Master of Ceremonies. The concert will feature the Oaks of Righteousness from Knoxville, TN, Moye's Chapel Young Adult Choir from Farmville, NC, Fresh Anointed from Greenville, NC and more. On Sunday January 16, 2000 at 6:00 p.m. we will con tinue to celebrate as State Legislator Attorney Milton Toby Fitch of Wilson, NC delivers our keynote address and Pastor Randy Royal (Philippi Church of Christ in Greenville, NC) serves as the Master of Ceremonies. But, we are not done yet! On the actual holiday of Monday January 17, 2000 at 10:00 a.m. the Coalition Against Racism along with SCLC will sponsor a Freedom March from the Eppes Recreational Facility on MLK Dr. and Nash St. to City Hall and back. Then at - 3:00p.m., our future leaders will take the stage to display their "gifts from above" through a Youth Talent Show hosted by Felicia Higgs and Fabian Delootch. The show will feature talents from ages 5 through 21. in which the audience will serve as the judges. Prizes will be awarded in this event. If you would like to sign up for the gospel concert or the talent show, you have until January 10th to do so, but spaces are filled on a first come basis. Please call the SCLC office at 252-757-1599 to secure your place. Make your plans now to help us celebrate the life, the accomplishment. the legacy of our Founding President Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. ! U.S. lawmakers want new labels on food WASHINGTON (IPS) — A group of U.S. lawmakers said that they planned to introduce legislation to require the mandatory labeling of all food containing trace amounts of genetically engineered products. . Called the “Genetically Engineered Food Right to Know Act,” the proposed bill would oppose the current U.S. regulatory position that genetically modified foods are no different than other food products. The bill would include the labeling of meat, dairy and poultry products. Foods that contain milk from a cow injected with genetically engineered hormones, for example, would be labeled as produced with genetically engineered material. The twenty lawmakérs said the wide presence of genetic engineering in today's foods posed certain health risks, including increased toxicity, increased exposure to allergens and antibiotic resistance. Congratulations Evelyn Littles, the frist African American and the frist female Mayor of Grimesland. Evelyn Littles served on the Board Directors of the NC League of Municipal for two years, as well as on the Board of Directors for the NAACP. She graduated from G.R. Whitfield High School in North Carolina and continued her education at New York University Adult Education program. She attended several business courses there and received certificates while employed as a secretary at the University from 1957- 1966. Some of the issues she stands for is safety and security for all citizens of Grimesland. And, zero tolerance on illegal drug trafficking. . Photo By Jim Rouse Our man in DC, Brother Jim Rouse and the NC Assoc. of Broadcasters met with the FCC to discuss low power FM radio stations. Brother Rouse was joined by other NC Broadcasters. Brother Rouse is shown at the Natl. Assoc. of Broadcasters in DC prior to the meeting with the FCC. January 4th Brother Rouse announced his candidacy for House seat District 8. : Pitt Commissioner Jeff Savage step down from his seat after the board's next regular meeting on Jan. 10 Savage, 39, a commissioner for seven years, said he is leaving the board for personal reason related to his family. “It’s time for Jeff Savage to become daddy, and it’s time off for Jeff Savage to become husband” he said during a break at the commissioners meeting on Monday. “There was not a difficult decision at all, The weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders.” The resignation, which Savage prefers to call “retirement,” has nothing to do with his September arrest for driving while impaired and resisting arrest, Savage said. He has not yet gone to trial for the charges. “People are going to speculate and the timing would not eliminate that,” he said. “They would speculate on one thing or another, It is'strictly for my wife and children.” Mr. Savage is pictured with Dave Mc Cray President of Pitt Memorial Hospital. ) , fhete from the “M" Voice Files \ Com sentation of the ec aes Los = Angeles NAACP's Lifetime Achievement Award, named after civil rights pio- neer H. Claude Hudson, ‘to L.A. _ Police Chief Bernard Parks got some - €ommunity circles up in arms for some very obvious reasons. Convo- luted in the debate, of course, is why would someone want to protest an award given to an obviously popu- ar chief of police. The counterpoint is why give the award at a time when the department is in the midst of a growing scandal, one of the worst (if not, the worst) in its his- tory with the public disclosures that street cops are straight-up framing folks (something the community has known for 30 years). The point that was missed was that awarding a “lifetime achieve- ment” recognition on Park was sim- ply premature, particularly before Parks does what he was put there to do, which is reform the nation’s most (historically) corrupt munici- pal law enforcement, the Los Ange- tes Police Department. Parks’ ap- pointment and civil service career ~The Minority Voice Dec. 31 - Jan. 7, 2000 that’ s owe what they should. have give him—a meritorious award), the ultimate Bernard Parks “lifetime” achievement (as far as LAPD goes) would come.after the reform and he’s not-there yet. in fact, he’s a long way from.it... . The Colored People’s Assn., on the other hand continues to live up to its state of perpetual dysfunction and celebrated compromise by con- tinuing to recognize people for things other than honorable motives The Los Angeles branch of NAACP has a history of selling its awards for sponsor.and popular celebrity favor, a position juxtaposed to the real purpose of H. Claude Hudson’s life achievement, long time truth, advocacy and struggle. It really didn’t matter to me whether Bernard Parks received the award not. We really have more critical issues in our community to worry about. People honor who they want to, it doesn’t mean the recog- nition is always worthy. Protesters tried to make it about Parks’ posi- tion on the Margaret Mitchell shoot- ing and current scandal which pre- KLEAVER’S KLPPINS An Unusual Reason for Giving Thanks greene prs Parks’ appearance at the Urban Issues Breakfast, Forum last month) that he is making some headway. Not “life achievement” kinda’ headway, but headway still. Headway worthy of some recogni- tion. I’m not raising “pom-poms” _ for the chief, but if the choice wasn’t Parks, it would be another compro- mise awardee. That’s how the NAACP is these days. Every now and then they get it right (as they did with Tom Bradley last year), but most times they’re a minute too soon or a minute too late in their positions. The L.A. NAACP doesn’t know whether its’ comin’ or goin’, and with low membership, with slow advocacy positions, the award “thing” is just a popularity piece. But the Parks award is not the worst choice this branch has ever made. It’s not as distasteful as when Frank Sinatra received the Life Achieve- ment Award in 1987 (a year after the award was started with Hudson himself being the first recipient). That was an ugly situation. The irony of this ‘whole award - ' dideessio is we speak up when there’s nothing to talk about, and remain silent when there’s some- thing to say. Twelve years ago, Sinatra was selected to receive the award in a backroom deal amongst a few branch executive committee members that started the biggest branch fight (and split whereby 5,000 members walked away from the branch) in this city’s history. Sinatra’s people agreed to “sell out” the dinner (to the tune of $350,000) if Sinatra received the Life Achievement Award. Sinatra was also on the human rights (Am- nesty International) “blacklist” for performing at the South African re- sort, Sun City, during the height of apartheid oppression, and most in the branch opposed the award but wouldn’t state it publicly since the deal was “already done.” Sinatra, in fact, legitimized the resort when most other major entertainers pub- licly stated, “We ain’t gonna play Sun City” (the name of a song that came out of the campaign). The Negro leadership in Los Angeles remained silent (because the NAACP wasn’t the only organiza- Back in the spring, Jan Maria Pye had the honor of being the first black woman to serve on the Desert Hot Springs City Council. For the uninformed, Desert Hot Springs sits out by Palm Springs and is considered a relatively affluent community. . She did not win an election or even run for office. Because of her involvement in the com- munity, she was chosen to fill the unexpired term of a former council member. She had no political ambition and candidly said so. Her term of office was slated to be over in November of this year, when a special election would be held. _- Well, November rolled around and Jan Pye, who is incidentally the daughter of noted sports ‘writer Brad Pye Jr. and Eunice Pye, had not really changed her mind. She had enjoyed her brief stay on the council and had become a highly respected member of the body. "It is really kind of hard to describe the things that happened next. She didn’t launch a political campaign and when donors sought to make a contribution to her non-campaign, she refused .the money. It was like she had been conscripted ‘or drafted I the council race. » Herresolve never wavered. She refused. She ‘refused to author a statement to be included on "the ballot and she had no campaign literature. ' She was truly an “ambassador without portfo- slio.” Hér thrust seemed to be to offer whatever :level of expertise she had to the city and to take scare of her teenage daughter, Amber, who is an "honor student at Palm Springs High School. » Amber is, without question, the apple of her -grandfather’s eye. If you don’t believe it, just cask him. ‘ Anyway. As the political “silly season” be- ‘gan to reach a climax, Jan Pye’s name was on the ballot. She was nonchalant and even casual about sit. She had no great aspirations or even hopes ‘about winning the election. She accepted the ‘fact that she had virtually been drafted and kept Ly URBAN PERSPECTIVE Scams African Americans’ Silence is Wieccmace to Kids on about her business. On the night of Nov. 2, however, the voters made their position and their desires clear. When the dust had settled and the votes had been counted, she had garnered more ballots than both of her opponents combined. As a matter of fact, she received more votes than the mayor. Jan had 9990 votes and the mayor had only 714. One of her opponents, Angela D, Avramidis, finished with 461 votes and Rochelle Esser managed to get 274 votes. Please note. This is not a predominantly Af- rican American community. It is of some ex- treme interest that Jan Pye was endorsed by the conservative newspaper, the Desert Sun. The Sun charged that Jan Pye had been one of the most focused and effective members of the coun- cil, as well as the most popular. In It’s endorsement of Pye, The Sun said, “Pye, who joined the council in March has dis- tinguished herself as a no nonsense leader of vision and passion. The one council member most voters trust and rightfully so. She was instrumental in getting the June utility tax passed and has taken the lead-on preparing another tax measure to ensure the city’s viability.” The newspaper went on to say “... with the assistance of proven incumbent Jan Pye, the city should finally be able to maximize the tourism and economic development strengths so badly mismanaged under previous administrations.” Jan calmly accepted her victory, but there was a hint of pride when she said, “This is like getting an “a” on my report card for my perfor- mance so far. I said I could take care of business and focus on the issues.” She is scheduled to be officially sworn into office on Dec. 7. She will serve a two-year term on the council. A graduate of Crenshaw High School, she is a former UCLA student. She spent most of her adolescent years living in the Leimert Park area. Maybe this won’t mean very much to some people. It is however, and indication that some barriers have come down and others are coming down. Some of these will be slow in moving. Others will perhaps tumble much faster. At the same time, we must be constantly vigilant to make certain that we don’t miss a trick. There are still snakes in the wilderness and they are waiting for us to come close before they strike. Jan Pye is one of those who overcame the odds. But then she had the background to make it almost impossible for her to fail. She had a father who had come from someplace called Plain Dealing, La. (A place nobody ever heard of or went to) and who was a Marine. Her mother ran a taut ship so there was little room for failure. Her daughter, Amber, will in all probability become a brain surgeon or a paleontologist or maybe a Supreme Court Justice. She might even become the president of the United States. She has the ability of her mother and the drive of her grandfather. On top of that, she’s pretty. Jan, on the other hand, might serve another term or two on the city council. And then be drafted to run for mayor. If that happens, it will mark the first time in history that a young woman who was born and bred in South Central Los Angeles would ascend to the highest seat in the city next door to one of the richest communities in the world. I just hope it happens during my lifetime.Indeed, this family has adequate reason to give thanks at this time of the year. On a more solemn note. At this time of thanksgiving, we should all look around us and recognize that we have something for which to be thankful. There will be those who will not awaken on Thanksgiving morning. And no mat- ter what the circumstances, we must remember the Arabic proverb, “I complained because I had no shoes until I met a man who had not feet.” May God bless you as we celebrate this sea- son of thanksgiving. tion taking “compromise money”).- The newspapers reported it, but there was no commentary on it (unlike has been the case on the Parks award). Only a few people publicly CHIEF BERNARD PARKS ... Making headway. opposed it at the time. Ron Wilkins and his anti-apart- heid organization, Amnesty Inter- national had a few people to speak out, and myself, who was then first vice president of the Los Angeles NAACP. The dinner was protested, and Sinatra went home with his award (after telling protesters to stick it). After the dinner, the branch members who organized the dinner became the opposition group against my re-election for branch president two years later. It was their public smear cam- paign that subsequently led to me : History Repeated being investigated and prosecuted. But it all started with my opposition to Frank Sinatra being given the Life Achievement Award, speakin’ up when it was time to speak up. Not because it’s now popular to.slam the figurehead (police-bash) in media for “grandstand of the week.” Pro- testers now want to say the L.A. NAACP did something inappropri- ate when they have been doin’ it all along. This was really a “non-issue” taking up space. Atleast, they can’t be accused of “selling” Bernard Parks the award. That was strictly the case with the Sinatra recognition 12 years ago. The worst they can be accused of today is being a little premature in the recognition. As history repeated itself, the dinner was protested and Bernard Parks went home with his award. And in the larger scheme of things, does it really matter? Does another plaque on Bernard Parks’ wall change the quality of life for anyone in South Central? Does it bring Margaret Mitchell back, or correct the department’s impending scandal, since he neither pulled the trigger nor caused the scandal? Nope, it doesn’t. It does provide further ammunition about the NAACP being relevant, or at least, conflicted in focus and pur- pose. And that’s not going to change by who it chooses to recognize with chicken dinner awards, but whose lives they start impacting. Only then will the NAACP change public per- spectives of it’s mostrecent history, ones of irrelevance, ill-prepared- ness, organizational confusion and of compromise. ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVE Are Cops Killing Blacks? Before the horrific shooting at the Littleton, Colo., high school, the media sat around like the Maytag repairman on Prozac. Monica’s gone, impeachment and trial over with, the Jon Benet Ramsey mystery dormant. Oh, sure, there’s the occasional O.J. flare-up, but, for the most part, until Kosovo came along, one could almost hear the sound of the media begging, “More firewood, please.” But, wait a second. Look at these crime stats. Hmm, looks like blacks get busted more often than whites. This appears to the trained eye like a clear-cut case of racism. Driving while black. Race “profiling.” Gentle- men, start your laptops! Does this emotionally-driven, factually-devoid brand of journalism sound familiar? Sure, it does. Remember the “epidemic” of arson against black churches? USA Today and many other prominent newspapers bombarded us with stories about the “epidemic,” “rash,” “scourge”—pick one—of the burning of black Southern churches. The bigots are back, the bigots are back! Soon public service announcements popped up, urging citizens to dig deep and help rebuild those black churches. Just when you thought you had the bigots on the run, they’re ba-a-ack. Little buggers are more tenacious than a Serb under a NATO air attack. But, uh-oh, iceberg ahead. Turns out, the story was bogus. Not only was there no increase of racially-motivated burnings of black churches, but church-burnings are dramatically down since 1980! By 63 percent. In fact, more mosques, synagogues, and white churches have been burned in recent years than black churches. But for our race-tinted guys and gals in the media, it only got worse. Nearly a third of those arrested for burning black churches turned out to be... black. USA Today prominently featured the burning of a Texas black church. Authorities suspected bigotry. But, the cops later busted one of the firefighters summoned to put out the firc. That’s right. A firefighter set the fire and later had the nerve to respond to a call to help put it out. And he was black. USA Today gave the in the school district. If there were only 100, or one, their interests must always be protected. Who but Afri- can Americans have primary re- sponsibility for protecting the rights of African American children? The Board of Education’s recent flawed process and questionable ethical procedures—as well as its needless alienation of large num- bers of Latinos—is cause for con- siderable concern because the same thing can happen to African Ameri- cans. It goes without saying that African Americans’ failing to re- spond to important actions by the school board signals an uninformed or disinterested, politically impo- tent community. It lets the board off the hook by not holding it ac- countable for educating all children. Given the urgency of current LAUSD issues, an array of African American groups should make their positions known. The board’s com- promise in temporarily restoring Superintendent Zacarias’ authority and hiring Ramon Cortines as in- terim superintendent, effective Jan. 16, 2000 does not lessen the need to be vigilant, Such groups should in- clude parents, teachers, adminis- trators (including the Council of Black Administrators), legislators (the Legislative Black Caucus was quoted» as protesting the school -board’s.action, but did not issue an official statement), civit rights and Recently in this col- umn I urged Afri- can Americans to speakout about the Los Angeles Board : Of Education’s process in stripping : Superintendent Ruben Zacarias of his : authority, transferring it to real estate : attorney and former school board : member, Howard Miller. I suggested * that the school board’s process was ? flawed and likely illegal, with serious : implications for African American * students who remain at the lowest » educational levels in the district. These , children are especially vulnerable, , since African Americans continue to > lose power both within and outside of ; the second largest school district in » the nation. . Since my Oct. 28 column, a tell- ; ing, inexcusable silence continues * unabated. Despite the potential ‘ negative impact of the school , board’s Zacarias/Miller decision on ‘ African American children and the * ensuing chaos, black people have ° said virtually nothing. This is as- ® + tounding! Are African American } students less important than other } children and, therefore, less deserv- , ing of community support? Of course, they are as important * as all other children, but the Afri- : can American community creates ‘ the impression of not caring by not * consistently demanding a quality + education for black students and not taking the school board to task + for actions that affect these stu- dents, such as the board's Oct. 12 decision to remove and recreate the ganizations and churches should Wistrict's top management, in- also speak out because the broader tly, African American community's {Despite dwindling nymbers,, destiny is inextricably’ woven with there’ are approximately 100,000 that of the black child,» | African American studentsenrolled A word on strategies by African ' ' ] f ® mernrerre ee Kd MDS | black businesses; professional or- ae ‘community-based organizations,» Americans to improve educational results is necessary since school board president, Genethia Hayes is such a staunch opponent of “racial/identity politics.” Hayes suggests that condi- tions in the United States have im- proved to a point where focusing on race or ethnicity is no longer neces- sary in order to achieve political and educational gains. She also urges that people not use the word “race.” How then will Hayes effectively advocate for black children? If conditions were really that much improved, and discrimination and inequities were no longer based oncolor, anti-identity politics would make sense. However, until race and ethnicity are no longer significant, (I suspect that they will always be), the opponents of identity politics are doing a disservice to African American students by minimizing the systemic barriers to their suc- ceeding, while at the same time pro- moting race-neutral strategies which smack more of opportunism than tools to improve educational results. Some may wonder whether Genethia Hayes herself is a “ben- eficiary” of the identity politics she so vehemently rejects, publicly. Los Angeles’ African American politi- cal leadership is by no means unani- mously supportive of Hayes, but seems to be “sitting out” the recent school board action and subsequent chaos which dominated. much of the news for several weeks. Could black leadership's silence be based on Genethia Hayes’ color? Is ra- cial/identity politics more palatable than Hayes and her cohorts are will- ing to admit? _ Cross-racial/ethnic collabora- tion is a necessary component-of strategies to improve educational results. In order to play a vital role in such collaboration, African Americans, like all others, must have their act together. This means successful intra-group collaboration before collaborating with others. (The anti-identity crowd likely re- jects intra-group unity as a form of racial or identity politics.) Curiously, these same opponents of identity politics do not criticize “corporate identity politics,” (e.g., the Richard Riordan variety), nor a host of other groups such as gays, Jews and women, who fit the iden- tity politics definition such as it is. Opponents’ caustic, degrading re- jection of racial and identity poli- tics is apparently reserved for Afri- can Americans and Latinos exclu- sively. Implications of African Ameri- cans’ failure to deal with the cur- rent school board and the district crisis extend well beyond educa- tion to politics, economics and the cultural values that shape our lives. No matter how pervasive the deni- als however, the future of African Americans rests with the children and always has, It is vital that Afri- can Americans weigh in-on all is- sues affecting the education of Af- rican American students, Not to do so abdicates a fundamental respon- sibility and, by default, entrusts to others our children’s destiny. It is imperative that the school board hears from African Ameri- cans now, and regularly. Why? Be- cause the board's actions and deci- sion-making processes, (as in ter- minating Zacarias), impacts ‘the lives of each and every African American child. arrest of the suspect only a fraction of the coverage given the initial burning. Which brings us back to today’s accusation: reckless, out of control cops who “racially profile.” In New York, the cops beat a Haitian man. And, later, the police shot, numerous times, an unarmed black immigrant. Based on media reports, the New York cops seemed Gestapo-like. But then there’s that troubling thing called data. Where is it? What supports the contention that police brutality against minorities is widespread and on the increase? In the last three years, NYPD shootings actually de- creased by a third. And fatal police shootings are down by nearly 50 percent. New York crime did not go down because police brutality went up. The fact remains that a small number of minorities commit a dispropor- tionately large amount of crime. It stands to reason that more from this “high risk group” will be stopped, questioned, and arrested, for the most part, with good cause. Are cops guilty of “gender profiling” because cops target and arrest more men than women? Did the Rev. Jesse Jackson “racially profile” when he once said, “There is nothing more painful for me than to walk down the street and hear footsteps and start to think about robbery, and then see it’s somebody white and feel relieved.” Do we really want cops to spend less time in high crime areas and more crime in low crime ones? Don’t trout fishermen go, like, where the trout is? And let’s not forget. Arrests protect other people, you know. The victims of urban crime remain urban dwellers. Some lawmakers want to require officers to keep detailed information about the race or ethnicity of persons’ stopped. Police departments, irritated at the guilt-by-badge accusations, resist. Fellows, don’t fight it. Tell ‘em, “go ahead, make my day.” Keep the data. Remember, you work for the public. Your “customers” demand this information. So, give it to them. Then what? What will the screamers do when the data fail to show a pattern of discrimination, that most stops and searches are justified? And remember the president's executive order directing a study on “environmental racism,” the allegation that the government puts toxic dump sites near minority communities? According to the Detroit News, the government failed to find environmental racism. And never released the study! In fact, Jared Taylor writes in Paved with Good Intentions, that whites are more likely to'live near toxic waste sites than blacks. He called environmental racism an “utterly spurious charge.” The pigs-are-coming argument does not wash, The search-for-the-great-white-bigot crowd, as usual, ignores real problems: Irresponsible breeding, irresponsible parenting, bad schools, crime. But, as long as they have a cop to’kick around they'll kick. Until they néed one. (Larry Elder can be heard.on KABC TalkRadio.) \ HAPPY NEW YEAR! d Resolve to: Break that bad habit. Smile, Smile, Smile again. Be positive statements. avoid those negative Speak to people. Praise more; criticize less, Clean your yard. Give give yourself. Start something .Give God His first. Call your mom: better still, visit with her. Encourage your children. Attend their functions. Be a good sport. Remember, you win some and you lose some. Live by the Golden Rule. Say a grace before meals. Take your children to Sunday school and church. Listen more; talk less. God, family and friends in this The punorty Voice Dec. 31- Jan. 7, 2000 he Desk of Mrs. order. Don't litter. There's a place for everything. Forgive, don't hold grudges. Pray more, there's power in prayer. Visit the folk in nursing homes and hospitals. Be kind, respectful, truthful and courteous. Love the person who is hard to love. Good manners haven't gone out of style. Be a good model for your child. Be careful, Dad, I'm walking in your steps. Show your spouse that you bye her/him with words, deeds and acts. Never put your children before your spouse. Respect your marriage vows; in fact, read them over together often. Be kind to your children. They're the ones who'll put you in nursing homes. Keep to the right, driving a vehicle. not only in Read, keep your brain active. Spend less than you make. Save. Save. Save. Have you hugged your wife today? Your child? Be a good neighbor. Lose those extra pounds. Are you happy? You can't make others happy unless you are first happy yourself. Be on time. Stop procrastinating. Read your Bible daily. Practice what you preach. Cleanliness is next to godliness. Be clean in body, soul and mind. Let someone else go first some- times. Salvation is free. Keep God in your life. Never give advice unless asked for and be careful then. Stop trying to change folk. You have hard enough time changing self. Don't cheat on your wife/husband. Listen to your children God helps those who help them- selves. Don't try to go it alone. .Effective leaders delegate. Keep going in the right direction. Pay your dues and pay them on time. Write that will. Don't put it off. Be patient, don't dwell on mistakes. Get along well with people and let it start in the home GOOD THOUGHTS 1. Accept that which you cannot change. 2. "Never cease trying to be the best that you can be". John Wooden 3. "Make each day's practice a masterpiece”. Coach John Wooden 4. "Work hard, be good and have fun. Steve Langdon father of Duke's star basketball player Trajan, said. 5. You're either part of the steam roller or a part of the pavement. 6. Real leaders are ordinary people with extraordinary determination. 7. Sometimes you just have to play hard ball. 8. Risk. You can't steal second base and keep your foot on first. 9. Goals. Keep your head and your heart "in the right direction and you'll never have to worry, about your feet. 10. Nothing in this world is impossible to a willing heart. 11. The distance between success and failure can only be measured by one's desire. 12. If you don't believe in yourself, chances are that nobody else will. 13. Attitude is everything. 14. Those who can do - do; those who can't complain. 15. Most quarrels amplify misun- derstanding. Life is full of obsta- cles and solutions. (Cubu Gooding, Jr., actor 16. Jesse Jackson, founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition says, "As a nation, we need to focus on poor children Poor children are channeled more to jails than they are to Yale (University). That must stop. One half of all Black babies are born into poverty. That must stop. Impoverished children go to impoverished schools. That must stop. More than 700,000 Black men in jail have a child at home under the age of eight. that must stop." 17. The person who does not read is no better off than the person who can't read. 18. When you lay down with dogs you'll get up with fleas. 19. Some people aren't happy unless they can complain. 20. If you walk with the Lord, you'll never be out of step. 21. Basketball star, Dean Tolson said, "Don't just stay in school, learn while you're there. education is the only sure road to success. If 1 : -can beat illiteracy, you can too”. JOHN ROSEMOND ON PARENTING The results of the 1997 survey of Educational Needs: The purpose: to determine what employees skills and attributes most valued by Dayton, Ohio area em- ployers -400 businesses were asked to rate 13 attributes and skills. In this order: honesty, willingness to cooperate, ability/willingness to fol- low directions, positive attitude and punctuality. Least important were, in order, basic math skills, understanding of business economics and basic com- puter skills. The very skills most of today's parents want their children to excel in math, language arts and computer literacy - are the skills least valued by employers. Today's parents would do well to focus less on getting their children into gifted and talented programs and focus more on teaching them manners, respect for others, respon- sibility and other basic character skills. The Dayton survey affirms that academic and athletic achievements are stressed but unless that's bal- anced by character, it doesn't go far. CONCENTRATE ON THESE 1. TIME is important to us all. Respect other people's time and make efforts not to waste it. 2. First impressions are important, but don't judge a book entirely by its cover. 3. Discipline yourself to save on a regular basis. Establish savings accounts for children at an early age and encourage them to contribute to It. 4. Concentrate on what's right, not so much on who's right. 5. Judge a church as you would judge your child's sitter; by the before you're finish with ajob. . 7. Call your Mom today. she's thinking about you. If you can'tcall = her, think about her and what she a stood for. ee 8. Neatness is a character builder. Require your children to keep their rooms neat. Allow them flexibility — and creativity, but require neatness and order. Don't lull these into d thinking that it doesn't make any | difference. ; | 9. Never send your child away .in the midst of your anger, conclude your discipline with reassurance and affirm that they are still OK. when you tolerate that Lea C is evil. 14. The Word of God only makes only churches of God. 15. The men who make history are not the ones who write it; they don't have time. 16. You go out of your way to help some people, and instead of them thanking you, they complain, "why didn't you help me more?" 17. Belong to Christ, not to a 7 denomination, and be simply a member of his body, the church. '- 18. Not all skeletons are in the closet; some may be in the living room with the flesh still on them. . 19. The first step in getting on your feet should be getting on our knees. 20. We must be resolved to follow the Bible and that alone, even if it means sometimes standing alone, if we are to be found faithful to God. 21. What a person stands for determines what he stands against. TO BUY REAL RENT OR SELL ESTATE CALL Dy Ses "SINCE 1946" Call Us If You Need Someone To Collect Your Rent And Manage Your Property! Several Nice Building Lots. We Handle Conv., HUD, VA & FMA, Financing. 606 ALBEMARLE 757-1692 OR 757-1162 FAX 757-0018 TT Y Open Monday Friday: 9-5 SAAD RENTALS -, 2-, and 3- bedroom housing units Ly REAL ESTATE F 07 Dickinson Ave., Greenville, NC, (252) 757-3191 Since 1949 Section 8 Accepted | | TAX SEASON IS. APPROACHING FAST! IN JUST A FEW DAYS, IT WILL BE TAX TIME AGAIN. 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You play an important role in helping us maintain an efficient public sanitary What causes sewer spills? It’s simple. They're caused by improper - disposal of items into the sewer system. We ask you to be aware of @ Please avoid pouring fats, oils or grease from cooking down the drain. Instead, collect them in a container and dispose in the @ Please don’t use your toilets as a wastebasket. Place a waste- basket in the bathroom to dispose of items such as disposable diapers and personal hygiene products. © Unless you have a garbage disposal, please don’t use your drain to dispose of food scraps. Place food scraps in waste containers or garbage bags for disposal. We appreciate your cooperation in following those few simple guidelines. Together, we can protect our sewer system and our environment. For more information, please contact us at 551-1551. VGreenville A Utilities Dr. George Hawkins Counterfeit Christians Grace be to you and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Beloved, the Pharisee and Sadducee spirit is very much preva- lent within the body of Christ. The Pharisees and Sadducees were two of the major sects or special interest groups among the Jews in New Testament times. These groups stood for different principles, but Jesus clashed with both parties at different times during His ministry. The word Pharisee means "sepa- rated" Their burning desire was to separate themselves from those people who did not observe the laws. of tithing and ritual purity- matters they considered very impor- tant. The Pharisees were upholders of traditions, sticklers for the Mosaic Law, very careful in out- ward details, blind to spiritual things, perverted the scriptures, refused to accept Christ, and the list goes on. On the other hand, the Sadducees were disturbed by the teaching of the resurrection. The Pharisees were hypocrites or coun- terfeit Christians. They pretended to be something they were not. In one of Jesus’ teachings (Matthew 23:3) He told the multitude to observe and practice all that the Pharisees told them but do not do what they do because they preach but do not practice. Jesus instructed the people to believe the Word but do not pattern themselves after the lifestyle of the Pharisees. They were not practicing what they were preach- ing. They did things to be seen of man and that was all the reward they received. I have said so many times that in a vast majority of the denomina- tional churches, close attention is given to the outer man but very little is being done to clean up the inner man. Our body is no more than the harboring place for our spirit and soul. Our body serves as protection _ for our vital organs. It is just a piece of flesh that is going back to the dust of the ground, but what about that spirit and soul that will spend eternity, live on without end in either heaven or hell? If you really analyze most denominations, you will find that the works of the flesh listed in Galatians 5:19-21 and the 13 evils of the heart listed in Mark 7:21-22 are in operation in the lives of some but that is fine, so they think, as long as you "LOOK" the part. The Pharisees were so caught up in traditions and rituals that they missed the main purpose of minis- try. The Word declares that the greatest among us shall be the servant. They didn't want to serve but to be served and to be seen. On one occasion, Jesus likened their spirit man unto dead men' bones. The Pharisees and those like them were "phonies". They were great pretenders, fakes, whatever you want to call it. They gave Jesus the hardest time during His ministry so much so until they crucified Him. it is the same today. Many preachers wear the priestly collars, the robes and other religious garments but they deny the power thereof They are like the Pharisees. They have a problem believing certain biblical principles. They feel that it doesn't apply to our day, but the Word says what I say to one, | say to all. They think certain instructions were only for those of Jesus’ day; that is why not many souls are being saved, delivered nor set free; that is why people go to church sick and leave sick. They go bound and leave bound. Some clergy and people alike have the audacity to pray Lord if it's in your will, heal Sis. or Bro. So and So", when the Word states beloved I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health even as your soul prospereth. The problem is they don't believe what they preach and if they don't believe it, then they are not living it. They are 20th Century Scribes, Pharisees and Sadducees. The only interest they have in people are their pocketbooks. Read the Word of God and know the tuth REFORM GETS "DANGEROUS" By Dr. Lenora Fulani Two-controversies generated by the Reform Patty's unique position in American politics are shedding light on the titled electoral playing field. One is the debate over whether the Reform Party presidential candidate will be admitted to the televised debates in the fall. The other centers on the issue of public financing and is largely a dispute over whether independents should be availing themselves of public money. just as - the Democrats and Republicans do. So far. its the public financing that has drawn the most fire. Media commentary on the Reform Part's eligibility for $12.6 million’ in general election lunding began dur- ing the summer. The negative refrain at that time was how the "pot 0' gold" would attract political gold diggers. Of. course, that was the whole point. The 1974 legislation which created the public financing pro- gram was designed to make sure that minor parties and candidates could compete in the two-party, dominated arena. Having $13 mil- lion available to its nominee helps the Reform Party attract bigger and better candidates--candidates who can compete more effectively with the Democratic and Republican nominees. Those nominees, by the way, are guaranteed $60 million a piece in public funds. No doubt JohnMcCaim Bill Bradley. Al Gore and George W. Bush found the chance to win $60 million for their campaigns attractive. But in the eyes of the media, they're not gold diggers. They're statesmen. Its kind of like when a mother on welfare takes an off-the- books job cleaning houses to sup- plement her public assistance. She's a welfare cheat. But the major corporations which avail themselves of esoteric loopholes in the IRS code (loopholes their lobbyists wrote) and avoid paying hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes are just good businessmen, Lately, Reform's eligibflity for pub- lic money is being criticized be- causé, as some commentators have noted, Pat Buchanan and by (illogi- cal) . extension one of his ke endorsers-me--could be the benef? ciaries, Some, like Roger Pilon, opined in the New York Times that the fluchanan/Fulani spectre was * + tt ey A A tl eh ee MMMM ee one more argument against any public flinding at all. Others, like Alair Townsend, of Cram's New York Business who are supporters of public financing, are disturbed tat the Buchanan campaign might re- ceive the $12.6 million because... well... she thinks that Buchanan and I are "dangerous". Moreover, she's worried the money will go for my “party-building" efforts. First of all should Pat Buchanan become the Reform nominee, the money will go to his campaign committee to be spent in accordance with FEC guidelines for presidential campaigns and will be carefully audited by the FEC. Will the effect of Buchanan's candidacy be to build the Reform Party? I sure hope sO. We're not a major party. We're a minor party. We're in the business of party-building. Thats what the 5% threshold is for-to allow minor parties a shot at becoming major. Otherwise. public financing would be nothing but a ploy to maintain the status quo and keep incumbency permanent. Thats supposed to be unconstitutional--even though _ its standard practice in electoral poli- tics. Still others, like Sean Wilentz of The New Republic, have protested the "quirk" in campaign laws. that enables Reform to receive the money in the first place. Lets go back to the basics. Ellen's Bail Bonding Free Consultation Call 24 Hours (252) 353-4184 23 Your Professional Source for Prompt, Confidential Service 4104 Landcaster Gate Winterville, NC 28590 aol MEN'S Steinbeck's "@ gentleman's tradition." SHOP | SCRAPPY PROCTOR Frank Steinbeck, Jr. 604 Arlington Blvd. Greenville, NC 27858 (252) 355-5925 & Call Sicee oe se ee oe Christmas Outing: Northeast “B” Sunday school convention outing. Members present: Eldress Marie Brown, Poplar Hill FWB Church, Mother Faye Best of English Chapel F.W.B. Church, Elder Joseph Stevenson, Pastor of Poplar Hill F.W.B. Church Sis. Magalene Stephenson, Matthew Mathis, Alisa Mathis, Machael Stephenson, Terrance, Beatrice Daniels, Jerry Stephenson, La Doris Daniels and Shawanda Daniels. Photo By Jim Rouse Words of Faith Suejette A. Jones GOD'S REST DAY The Scripture tells us that God ended His creative work on the sixth day, but that He rested on the seventh day. It is hard to imagine God becoming weary and needing rest. In fact, the Scriptures declare that He does not: "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlast- ing God, the Lord the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not neither is weary?" (Isaiah 40:28) God's "rest" on the seventh crea- tive day must therefore have some other meaning than that of recov- _ © Air Conditioning * Automatic Transmission * Power Steering ae 2 FIVE STAR. KEKE ering from weariness. Hebrews 4: 10 reads: For he that is entered into His (God's) rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His." The point of this text is that a Christian ceases from all strivings to attain life through his own efforts and accepts instead the provision of life which has been made for him through Christ. And this is God's provision; for He gave His son to be Man's Redeemer with that promise that ‘twhosoever be- lieveth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting lifel' (John 3:16) In Isaiah 45:18 we read that God created the earth not in vain but formed it to be inhabited, not by a dying race, but by a living one. Death came upon the race through disobedience to divine law, but this did not stop the divine purpose in the creation of man. God ceased His own work and commissioned His beloved Son to carry it through to completion. Just as we depend upon Jesus for life, so the Lord God depends upon Jesus to pro- vide life and to carry forward the plan to have the earth filled with human beings in His image, worthy of livingforever. When Jesus was on earth, his enemies condemned and _perse- cuted Him because He healed the sick on the Sabbath Day. He pointed out to them that works of mercy on the Sabbath Day were allowed under the Law given to the Israelites by God. Explaining this type of work, Jesus said, "My father worketh hitherto, and | work." (John 5:17) Restoring the human race was a command given to Jesus by God; therefore, His work on behalf of man is a work of mercy. This whole plan for the recovery of the human race re- flects His love and mercy. Regarding this, Jesus said, "The Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works." (John 14:10) So healing the sick on the Sabbath was a work of mercy. Suejette Jones is currently en- rolled in a Bible studies class at Pitt Community College. stay e? 62, 000C2.2009 00% 2BOO ‘1275 Package Discount, '1300 EC Auto Discount, '1250 Chrysler Factory Rebate ‘ * Power Brakes * Driver & Passenger Air Bags * Easy Out Roller Seats * Front & Rear Side Guard Door Impact Beams SS50S = DOXorom * AM/FM Stereo Cassett 7 Passenger Seating ¢ Front Wheel Drive OOOZ 2606 TINA TURNER _ Announces retirement The Minority Voice Dec. 31 - Jan. 7, 2000 ) Baa Tells cabbies not to fear Blacks Actor Dan- ny Glover told a group of taxi dri- vers that if they fear Black people they should look for an- other line of work. Glover, whose Nov. 3 complaint spurred a crackdown against cab drivers who refuse to pick up minority riders, spoke at a taxi dri- ver forum this week. He said he was sympathetic to the drivers'up to a point, but added:“If a driver fears for his life if he takes a Black person into his cab, then per- haps he has to have a total different understanding of who Black people ' are and perhaps he needs to get an- other job... It means that he fears me, he fears my daughter, and he fears this young woman or whoever.” Glover, 52, who starred in The Color Purple and the Lethal Weapons series, filed the complaint after five cab dri- vers passed him by on a Harlem streetcorner and the sixth refused to . let him sit in the front seat, even though the actor told him he had a hip problem and the back seat was too crowded. He was traveling with his daughter and her friend. GENE BAKER Former Big Leaguer dies Former major league infielder Gene Baker, who along with Erie - Banks broke the color barrier on the - Chicago Cubs, has died of a heart at- tack. He was 74. Baker died late last week at Gene- sis East Medical Center in Daven- port, his hometown. He had been hospitalized. Banks and Baker were the Cubs’ first two Black players, both joining the team in 1953, and they formed the team’s double-play combination for three years, Banks at shortstop and Baker at second base.Baker became the starting sec- ond baseman in 1954 and batted .275 with 13 home runs and 61 RBIs, his best season in the majors. The fol- lowing season, he played ‘in all 154 games and hit .268 with 11 homers. The Cubs traded Baker to the Pitts- burgh Pirates early in the 1957 sea- eras retiring after the 1961 season. JAY-2 Charged in alleged knife attack Jay-Z, the Grammy-winning rap- per, has been charged with attacking three people, including two he al- legedly bashed over the head with bottles and a record executive he al- legedly stabbed in a nightclub brawl. The executive was Lance “Un” Rivera, 33, allegedly attacked by Jay- Z after a fight broke out among sev- eral guests during a party for the rap- per Q-Tip at the Kit Kat Club at 124 W. 43rd Street in New York. A Man- hattan Criminal Court complaint says Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, slashed Rivera’s abdomen and then stabbed him “more than once in the back with a knife.” He was charged with first-degree assault. STEVIE WONDER Set for Sight operation Legendary musician Stevie Won- 1 der is re- 4} portedly set for an oper- ation to re- Store the sight he loss as an infant. The proce- dure only al- lows sight for short periods of time, but if true, what a wonderful ac- complishment of modern medicine. “I’m praying that this thing will be successful because it will pave the way for many other people who have lost their sight to someday get some of it back,” the famed musi- cian said this week. Tina Turner is hanging up her ny- lons and giving her pretty legs a permanent rest. In the past she men- tioned retirement, but always re- turned to her adoring fans. This time around she means it. Tina told reporters she se on doing a farewell tour in 2000 and then call it quits. “I want the tour to be the biggest and the best, be- Cause it is going to be the last,” she told the British publication TV Times, “I want to go out on a high. I don’t want to be dragging i hes On stage year in, year out unti someone *-» tells me it is time to go,” she saiu. \ Name Address The Gift of The "M" Voice This 405 Evans Street PO. 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Al- . ‘though true freedom in the United States was out of reach to most - African Americans, it was never out of their sight. When the clock struck 12:01 on In 1932, Myles Horton acted on a radical idea that, with the right tools, people can solve their own problems in the United States. The Highlander Folk School which Horton founded in Monteagle, Tenn. provided workshops on la- bor unions, workers’ rights and race relations where people developed the power to affect change. Rosa Parks was just one individual who walked through the school’s doors. A. Philip Randolph had also mastered the concept of people power. In 1941 and again in 1948, when Asa Philip Randolph joined forces with the NAACP and other groups, he became an immovable force that won executive orders re- spectively from Presidents Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman ban- ning discrimination in defense in- dustries and programs, and in the armed forces. With his threats of a March on Washington and contin- ued pressure by black leaders, the was hard at work handling all cases involving constitutional rights. James Farmer and Bayard Rustin were establishing the Con- gress of Racial Equality (CORE) to integrate restau- rants and interstate transpor- tation. 4 While civil rights activ- | ists were fighting on the home front, African Ameri- can men and women honor- ably performed their duties in two world wars. They bravely entered a military that was at odds about their presence and the appropriate roles for blacks. While more than 400,000 African Ameri- can soldiers were going through basic training, re- | ceiving their assignments or — facing the enemy’s bullets in World War I, riots against black citizens were escalat- ing in the United States. By the war, he rose to the rank of gen- eral in the US Air Force, a first for black Americans. Arrican American DaTeLine 1900-1949 . 1900—On May 23, Sergeant William H. Carney was the first African American to win ~ a medal of honor, received for his actions at Fort Wagner while serving with the 54th Massachusetts Colored Infan- try during the Civil War. 1902—Judge Robert H. “Terrell, as justice of the peace in a Washington, D.C. mu- nicipal court, was the first black. federal judge in the nation’s Capitol. 1903—The Souls of Black - Folks by W. E. DuBois was » published. It outlined a new approach for social reform that was considered radical by some accommodationists. .1905—The first meeting of the Niagra Movement was held on July 11-13. Its twenty nine members established h Century in CP Time: 1900-1949—We are a People founded the Negro Society for His- torical Research with Franklin — Frazier, George Washington Will- — iams and John Edward Bruce. 1913—In May, President Wilson’ s administration introduced segregation of federal employees by race. Noble Drew Ali brought Islam to black Americans when he cre- ated the Moorish Science Temple in Newark, N.J. of which W. D. Fard, who founded the Nation of Islam, was a member. 1914—World War I began. UNIA, black nationalist move- ment, was established in Jamaica and in the United States during 1917 by Marcus Garvey. : Father Divine’s “Kingdom” and Peace Mission was founded by nee George Baker. 1915—Carter Goodwin Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History to disseminate African the time the second world war ended, over one million black forces returned home to the U. S. equivalent American history to others. The National Baptist Conven- tion Inc. split and a group now called the National Baptist Con- vention was formed. plans to encourage national - activists for civil rights. 1906—One of the most dramatic riots in the south began on Sept. 22, 1906, .*.a new century, emancipated «slaves, their sons and daugh- ters continued to strive for - well-earned rights to com- :' pete as equals for a share of ‘the national wealth that they ’ thelped to create. In this ar- - ticle, we take the opportu- nity to remember past Afri- * can Americans who unrelent- ‘ingly pressed for social and political equality, and those .. who executed their military - duties like first class citizens, for their dedication has _ Shaped our ability to become _' the people that we are today. ~: Many black American in- “: tellectuals chose to be the conscience of the nation by ‘monitoring and reporting -t Molent atrocities against fel- ‘low blacks. In doing so, they continued a long tradition to ‘ communicate the state of the .: African American commu- “, nity to all levels, including the presidency. Some of these “amen decided to coordinate their efforts through the ‘Niagra Movement which was formed in 1905 by W. E. DuBois, William Monroe Trotter and twenty - seven other black radicals. The ‘. organization’s name was derived from its first meeting in Niagra ' Falls, New York. Then, after the ; death and destruction initiated vy «+ white rioters in Springfield, Ill., | the men redoubled their efforts to - end segregation and improve the lives of African Americans with _: the formation of the National As- . sociation for the Advancement or -, Colored People (NAACP), a name sanctioned in 1910. A white south- ern writer William English Wall- ing, a social worker Mary White - Orvington and Dr. Henry ~ Moskovitz were the visionaries who - called for its creation. Prior to the formation of those organizations, William Edward Burghardt DuBois was the first W.E.B. DUBOIS son of a preacher clearly showed the power and problem solving abil- ity of black unity. African American activists found a great deal of common ground in zheir fight for equal jobs, equal education and just laws. Many of the prominent leaders in the civil rights movement of the fifties and sixties were hitting their stride in the 1940s. Ella Josephine Baker crossed the country arranging branch offices for the NAACP. Constance Baker Motley worked with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund while still in law school. For that same section of the NAACP, Thurgood Marshall of apartheid. Yet, with the knowledge of conditions at home, black soldiers still distinguished themselves in battles for freedoms, which they were unable to enjoy. Sergeant Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts were members of the first black combat unit in Europe during World War I. For their indi- vidual heroism under fire in the 369th Infantry, they be- came the first Americans ever awarded the Cro’x de Guerre by the French government. During the war, 121 black soldiers were given that French award. Ninety-two black enlisted men received the United States Army Dis- tinguished Flying Cross. In 1940, Benjamin Oliver Davis Sr. became the first Af- rican American brigadier general in the U.S. Army. He was given that commission after a lengthy career as an officer, which began during the Spanish-Ameri- can war when he enlisted in the 8th United States Volunteers Infantry in 1898. He became the only Afri- can American general in World War II, after considerable lobbying by civil rights leaders. His son, Ben- jamin O Davis Jr. led the black 99th Pursuit Squadron, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, and subse- quently commanded the 332nd Fighter Group during World War II. He flew sixty missions in 224 hours, which earned him three med- als including the Silver Star. After ROSA PARKS Dorie Miller was messman aboard the USS Arizona when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was the son of a Texas share cropper who was not trained on the machine gun that he used to down four Japanese planes. After moving his wounded captain to safety, Miller manned the ma- chine gun and was awarded the Navy Cross for his actions by Ad- miral Chester W. Nimetz, the Com- mander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet. Before the Korean War began in 1950, the organizational ground- work was laid to chip away dis- criminatory practices throughout the nation. As aresult of legal chal- lenges, the Supreme Court reaf- firmed the right of every person to _a jury of their peers and barred discrimination on interstate buses and their public accommodations. After considerable lobbying and political protests, President Roosevelt established the Commit- tee on Fair Employment Practice and banned discriminatory proce- dures from defense industries and programs. Similarly, Truman’s ex- ecutive order paved the way:to the integration of the armed farces. These and other remarkable accom- plishments are highlighted in the following dateline, along with some of the obstacles typical of the pe- riod. We wish that it were possible to list all the achievements between 1900 and 1949. Instead, we can only express our gratitude for all the shoulders on which we now stand. To Understand Your Future when whites, including county police officers, attacked black communities in Atlanta and Brownsville after newspapers re- ported four alleged assaults on white women by local black men. The city was paralyzed for several days by burnings, lootings, beat- ings, murders and fleeing blacks. 1908— Virginia Estelle Randolph through programs funded by the Philadelphian, Anna T. Jeannes, helped teachers to improve rural schools for blacks. Aug. 14-15 marked the days of a riotin Springfield, IL, when a white woman claimed that she was raped by a black man. 2,000 blacks fled the city, 2 were lynched, six killed and over 70 persons of both colors were wounded. The women, later, confessed the alleged perpetrator was a white man. 1909—Organization of the NAACP began in order to address violence against blacks, and social and economic discrimination. Its name was formerly adopted the fol- lowing year. 1911—The National Urban League was founded in New York durthg ‘October. George ‘Editifid Haynes afi’ Eugene KinckleJonés formed the grc«:p from several other organizations to provide assistance in employment, housing and health. Arthur A. Schomburg co- 1916—Lieutenant Colonel Charles Young was the first person in the military to be awarded the Spingarn Medal. Among his many accomplishments, Young wrote a book called the Military Morale of Nations and Races. 1917—The U. S. officially en- ters World War I and over 400,000 African Americans served ina seg- regated military. After considerable lobbying by black college students, Fort Des Moines became the first army train- ing camp for black officers. About 69 commissions were granted to black officers in WWI and about half were trained there. Some 94 members of the 24th Infantry were arrested after a riot with white citizens of Houston, Texas. Nineteen were executed by hanging. The 369th Infantry Regiment ar- rived in Europe in December 1917, making them the first black combat unit in the WWI. They were also tie first allied regiment to reach the Rhine in a battle against the Ger- mans in 1918. 1918—Henry Johnson and Necdhdnt Roberts became’ the first black soidiersfo¥eceive the French croix de guerre. 1919—On April 9, 1919, the . African American to obtain a doc- _ forate degree from Harvard Uni- , versity. Soon after, the University ~- of Pennsylvania commissioned him to complete a sociological study of - African Americans in Philadelphia. *; He delivered a document that was , published with the title of the Phila- _ delphia Negro. Over the next few ssayears, his writing portfolio and * Yeputation as a spokesperson for ~, tis people grew. Under the aus- »* pices of NAACP, DuBois projected »t his voice through the Crisis, amaga- m= zine of his creation. His voice Read Your History AGAPE COMMUNITY HEALTH CLINIC 118 WEST 4TH ST. Babysitting of biracial child spurs HUD lawsuit reached American philanthropists who funded helpful programs. It echoed across oceans with his for- mation of the Pan African Con- gress and made its way into the , United Nations. Marcus Garvey’s voice promot- ing black nationalism was also strong. A popular publication, the Negro World, was an early center- piece to Garvey’s Universal Negro Improvement and Conservation Association and African Cormu- nities League (UNIA). The organi- zation, created in Jamaica, on Aug. 1, 1914, spawned subsidiary com- panies from its later U.S. base of operation (Black Star Line steam- ship company, Negro Factories Corporation, African Legion, Black Cross Nurses and Black Flying Corps) as the start of a unified movement of black people. He felt true freedom lay in a sovereign nation for black people in Africa. ) 252-940-0602 1-888-948-2448 Transportation Available WASHINGTON, NC 27889 Agape provides primary health care in Beaufort County and surrounding areas for all residents. We offer free blood pressure checks. We have a Medical Assistance Program (MAP) - for the non-insured“individual. Accepting all insurance plans, Carolina Access provider, Medicaid, Medicare. INTERPRETER AVAILABLE FOR HISPANIC COMMUNITY "Quality Health Care for our Community - Serving the Spirit, Mind and Body of the People WASHINGTON — A_ housing discrimination charge has been filed against New York landlords accused of telling a White grandmother she would have to move out of her apart- ment because she planned to occa- sionally care for her three-old bira- cial grandson. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Andrew Cuomo says the department filed the discrimination charge against landlords Laura and Agustino Craveiro under the federal Fair Housing Act. The Craveiros briefly rented out a second-floor apartment in their home in Long Is- land, N.Y. to Ann O’Dea. The Craveiros and O’Dea are White. O’Dea’s grandson — Travis Lightsey — is biracial, with a White mother (O’Dea’s daughter) and a Black father. Travis was three-years- old when his grandmother moved in- to the apartment in the Craveiro home, May 31, 1997. O’Dea said that the day after she moved into the apartment, she told Craveiro — in response to a question - that she occasionally cared for her grarfdson, Travis, on Saturdays. O’Dea said Craveiro, who asked about Travis’ racial background, then said: “I have to ask, can you ba- by-sit elsewhere, because the neigh- bors object to it,” eee we tte OU hf INT wee eee ee Se Oe -—S = ite CF 8 ew fete soa ee eee Sad eae ee “The Minority Voice Dec, 31 History African Orthodox Church was cre- ated by George Alexander McGuire and became the official church of UNIA. Some twenty six riots against black Americans took place in 1919, causing enormous destruction and many deaths. W. E. DuBois created the first Pan African Congress. 1920—Women acquired the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment. 1921—In New Bedford, Mass., “Sweet Daddy” Grace, born in Cape Verde Islands, opened the first church that became known as United House of Prayer for All People, a Pentecostal denomina- tion. White rioters in Tulsa, Okla. de- stroyed an extensive black com- munity; 21 whites and 60 blacks were killed during the meleé. 1922—Henry W. Shields was the first black Democrat elected to any office. He joined the state leg- islature in New York. The National Colored Spiritual- ist Association of Churches was formed. Mary Burnett Talbert success- fully preserved the home of Frederick Douglass in Anacostia, Va. and became the first black woman awarded the Spingarn Medal. : 1923—In the Moore v Dempsey decision, the Supreme Court reas- serted the constitutional rights of African Americans to a fair trial. 1924—Clifton Reginald Wharton Sr. became the first Afri- - can American to pass the foreign service examination. The next year, he entered the United States For- eign Service where he led a distin- guished career. 1926—Violette N. Anderson be- came the first black female attor- ney to practice before the United States Supreme Court on Jan. 29, 1926. Mordecai Wyatt became the first black president of Howard Univer- sity in Washington, D.C. 1927—In Nixon v Herndon, the Supreme Court struck down the law in Texas, which barred black citi- zens from voting in‘all-white pri- maries. During the great depression, : growing numbers of black. peaple were deft out, of the jak. market. This era galvanized more local and national organizations to fight for their political and economic im- provement. 1930—The Nation of Islam was founded in Detroit by W. D. Fard, who was known as Fard Muhammad. Elijah Muhammad as- sumed leadership of the organiza- tion after Fard’s disappearance in 1934. 1934—Arthur W. Mitchell de- feated Congressman Oscar DePriest, making Mitchell the first black democratic congressman. RALPH BUNCHE Ralph J.. Bunche was the first black person to obtain a doctorate in political science. He graduated from Harvard. 1935—Mary McLeod Bethune was one of the founders of the Na- tional Council of Negro Women and became its first president on Dec. 5, 1935. Rastafari movement evolved from the crowning of Haile Selassie as Emperor of Ethiopia. It seemed to fulfill Marcus Garvey’s proph- ecy that black oppression would end soon after a king was crowned in Africa, | The National Youth Adminis- tration was founded by the federal government to provide job training and part-time work to youths. 1937—William H. Hastie be- came the first black judge of the U.8xDistrict Court of Appeals with his appointment to the bench in the Virgin Islands. ‘ 1938—Crystal Bird Fauset, in Pennsylvania, became the first black female state legislator. Fair Labor Standards Act qyas passed by Congress, establishing a Jan. 7, 2000 minimum hourly wage and maxi- mum work week of 40 hours in many industries. 1939—Jane M. Bolin of New York was the first black female judge in the United States. She served 40 years on the bench. After decades of defending black Americans in race-based cases, the NAACP created the Legal Defense and Education Fund, Inc. 1940—Benjamin O. Davis Sr. became the first black brigadier general in the army. The Supreme Court ruled that states must provide all students ac- cess to the same education. 1941—On June 18, A. Philip Randolph and Walter White with the support of the NAACP and oth- ers threatened a mass march on Washington to obtain an executive order banning discrimination in défense industries and programs. Robert Weaver was appointed director of the office authorized to integrate African Americans into National Defense programs. 1942—The first and only train- ing facility for black airmen was located at Tuskegee Institute in Ala- bama. During WWII, 927 pilots graduated. The Congress of Racial Equal- ity (CORE) was founded by James Farmer and Bayard Rustin to en- gage nonviolent protests. 1943—USS Mason was the first naval destroyer with a predomi- nantly black crew and at least one black officer. ‘Harriet M. West became the first black female major in the WACS on Aug. 21, 1943. Blacks rioted causing consider- able destruction in a number of cities, Detroit, New York City, - Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Beau- mont, Texas and Mobile, Ala. Ri- ats were sparked by rumors of vio- lent attacks on fellow blacks. First black medical group sent overseas consisted of nine doctors and thirty nurses. They were sent to Liberia. Submarine chaser PC 1264 be- came the first with a completely black crew. ~ 1944—The first black women entered the WAVES. Integrated units entailing pla- toons were deployed to the Ardennes for the first and only time during WWII. Frederick D. Patterson created the, United Negro College Fund on _ April 24,.1944.to rajae, funds for 4) private four-year colleges. 1, Samuel Lee Gravely Jr. became the first black admiral in the navy. Doris E. Spears became the first black female deputy sheriff in the US. In Smith v Allwright, the Su- preme Court upheld voting as a Constitutional right. 1945—Irving Charles Mollison became the first black judge on a U.S. Customs Court. New York became the first state to create a Fair Employment Prac- tices Commission. Atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to bring the WWII to a close. Phyllis Mae Dailey became the first black female nurse in the navy. Horace Mann Bond became the first black president of Lincoln University. 1946—Supreme Court ruled in favor of integration on interstate buses. . Harold L. Trigg became the first black president of Saint Augustine’s College in Raleigh, N.C. 1947—Charles Spurgeon Johnson, when named president of Fisk University, became the first African American to hold that job. CORE and the Fellowship of Reconciliation began an interracial “Freedom Ride” to test desegrega- tion of interstate buses and accom- modations on April 9, 1947. 1948—In July, A. Philip Randolph and others again threat- ened mass action to acquire a ban on discrimination in the armed forces. In Shelley v Kraemer, the Su- preme Court ruled that private prop- erty arrangements to restrict black residency were unconstitutional. William Thaddeus Coleman Jr. of Philadelphia became the first African American clerk in the Su- preme Court. Nancy C. Leftenant became the first black nurse in the regular army. 1949—Desegregation of the army was ordered. The Fair Employment Board was established. Wesley A. Brown became the first black graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Jesse Leroy Brown became the first black pilot in the Naval Re- serve. William L. Dawson was the first black representative to chair a con- gressional standing committee, the House Expenditure Committee. Alonzo Graseano Moron became the first black president of Hamp- ton University in Hampton, Va. Ny ive ‘ By CHRISTOPHER THORNE Wire Services CAMBRIDGE, Md. (AP)— Just eight miles down the road, there is a sign, a plain marker before an empty field where Harriet Tubman was born into slavery. The building in which she was born was torn down long ago. But a visitor to Cambridge can pay $10 . for a tour around town, with a guide who will describe the stores and homes where Tubman hid hundreds of slaves on their way to freedom on the Underground Railroad. “We take people to these sites and entice their imaginations,” said Kay McKelvey, president of the Harriet Tubman Organization Inc. “They envision the story, and they love the tours, but it would be so much better if we could have preserved the sites as they were,” she said. “We need to put some- thing up, even if it’s no more than a sign. But the bottom line is always money.” The Tubman tour is afar cry from Colonial Williamsburg in Vir- ginia, or Sturbridge Village in Mas- sachusetts. There, houses are pre- served as they were more than 200 years ago, and people re-enact life as Colonial-era soldiers, house- wives and blacksmiths. a For Tubman, anicon of fivelom known around the world, there is nothing like that. _- But McKelvey feels the Tubman tour is a rare success in the move- HARRIET TUBMAN ment to save the black heritage of America, a culture that, like Native Americans, is often ignored or over- looked in efforts to preserve his- tory. From ancient hunting grounds to abandoned churches, these sites give clues to researchers studying the secret society of these early inden Little i is written Pang the Indians that preceded white Colonial America or the slaves those _ colonists kept, so any clue from the ground is valued. “These are people whe were marginalized during their lives, yet had an incredible impact on Ameri- can society,” said Rob Crisell, di- rector of the Eastern Regional Of- fice of the Archaeological Conser- vancy, a New Mexico-based non- profit group that buys historical sites to keep them from development. “We're just beginning to under- stand how slaves lived and how they were brought over from Af- rica, because nothing was written about this,” Crisell said. “Yet, we know the intimate details of how (Thomas) Jefferson lived.” . Few white people can associate with the life of a slave or that of a Native American, said Darrin Lowery, a Tilghman Island archae- ologist who has dug out several ancient Indian sites on the Delmarva Peninsula. “So they see a mound of dirt ina field, which’1l be a hunting ground with stone tools thousands of years old, and they'll shrug,” he said. “Show them a Civil War bullet, tell them it was shot from a Union or Confederate rifle, and it’s like, “Wow!” ‘to make way for new hi “These sites are like history book. Each one that is lost is like tearing a page out of a book,” ’ said Daniel Griffith, director of the Delaware Office of Historic and Cultural Affairs. “Human history prior to Euro- pean contact is all in the ground. The only way to learn about that culture is through archaeology,” Griffith said. 1898 - 1984 F Walter Esmer Flanagan Founder activities. FLANAGAN U N E R A L 77th Anniversary For more bereavement support and grief recovery information visit our website at www lanaganfh.com Hom™mMeE INC We at Flanagan Funeral Home in continuing our commitment to providing excellence in funeral service with compassion, courtesy & dignity would like to extend to those experiencing the loss of a loved one during the holiday season the following steps for coping with grief. Remember , time heals. It brings about recovery. It is normal for memories caused from the loss of a loved one to still linger long after the funeral. Gradually begin to reestablish your tracitional holiday family gatherings that were shared with your loved one. Don’t be pressured by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, take time for yourself. Allow yourself to begin to feel comfortable at your own pace when participating in holiday Don't be afraid to reach out to others for encouragement and support during the holidays. The people who love us the most are there to help us _ through the most difficult times. Pray Ask GOD to give you the personal strength necessary to go on with life to reassure you that you’re not alone. This will give you the courage, faith, & determination to recover from your loss. Esther Hammond, General Manager/Licensed Mortician 1026 Martin Luther King Drive Greenville, NC 27834 Phone (252) 752-3530 “Caring for Families in the Celebration of Life” By DAVID GERMAIN . Sentinel Wire Services (AP)—Minority roles are so scarce on television that the NAACP had trouble rounding up enough comedy nominees for black -ac- tresses in its annual Image Awards, organizers said. The awards are given to honor black entertainers and TV shows, books and movies with black char- acters. The small field of contenders highlights the NAACP’s complaints that network shows fail to reflect the nation’s racial diversity, said Hamilton Cloud, executive pro- ducer of the Image Awards. _ “The nominating process serves as a yardstick to see where the in- dustry is,” Cloud said. CBS led all networks with 18 nominations, announced Wednes- day. ABC was next with 15 nomi- nations, followed by HBO with 14, WB with 12 and NBC with 10. Fox, which built viewership with help .- from multiracial sitcoms a decade’ ago, received just six. Organizers said the weak show- ings by,Fox and NBC werg, signs the networks need to Groadee eth- nic diversity. “We didn’t need the NAACP to tell us that we need to do better in this area,” said NBC spokeswoman Shirley Powell. Five of Fox’s nominations were for a single show, “Ally McBeal.” A network spokesman did not re- turn a telephone call seeking com- ment Wednesday.. Nominations for the Image Awards, to be held Feb. 11-12 and aired by Fox on April 8, were an- nounced two days after the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held a hearing in Los Angeles toexamine complaints about the lack of racial diversity on the air and behind the camera. The NAACP said it will decide later this month whether to orga- nize economic boycotts, pickets and other action against one or more networks during the crucial Febru- ary ratings sweeps period, which js used to set broadcast advertising rates. The group is awaiting responses to surveys it sent to networks on their efforts to improve racial di- versity. “I would like to think if this was a perfect world, even without the existing pressure brought to bear by the NAACP, that they would be finding ways to look at the rich diversity of their markets and pro- gram to some extent to them,” said NAACP President Kweisi Mfume. i 5: ® Ny, K-Mart Plaza Hours 8:00 a.m. - - Sat. Appointments Available 756-3117 | * BOLO * CALVIN * DOUGLASS Kk Mon. 8:00 p.m. So a! 7 ee: Se OO w & ow Meet ns « ‘ a * Myra Wooten Running and Still Not Weary: Princeville After the Flood Sandra Noble and her mother Maggie spent 9 hours in the aflic of their home during hunricane Floyd. Sitting in a chair, Sandra watched her refrigerator wobble and ‘then finally float away from the. strong waters, Phyllis Wailer housed 26 people for a month and a half during Floyd. Some were relatives and others were strang- ers,-but they were all people in need. Joann Parker spent 11 days in her home without water and power, and little Nicole Waller saw'a house in the middle of the road, moved by the forceful waters of you know who, Floyd. aggie Noble was taken out of hér ‘Pinetops home by boat and remembers the rescue workers telling her to lay down so they could pass under a telephone pole. iLike so many others this small gtoup of Princeville residents lost much to the flood, but their only. comment is, 'the water is gone and now the work has to continue. ‘They are a part of Project PROUD (Princeville Reaching Out: Uniting against Drugs); a stall grassroots organization that egan as a program targeting at risk: youth but now project has expanded. _1"We were already an interven- tion. Organization we just gave a name to it" said Leon Waller, founder. Project PROUD has now added Crisis Counseling to its list of services through a partnership with the Edgecombe/Nash Mental | Health. 17or eight hours a week, 19 volunteers seek out and visit the more than 320 mobile units set up in Edgecombe/Nash County. _ FEMA Village as it is called sits just up from the Women's Correctional Institute on Highway 301. It is here that the crisis -ounselors or paraprofessionals as hey are called meet with and assist the many residents on how 0 obtain various services. ‘Many of the people need a plan," aid Brenda Bryant, case manager with the Edgecombe/Nash Mental Health, "there is a difference yetween helping and enabling. People need to decide, okay where will you be in 6, 12 or 18 nonths." For several of the counselors it 1elps just to be able to talk with yeOple and let them know that you 00 lost everything. "A tot of eople just want to know what's Zoing on," said Anthony Perkins, -o-chair of Project PROUD and a risis counselor, "I talk to people n different places, the mall, stores, anywhere I see them. Most of them I know because | live in rinceville." ith the guilt. " hurry to rebuild and go home, but you do feel guilty when you know that: you're doing okay" Said Perkins. The Perkins are now staying in a family home in Tarboro that was not affected by the flooding. They are just a small part of the spirit of determination that exists in Princeville. While the town itself is a hollow shell with little or no movement. There is a bright light that sits in the Phillips Printing Company on Main Street. It is here that every Wednesday the crisis counselors and more than 40 children meet and discuss their plan of action for the present as well as the new millennium. And their plans are well under way. With more than $70,000 in fianding Project PROUD has already began planning a weekend retreat to Nags Head for its counselors and volunteers. "We're still alive," said Phyllis Waller, "we have commit- ted, sincere people". Phyllis, who just had the last of 26 people leave her home two weeks ago, actively seeks flinding for the project through various grants. This year alone the project received four grants: Zsmith-Reynolds, Mary Reynolds Babcock, Michael J. Warren and the NC Youth Advocacy grant. "We're back and better than ever," Leon said. Are they spread- ing themselves too thin? Anthony Perkins doesn't think so. "If you're gonna do something 24 hours a day, why not do something posi- tive?" With so many people in need this group still finds time to sit back and share their stories. Stories of triumph and the human spirit. Sandra Noble told the story of an unknown Winston-Salem man who sent her his car. "I work for Centura Bank and so does this man, they asked me what I needed and I said a car, so he sent me his." This anonymous hero drove the car from Winston-Salem to Kinston where Sandra picked it up. "It's a lot of good people in the world," said Sandra, "that's what I've learned from this flood. People you never thought would help you." Thanks to the employees of Centura Bank, Sandra how has a storage unit filled with furniture, waiting until she finds a new home. "The bosses that you think you don't like are the ones who sometimes help," said Joann Perkins. Joann, an employee of McDonalds has new furniture for her home thanks in part to her golden arches co-workers in Zebulon. Which will be a huge help since she left her home with only two changes of clothes. "I did just what they said do. I packed two outfits, thinking | would be home in two days." Joann has yet to see the insidc of her home, but now understands all to well that, "the material things belong to the Lord." For this group of Edgecombe County residents they call them- selves the "Miracle Story", a true testament of Isaiah 40:31- "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary and they shall walk and not faint." Look for Millennia Millennia Community Bank Opening March, 2000 ‘Invest in the Future. Buy Stock now while supply last. Call Donne Phillips at 695-0077 or 916-6116 Millennia Community Bank P.O. Drawer 30410 Greenville, NC 27833-410 Community Bank at it's proposed location on Arlington, 2 Bhd. ¥ KEARNEY TO LEAD USDA RURAL HOUSING SERVICE James C. Kearney WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 1999-- Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman today announced _ the appointment of James C. Keamey as administrator of USDA's Rural Housing Service (RHS). In his new post, Kearney will oversee distribution of more than $4 billion in loans and grants annually to improve housing and community facilities in the na- tion's rural areas. Kearney has worked at USDA for more than 30 years. He served as North Carolina state director for USDA Rural Development from 1993 until 1998. "Jim Kearney's intimate under- standmg of USDA's rural eco- nomic programs and his love for the land and people of rural America make him an_ ideal choice for this important posi- tion," Glickman said. "There is no more crucial issue in rural America today than ensuring the availability of decent, safe hous- ing." his career with Kearne USDA in 1965 as an assistant county supervisor with. the Farmers Home Adininistration (FmHA), forerunner agency of USDA Rural Development. From 1980 to 1993, he was an FmHA district director. He then became state director for USDA Rural Development in North Carolina, managing the housing, commu- nity facility, infrastructure and business development programs. In 1998 he moved to USDA headquarters in Washington to become special assistant to the under secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services, and then associate administrator for operations and management with USDA's Farm __ Service Agency. "I've seen first-hand over my many years with USDA how our housing programs can help rural Amencans fulfill their dreams of homeownership, while creating jobs and demand for new rural businesses and services," Kearney said. "We at RHS have a record to be proud of. Last year we helped more than 67,000 rural Americans purchase or improve their homes, finance the construction of more than 2,100 units of affordable rental housing and built or ex- panded 620 vital community fa- cilities, including rural schools, libraries, day care centers, police and fire stations. I look forward to doing all that 1 can to continue this legacy of service to the nation." In 1993 Keamey. received USDA's Superior Service Award for outstanding leadership in equal employment opportunity and civil rights. Kearney is a U.S. Army veteran and retired Lieutenant Colonel. He has a B.S. degree from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. THE REV. LEN CARR FAMILY Shown is Sister Lin Carr and her children who are asking for your prayers and financial support while her husband is incarcerated. Sister Carr is doing what God has blessed her to do, taking care of her family and her children while her hus- band is away. 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HWY. 264 BY PASS GREENVILLE, NC 27834 ~ax \ Women's Health Center Diane J. Campbell, MD | Healthcare from a FACOG woman's point dle of view n Knuckles,MD ACOG Ceylon M. Rowland, MD . Welcome new OB/GYN Patients! ’ Mattie J. Collie, RN, FNP-C ~* Anne M. Elliott ‘ PA-C 7 830-1035 704 W.H. Smith Blvd., Greenville ABC PH®NES AFFORDABLE BEEPERS & CELLULAR Pagers - $49.95 888-876-2355. ' Carolina The | EDUCATION | ASSISTANCE AUTHORITY FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. ALGIE C GATEWOOD (919) 248-4602 Applications accepted for Nurse Scholarship/Loans Dr. Algie Gatewood, I director of the Health, Education and Welfare division of the North State Education Assistance Authority, announced the application period for the Nurse Scholars Program (NSP) for the 2000-01 school year. The Nurse Scholars Program was established in 1989 to respond to the dwindling supply of quali- fied nurses available to meet the health care needs of North # Carolinians. Approximately 450 new Nurse Scholars awards will ® be made for the 2000-01 school year. Nurse Scholars awards are © merit-based and selections are made by the Nurse Scholars Commission. Awards are made Bat both the undergraduate and ® graduate levels. ischolarship loans ranging from Undergraduate $3,000 to $5,000 are available for students to pursue registered ® nursing programs (associate de- # gree or bachelor's degree levels). Criteria for selection of recipients © for the undergraduate awards ® include ® school ® scholarship, leadership potential, the following: high grade point # and community and school par- © ticipation. The application dead- @® line for the undergraduate awards ™ to pursue the bachelor's degree is ™ February 15, 2000. The deadline | for awards to pursue the associ- # ate degree is May 3, 2000. 'F graduate scholarship/loans range % from an annual award of $6,000 ' for full-time study to $3,000 for © part-time study. To receive a graduate level scholarship/loan, an applicant must possess a bachelor's degree in nursing. ‘These applicants are also given consideration for their under- graduate grade point averages, professional activities/leadership, * nursing work experience, and Fagin sagen 8 ae visit ¥ scholastic accomplishments. The .) application deadline for graduate © _ awards is May 3, 2000. In addition to the criteria for _ both the-graduate and under- graduate awards, all recipients must be residents of North Carolina for tuition purposes. _ Also, all nurse scholarship/loans _ may be repaid through service or cash. Individuals interested in apply- ing for a Nurse Scholars Program award may obtain applications from a college/university or insti- tution that offers an accredited nursing program in North Carolina. Applications may also be obtained via Ms. Christy Wilkins with the North Carolina State Education Assistance Authority, Box 14223, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-4223 (telephone 919-248-4674 or 1- 800-700-1775) or the SEAA Web site at http: / /www.ncseaa.edu/. Blacks outpace Whites in computer buying CHICAGO — Thanks to a strong economy, African-American house- holds enjoyed a bigger increase in income last year than White or His- panic households. According to the newest edition of the annual report, “The Buying Power of Black Amer- ica,” total earned income for African ‘American grew to $441 billion in 1998, a 12 percent increase over the previous year. These strong earnings provided Black consumers with the confi- dence to spend aggressively in a number of product categories. How- ever, the most dramatic increases were in computer-based products, with expenditures last year totaling $1.3 billion. That’s an average in- crease of 143 percent over the amount spend in 1997. During this same period, White households in- creased their spending on computer- related items by an average of only 10 percent. e Interest Rates as low as 3.6% on Select Vehicles e Rebates up to $2,500.00 available « $99 delivers any new or used car in inventory e No Credit, Bad Credit, Slow Credit - NO - Problem e You may already be pre-approved for $17,500, just see a saleperson e Guaranteed $3,000.00 trade-in allowance towards select vehicles-push it in, Pull it in Drag it in........ WWW. Brown-Wood . COM average, - 13110 S. Memorial Dr. | Anderson Barber & Beauty Lounge SERVING THE ENTIRE FAMILY i j T= Barbers: Tyree Anderson, Jay Cotton Benjamin Hussey, Regingld Roach OWNER T. ANDERSON 1114 EVANS ST. GREENVILLE, NC 27834 HOURS 8:30-6:00 TUES. - SAT. APPTS. TUES., WED., & THURS. PHONE (252) 757-1559 FOOD FINALLY ELK’S HALL BONNER’S LANE ee FISH BAR-B-QUE POTATOE SALAD FRIED CHICKEN COLD SLAW BBQ CHICKEN STRINGBEANS PIGS FEET CALL IN’S: 757-1868 Specializing in Permanents, Cutting, and All Types of Curls We Guarantee Our Work Donold Gorham Anthony Erica Lavale We're Glad to have served you for a Quarter of A Century. Tuesday - Saturday Greenville, NC 27834 Phone (252) 756-2706 ' iV nT Merry Christmas, from Mildred A. Council and Stephen Mc Cray. Thanks to the efforts of Mildred A: °° Council, Stephen Mc Cray from the Men of Essex delivered 3C beds to that was given away to flood victims» or citizens in need of assistance. The Men of Essex is an 48 year old organization that usually gives aid to«»'i students. (pictured from L to R) William Council Walter Council Mildred A. Council and Stephen Me-Cray: » Thankyou all for your efforts this past holiday season. 7 , 4 ray ~ Photo By Steve Johnson” PRAISE THE LORD, mans Shown at the Williamston auditorium, left to right, Verlinda Little, Demetric Brown, Lavonda Beath, Joy,,, Brown, and Pastor Vanessa R. Byrd. All smiles after enjoying the play A Good Man is Hard to find. - .,, Photo by Jim Rouse purchase of a McRi ) se Valiie Meal KA * weft 6 2 ‘| ‘ * ;. 2 ‘ . j %