by Eric Ture Muhamm and Askia Muhammad LTE, ‘WASHINGTON—As plan- ning for the Oct. 16 Million Fam- ily March enters the home stretch, 200 national march organizers met with the Honorable Minister Louis Fartakhan, convenor of the march, anda Congressional Black Caucus march task force kicked into high gear. The representatives of Local and State Organizing Committees met with Min. Farrakhan at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel to give march progress reports and hear from the leader of the Nation of Islam. > “Itis a great honor for me to be - able to look into your faces and see the commitment that I see, to make this event not only significant in our family life. but significant in the life of this nation with a great potential significance throughout the globe,” said Min. Farrakhan, who gave an inspiring vision for the march. Prefacing his remarks with scripture, Min. Farrakhan said America’s present leadership lacks the vision to stop the country’s moral and spiritual ruin. They have also failed to realize the importance of family and its value to society, he added. Min. Farrakhan is convening the gathering on the fifth anniversary , Of the. Million: Man-March.to call families back to God, highlight the need for strong families, and launch a movement that will have social and political consequences—espe- cially as year 2000 presidential elections loom. Working on march planning are local activists, religious leaders, professionals, politicians, media and entertainment giants. Since its first meeting in August, the National Organizing Commit- -tee has more than doubled in size and enthusiasm. “These meetings are like a homecoming week for me,” com- mented Atlanta local organizing committee co-chair Leonard Kalonji Tete. “It is also very inspi- rational and competitive, because after hearing the progress around the nation, it makes us want to ac- complish so much more,” he said. Aside from chartering buses, Mr. Tate.said the Atlanta LOC has intensified its work around voter education, registration and getting ® ‘Serving Eastern North Carolina Since 198) Wy uk What You See Is What You Get What You Read Is What You Know Countdown to the word out for the march. The-Million Family March, Inc., has produced a public policy agenda, which offers solutions to pressing issues, ranging from the need for greater moral and spiritual development, to economic strate- gies to resurrect urban areas. The National Agenda covers seven broad public policy categories. Committee members came from across the country, from as far west as Colorado, as far south as Mis sissippi and all along the east coast. Plotting travel plans and bus routes. getting endorsements from city and state governments, rally- ing civic organizations and labor groups. sponsoring voter registra- tion drives, promoting march para- phernalia and distributing the Na- tiopal Agenda has kept organizers busy. The national committee. which is predominantly Black, includes Native American, Asian and white participants, as part of Min. Farrakhan’‘s call for all families to join the march effort. He has noted that though Black, Latinos and Native Americans share a great amount of suffering, the family cri- sis cuts across racial and class lines. God allowed Blacks to undergo -normous suffering as part of a spe- cial process. Min. Farrakhan said. ‘Y60 have undergone what no member of the human family has ever undergone, but not without a purpose. It was the purpose of God _ that.you be purified, cleansed and fit into the corner of that which is called the kingdom of God,” he said. “What | want on that Mall on that day is to give the world a pic- ture of what the Kingdom of God looks like when people of all races, hues and colors under a universal government of peace can relate to each other as God intends.” “This was an extremely positive meeting and we are even more en- ergized from hearing the reports of what others are doing around the country.” said Faye Williams, co- chair of the Local Organizing Com- mittee in Washington and president of Natural Health Options. Accord- ing to preliminary transportation reports. an estimated 10.000 buses ure expected to arrive between Oct. 14 and early morning Oct. 16. “| think that the greater inspira- tion now is instead of involving just the men as in 1995, we are involv- ing the entire human family. Min. Farrakhan’s explanation, as to why we are doing that. is just wonder- ful and very motivating to me. To itcssienn, «acticin sionary Ba tist derpass the oy ‘Church celebrated by honoring n abs Baaine wih Ronee urd tion.....Last me members " Bro. Jones,Bro, Joe High and see the Minister now calling for this all around the world to involve ev- eryone. I think will get a great, posi- tive response,” she predicted. With diversity across racial, class. theological and ideological lines. the march organizing com- , mittee has the potential “to trans- form the political system-by prac- ticing the principle of coalition building and by affirming a God- centered. spirit-filled. mass move- ment for social transformation and empowerment.” added Min. Ben- jamin F. Muhammad. MFM na- tional director. . dif we can convert the Million Family March into, potentially, a million-plus registered voters, not only the husband and wife in- volved, but (children) over 18 that participate. get them registered and get them.to vote, it will be the cre- ation of a strong, very strong, po- litical participation-type force.” said Rep. Earl Hilliard (D-Ala.), who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus Million Family Task Force. One congressional staffer has been participating in planning meeting sessions since last Octo- ber, and individual members are working directly with local orga- nizers in their home districts. Two days before the meeting with national organizers, Min. Farrakhan appeared at a private CBC gathering at the invitation of CBC Chair Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.) and Rep. Hilliard. The Minister, accompanied by his wife Mother Khadijah, Supreme Cap- taint Mu “anic tion of Islam Chief of Protocol Claudette Marie Muhammad, also met privately with Rep. Hilliard. The lawmakers will play a sig- nificant coordinating role, espe- cially on the West Steps of the U.S. Capitol, where the Million Man March took place, Oct. 16, 1995. The CBC is helping with the plan- ning and coordination of the Mil- lion Family March, with members scheduled to speak, and experts helping with planning, logistics and technical needs. In addition to the Capitol steps, this year’s march will feature two additional stages where programs will originate: at the Lin- coln Memorial, and on the Ellipse, behind the White House. The CBC is also involved in try- ing to get financial resources and sponsors for the various events that are associated with the march, ac- cording to Rep. Hilliard, who sees the gathering as “extremely impor- tant” to the year 2000 political strat- as f Hurricane Photo by Jim Rouse Yashington D March.....Shown above is the Brother's of the Final Call Ministry as they prepare for> the upcoming march on Washington D.C. scheduled for October 16.2000. The Honorable Minister: Louis Farakhan has managed to moblize brothers and sisters across the country to bring familes to- - gether. For more information on the Million Family March contact your local Mosque. In Greenville : contact Mosque #25 located on Martin Luther King Drive. Million Family Fe ah, | Staff photo by Jim Rouse 1 eparations SCam — L ‘ ee. — @ 4 - | hits Blac | Oo by Saeed Shabazz African American stan es. but this isa cruel N Statt Writer deception against senior citizens who don"t deserve this kind of trick to be:played on. ~ . od nee igen itnascnncen nt Pe, Rn, . thems.)she said: a Ai pas coniveatraeied a , Approximately three weeks ago. on a Alderman Tillman received overwhelm- F Sunday morning. hundreds of Black seniors ing support earlier this year from members A attending church in Little Rock. Ark.. found of the Chicago City Council for her resolu- a flyer on their car windshield. According _ tion in support of reparations. ny M to Michael Teague. spokesman for the Ar- Ms. Tillman’s spokesperson. Robin . “* kansas state attorney general's office. the = Brown. told The Final Cail that the” flyers exclaimed that “slave reparation” — Alderman’s office has been inundated with L money was available. but personal intorma- calls inquiring about the flver which claims. tion. like a social security number. had to that Blacks born before 1928 are due $5,000. s Y be provided. from a settlement of the slave reparations — “- Mr. Teague called the scam a “cruel act. 5 hoax.” but noted that the office of Attorney Alderman Tillman has sentletters foran M General Mark Pryer is not surprised that’ —_ urgent meeting with Illinois Attorney Gen- .! A someone is using reparations to lure senior —_eral Jim Ryan and Cook County States At- citizens. “It is widely known that repara- —_ torney Richard Devine to see what can be | Fe tions is a hot item with African Americans. —_ done to stop those responsible. Ms. Brown SO it is ripe for a scam.” he said. said. Cc Also calling the reparations scam a cruel “Our first reaction was to issue a warn- ~ hoax is Chicago Alderman Dorothy __ ing.” said Mr. Teague. adding that the Ar- - Tillman. “People know we're working hard to get reparations for the descendants of el kansas attorney general has been in touch Continued on page 9 44 ¢ 2 t+ ) 2 & | | 4 | o Time to get out the vote..... Congresswoman Eva Clayton, who is running for re-election, is with gg seh at a local restaurant. Congresswoman Clayton encourages eve 7,2000, Th Addie Everett, Shaw cabin (3 : Greenville, Dr. Gray, Pastor of Triumph Ma nr, Fe Eva Glayton,ECU Medical Schools, Dr. Meggett and in the background is Construction Gi € ee Se is year is very important for black folks to vote in strong numbers, Pictured left to right is graduate, City Council, Mayor Pro:tem, Mildred Council of iant,Bro. Lanier,Senator Frank Balance and others, - cia | God’s First Class Woman - ‘These are some characteristics of God’s first class woman: |. A first class woman is a holy woman. (1 Peter 3:5) 2. A first class woman is an hon- orable woman. (Acts 17: :12) 3. A first class woman is a gra- cious woman. (Proverbs 11: 16) 4. .A first class woman is a virtu- ous woman. (Proverbs 31:10) 5.. A first class woman is a woman of good understanding. (1 Samuel 24:3) Repeat this statement: “I am holy, honorable, gracioous, virtuous and a woman of good understanding. I am going to be all that God wants me to be”. If you put God first in your life, you can’t be anything but God’s first class woman in your hus- band’s sight and, most of all, in God’s sight. Why Does A Man Need A Woman ai will make him a helper fit for him”. And so, made he a woman”. She is valuable for three reasons: ’ First, she is a warm in bed. | don’t refer to sexual activity, though that is important. But | re- fer to something that is, if possible, even more primitive: human con- - tact. A baby lying in its crib doesn’t want conversation or a gold ring. He wants to be held perserverance. sete ers, loyalty, responsi ib ilty an Perhaps the most important lesson men today can learn from the great fathers of yesteryear is that father- hood is not a popularity contest, _ but perhaps is the most rewarding experience any man can have. é D> RENTALS | - ied and 3- bedroom housing units REAL ESTATE 907 Dickinson Ave., Greenville, NC, (252) 757-3191 > and patted. Adults need that physical contact also. They need to cuddle together for warmth and comfort in an in- different or cold world, Second, conversation is also im- portant. The primary purpose of conversatioin is not to convey in- formation. Itss purpose is to say, “I’m here, and I know that you are here”. Third, the woman serves the man’s need to be needed. If no one needs you, what good are you? This gives you self-esteem to meet the world every day. This relation- ship is reciprocal. Boys need fathers to learn how to be men. Men have underestimated their own importance in raising healthy and competent sons and daughters. Through his actions and words, a father can have an immeasurable impact on the life of his or her child. Some qualities necessary are love, the greatest commodity, to be there for the family, to be a_ pillar of strength, a seeker of truth, a pro- vider, someone who loves his wife and encourages his child to strive IN I Ais CMAN VHC hoa te. the bd flton "John" Harper Floor Manager Tel (252) 439-5421 Vox (252) 527-2521 Fax (252) 439-5422 home (252) 527-1633 ie Atvrise pare Sa pani ghia Sonatinas ay wae aia ea y Eugene oot J ae Greenville (252) 756-1793 (252) 756-5043 FREE Dorton Arena Concerts! Every Night at 7p.m. \ WILD LIFE. NORTH CAROLINA'S GREATEST ENTERTAINMENT VALUE. Included with all tickets ($6 for adults, $2 for children 6-12; under 6 and over 65 FREE) are livestock, crafts, agriculture and other educational and entertaining activities for all. Including FREE concerts every night at Dorton Arena. Gates open at 9:00.am. Fairgrounds close at midnight. 8 Accepted | Ticket information: (919) 821-7400 or www.ncstatefair.org “Dorton Arena concert seats available first come, first served with State Fair gate admission ©2009 North C ‘arolina State Fair OCTOBER 16th THE MILLION FAMILY MARCH maa Keep the Window to Our Economic Future Open £&¢ be Pa | North Carolina’s community colleges and public universities have a tradition of educational excellence. This tradition has created a qualified, highly skilled workforce that's boosted our state’s ecar That's why it’s important to support the Community College and University Bonds. The bonds will provide much-needed resources to upgrade all 59 community colleges and 16 public universities, The spending will be closely monitored-and our state treasurer says the bonds will NOT raise ... “ne *+4466% 223 ¢ ¢ Pebtinhd dbo 6444-4 habe dubd dé *** eee ee ee er ee ee ere eee eee 6-0-4 4 6 6 ee tehetrd oi 4 Oe Es om £ Tita lectit Paid for by — Sama for mhnonet — GET THE FACTS—Call 919-754-1156 www.ncfeo.net (NNPA)—John Boyd, a 34-year: old Virginia Democrat recruited to run against. veteran Rep. Virgil Goode, is by most accounts an at- tractive candidate for public office. :He’s young, ambitious, and na- tionally known as the head of a trade group that stood up to govern- ment discrimination against black farmers. He’s running in a Demo- cratic stronghold, against an oppo- nent who took office as a Demo- crat, then abandoned the party to become an Independent. Boyd won heady praise from Democratic lead- er§ who realize that a victory would bdJster party efforts to regain con- trol of the House of Representa- tives in November. --At least, that is how it, would seem now, on the heels of the Demo- cratic Party Convention in Los An- geles. In reality, Boyd cannot make a viable bid in Virginia's 5th Con- gressional District race. He has only $5,000 on hand—and none of it has come from the Democratic Party. His anemic campaign account is a paltry 2 percent of the $250,000 that Goode has amassed so far. : “Truth is, without some serious campaign finance reforms, a ‘no- hody* has a snowball’s chance ... of beating an opponent that is well- financed,” said Boyd, president of the National Black Farmers Asso- ciation. ‘” As much as any political cam- paign this year, Boyd’s cash- strapped run symbolizes the impor- tance that campaign finance reform holds for minority candidates and voters. Unable to raise the thou- sands of dollars needed even the most qualified black candidates find themselves unable to mount a cred- ible campaign. Simply put, in politics it is money, not skill or qualifications that counts. “It is no longer ademocracy, but aplutocracy,” said Sheila Krumholz of the Center for Responsive Poli- tics, a campaign finance watchdog group in Washington, D.C. The “plutocracy” has left many 3 black candidates like Boyd, and * consequently many black voters, : out of the loop of political power. 3 é a a -? aiié Cash Strapped Financially speaking, most mi- on grassroots efforts—door- -to-door “campaigning and passing thehatin § churches, _ “Their campaigns are ao grassroots as it gets,” said Hillary Shelton, the NAACP’s Washington — lobbyist. “These are the kinds of — campaigns where people atthe gro- | cery store or their friends in the © congregations in. the: church are writing them a check, asmall check: This is the campaigning that really & does personify what we think is best about grassroots-driven candi- , is largely because they have to rely gre dates.” Shelton may be right. But it aa does not often add up to victory, particularly when: the black | grassroots candidate finds himself or herself running against a well- financed white opponent. Left for Dead Boyd has learned that the hard way. on a positive note. In January, Vir- ginia Sth Congressional District Representative Virgil Goode an- nounced that he was abandoning the Democratic Party because of ideological differences. Goode had often voted with Republicans and was one of the few Democrats who called for the impeachment of Presi- dent Bill Clinton over the Monica Lewinsky scandal. Democrats im- mediately promised to make Goode pay. Enter John Boyd. Boyd seemed an ideal challenger for Goode, fresh off a successful campaign that made the U.S. De- partment of Agriculture acknowl- edge that it had discriminated against black farmers and agree to pay a multi-million dollar settle- ment. In May, Boyd won the party nomination infront of 210 Sth Dis- ~~ trict Democrats under a gleaming banner that said “Boyd for Con- gress 2000.” Boyd gave a rousing acceptance speech that seemed to bring tears to the eyes of many del- egates. He called for an inclusive Democratic Party. He pledged his support for gun safety and tobacco farmers while strengthening rural America and bringing new jobs to the district, in addition to protect- ing the environment and Social Se- curity. Even Jim Seaver, Goode’s former chief of staff, who resigned Boyd's run for Congress began : SHORTCHANGED?—John Boyd, a 5 Sh-yeus-tid Virginia Democrat re- cruited to run against veteran Rep. Virgil Goode, cannot make a viable bid in Virginia's 5th Congressional District race. He has only $5,000 on hand— ,and none of it has come from the Democratic Party. for the needs of the people,” Seaver said. “We can't afford more of the same.” “Virgil Goode and the Grand Old Party—the GOP—want to keep the rich rich and the poor poor,” Diabetes Medical Emergency Necklace Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope To: FREE DIABETES ALERT NECKLACE Diabetes Research and “Wellness Foundation™ * P.O. Box 96046 Washington, DC 20090-6046 www.diabeteswellness.net “Doing Business with Local Government” - Sponsored by the City of Greenville and Greenville Utilities Commission October 25, 2000 5:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. City Council Chambers 3rd Floor, West Wing, City Hall 201 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Greenville, NC The objective of the workshop for minority, women, and disabled business owners is to increase knowledge and understanding of how local government works and handles procurement, contracts, and the bidding process. Call 252-329-4490 Pre-registration is required. victory,” Boyd said to deafening applause. growing.” Where’s the Party? Just three. months later, Boyd's “Tomorrow that seed is s even after: his defection from the party. When party officials met re- — | cently at a picnic to rally support | for the party’s statewide and U.S. Senate races, Boyd wasn’t men- "tioned: One official said the failure. _ tomention Boyd’scampaign against _ Goode was an oversight. The state - Democratic Party says it’s solidly behind Boyd's campaign. Itdoesn’t show. aoe _ - Federal Election Commission. data analyzed by the NNPA shows that Boyd has raised just $4,3000 * for his campaign: Political experts say it takes at least $600,000 to ~ even be competitive. Goode, on the other hand, despite his defection, continues to raise money. In fact, Goode has raised more in the 2000 election than he did in his run for office in 1998. He has even picked up financial support from conservative groups normally affiliated with the Republican Party. Itis unclear whether Boyd can count on the deep pockets of special inter- ests groups that normally give to Democratic candidates, like labor unions. Boyd has received just one PAC contribution, a $2,500 dona- tion contribution from the United Food and Commercial Workers Union. The national Democratic cial support. That Bi have the pany’ 's finan surpriseshim. = u Given that party officials in Vie- {8 ginia vow to pay back Rep.Goode for abandoning the Democrats, “I. expected some. support early on,” aa Boyd said. : Despite the lack of support, . though, Bdyd said he is committed to winning the race against Goode. He said that going into the final months of the campaign; heexpects — tireless door-to-door campaigning will begin to produce financial re- - Fe ae SARIS i! ae sults for his campaign. “In-the end, I will win this race with the aid of my constituents and not the Demo-" cratic Party,” he said. (Shortchanged was producedby | the NNPA Foundation’s NorthStar Investigative Reporting Program: . with funding from the J. Roderick — MacArthur Foundation.) “Not without Scars: The Inspiring Life Journey of Mark C. Olds" tells an 7 intense and miraculous story in a way . that makes it impossible for the reader to a put it down... Mark Olds opens his life to 7 us and lets us see him in all of his , rebellion... Thank you Mark for making your life's story available to us. It can only encourage all of us to never give up on anyone. If change can occur in the life | of one so completely rebellious and out | of control, scray Econ hagpan traf | ‘Pastor Harold A. Carter St, New Shiloh Baptist Church, Baltimore, MD “A very strong book about an era where ~ so many black men got buried under troubles, but in this instance where an book can serve as an inspiration to | young and old, teaching them that Fo redemption is always thatitis = never too late to resolve to turn your life around and be constructive." -Ernest Holsendolph, business columnist for The Atlanta Journal Constitution and — - monthly columnist for Emerge Magazine. - we et LM a ge a Have you realized the power of your money? Are others depending on you w build the future? Are you confident that you've got the right tools? We are here. To show you how to make the most of your money today and to help you plan for tomorrow Because the future is closer than you think, Call 1 800 WACHOVIA. Wachovia Bank is a member FDIC Wachovia Corporation. 1999 eee 2 ¢ oe er er e*e es eS WACHOVIA “S8ited’ -‘TITHES, OFFERINGS AND COLLECTIONS | “People who all their lives have . been dunned for money are rapidly = coming to believe that a great deal + of the preaching and teaching and ~ ministering is done for reveune--if ‘- not for revenue only or chiefly, at ~. Jeast for revenue in a considerable measure. . Not only do the scriptures imply » that the majority of the Lord’s - faithful will be of the poor of this ~ world, but our observation and ex- ‘: perience show us the same--that there are not many rich, not many _ great, not many noble, but “chiefly '. faith. the poor of this world, rich in ” Some of Lord’s faithful are attending meetings where Truth : is advocated and they feel a sense ~ of refief in the absense of the wordly, money-grabbing spirit, and ~ that they are _ more thoroughly convinced that it ~ has been Love, for the Lord and ‘. for his Truth and his flock, that has ’ inspired the efforts made to bring ee ed a pw & > 5 {Se toe eT age eee he oe yee mo eS APB ake REO the Truth within their reach. Reparations ‘Cont. from front page with authorities in North Caro- lina and other states. but would not comment on what other states are involved. “We have been aware of the let- ter, which was circulated about a month ago in the Jackson, Missis- SIppi area,” said activist Hannibal Afrik, national co-chairman of N°COBRA, a national reparations activist group. Speaking by phone from his Port Gibson, Miss., home, Mr. Afrik said the scam “will help to accelerate” the reparations move- ment. “I think this is just the be- ginning of the get rich schemes, which will surround reparations as we move down the road.” he said. “This also means that reparations is something real in people’s minds. There is a groundswell of discus- sion now, specially with groups that did not support reparations earlier. “We also need to realize that this scam could possibly involve people who want to disrupt our unity,” he offered. Agreeing with Mr. Afrik is Dr. Imari Obadele. Ph.D., a member of the Republic of New Africa and board member emeritus of N’COBRA. “If you understand the history of Black movements in this coun- aS @Assertiveness @Personal Health @Nutrition @Money Management @Child Management open to those who have conse- crated their all to Him which is meas ir conduct, their sacrifices, and their self-denials, One might ask: “To what extent should I give of my time, my influ- ence, and my money to the Lord?” The answer is, if you have made a full consecration of yourself and have become a New Creature in Christ, you hawe nothing to give. You ave already given all that you have back to fhe L anything back, then you did not. make a full consecration and have not fully accepted of the Lord. If you are in doubt about the use of your talents (time, influence, money, etc.,) to the best of your ability, ask of God who giveth His wisdom freely to him that asketh. Guided by this wisdom from above, in proportion as your love for the Lord grows day by day, you. try, then it is not far fetched to con- template the possibility that there is a move afoot to give some Black people the idea that slave repara- tions is a scam,” said Dr. Obadele, a political science professor at Prai- rie View A&M college in Texas. “Let us not forget the history of the government and COINTELPRO. If we are foolish enough as a people to believe that the government will sit idly by and let us receive any reparations for slavery, and not try to disrupt the. movement then we are doomed,” he said. No matter who is asked to com- ment on the recent scam, the op- erative response is “the Black com- munity must be vigilant.” “Beware of those who claim they are able to obtain money for reparations compensation,” reads a press release from the office of Michigan Congressman John Conyers, Jr. (D). Rep. Conyers is the sponsor of H. R. 40, The Reparations Study Bill, which has been before the leg- islative body for several decades. “IT want to issue a warning to all who may have been contacted by individuals or agencies who make claims about reparations. The Fed- eral Government has no process in place at this time to process repa- rations claims for African descen- dants, notwithstanding the legiti- macy of said claims,” the’congress- man said. — . Famaty VioLence PROGRAM I INC. BUILDING LIVES BREAKING CYCLES bd P.O. Bez Fema © Greenville, NC 27835- 6429 Get The Skills To Pay The Bills ' The Family Violence Program Inc. of Pitt County would like to introduce The Displaced Homemaker Program / Survival Skills for Women Workshop. Survival Skills For Women! The 10 free series of workshops are available to the women of Pitt County. Next Series Of Workshops ott ee Center Time: 10:00 am - 1:00 pm Dates: October : 10, 12, 17, 19, 24, 26, November : 2, 9, 14, 16, Program Graduation : TBA , For Additional Information or Questions contact Tanya Tucker-Dawson, Facilitator | 2 752-1092 « or (252) 758-4400 | ord. If you kept expenses, but anxious to do what he can in to extending of the light which is blessing his own — soul, and to others who yet sit in - darkness. THE COLOR OF WATER (A Black Man’s Tribute to His White Mother) . by James Mc Bride In a compelling tribute to his white mother, James McBride looks into the face of Ruthie McBride Jordan to uncover his own identity--and finds that he is a much the grand- child of an itinerant Jewish rabbi as the child of the all- black Red Hook Projects and that his. mother had shared this truth with him decades earlier when she explained that God’s spirit is the “color of WOOW Cont. from front page egy of CBC members. A success- ful march “would help us energize the voters in (our) districts. But more important than that, it will help us arouse an awareness of reg- istering to vote,” he explained. "The march takes place just three weeks before the general election in this country, and organizers will have deputy registrars throughout the crowd, so that those who are not registered to vote can get regis- tered, if not in time for this elec- tion, for future elections, Mr. Hilliard said. Min. Farrakhan has emphasized his goal goes beyond the short+term political issues involved in the up- coming election, and toward creat- ing a powerful political “force.” “We must produce a popular force that is spiritual, that is moral, that is politically mature, and eco- ‘ nomically mature, so that it can be- come a tangible factor of power that can no longer be denied by those © who manipulate power,” the Mus- lim leader told national organizers. “Because the real power is not with people we vote in. The real _ power is those that manipulate the water”..... As an. adult, -MeBride finally persuaded his mother to tell her story--- the story of a rabbi’s daugh- in the South, who fled to . Harlem, married a black man, founded a Baptist church and put twelve chil- dren through college. The_ Color of Water is James — McBride’s tribute to his re- markable, eccentric, deter- mined mother--- and an eloquent exploration of what _ family really means. Note: This novel was first published in 1996 and has been a national bestseller. and a choice of the Book-of-the-Month Club. Dr. Dennis McBride, who is cure. rently State Health Director © for North Carolina, is James McBride’s brother. people that we vote in. Unless we can deal with the manipulators in this country. we can forget about justice rolling down like a mighty stream and all that kind of talk. That will always be talk,” he said. “We can proclaim liberty. but it has to come from a force com- ing up from the people who are wise, who are mobilized. who are organized, who are politicized,” Min. Farrakhan said. Min. Farrakhan also held a working session with the MFM program committee, including National Council of Negro Women Chairman Emeritus Dor- othy I. Height. Mrs. Cora Masters Barry and Rev. Barbara Skinner. That same day Min. Farrakhan and Min. Benjamin convened an additional working session with the technical and legal teams, be- fore rushing to the airport to travel across country to join en- tertainers promoting the march in. Los Angeles. she said | “God i is the color of ter, born in Poland and raised cians. And recently a group of Black leaders in New York have ‘blamed rap music for the Central © Park sexual assaults at the Puerto Rican Day parade. _ But now someone out of the Ivory Tower at Harvard Univer- sity is blaming rap music for the | drop in test- scores among Black students. According to a recent story in the Boston Herald, Dr. Ronald Ferguson, a professor at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, believes there is a possible connection be- tween the rise in hip hop (rap) music, and the dropping of read- ing and math test scores among Black youth. He said that just when Black students began to draw near the same performance level of white students on national tests, their scores begin to drop. “There was tremendous progress in the 1980s in reading and math scores for Black youth,” said Professor Ferguson. “Sometime between 1988 and 1990 the progress stops.” While various factors played a role in the drop in test scores, Ferguson was struck by the coin- cidénce with the rise of hip-hop music’s popularity. He said the teens might have started spending more time listening to rap music or watching it performed on tele- vision and less time reading. “I see a shift in time-use pat- terns among Black youth to this new music produced by hip-hop culture.” Professor Ferguson points to a survey in 1988, 40 percent of Black students questioned said they regu- larly read for pleasure. That dropped to just 14 percent by 1992. While it would be easy to point to rap music as the number one prob- lem in the decline of test scores, as Ferguson does, this self-serving analysis is deeply flawed. I bought my first rap record in 1980, when I was nine-years-old and by the early to mid- 1980s rap music was fully embraced by the youth within the Black commu- nity in America. In the years Ferguson uses to make his claim that test scores dropped, he is right to note that rap music was | making an upsurge, but it wasn’t doing this with Black audiences. ee “Bvery | time someone wants Papen bg sh noo gre a © start blaming rap,” said Davey D, [ ¢ a a hip-hop intellectual, and thes; | founder of daveyd. com, a ‘hip- ae = hop. news-site. a Davey D’ notes that. the = timeline i in which: Ferguson uses }- 7; - ‘ganhipsbierte years, rap * | music has been blamed for: just. about everything. . | Politicians have ‘Mamed rap = music. for violence and police | shootings. Musicians have ~ - . | blamed the genre for diluting the ~ [talent of up and coming musi- — to talk about ‘rap music and the decline in Black test scores, the: music was going through its posi-~ ~ tive Afrocentric phase. During, this time period, rap groups like Public Enemy, Eric B & Rakim, Poor Righteous Teachers, and Boogie Down Productions, were }- rapping about getting an educa- }. tion, and having “knowledge of}: self’ and knowing who you are. Based on this, one could make the argument that the Black test scores should have been higher. The decline in Black test scores, points to something else other than rap music, but intellectuals. in today’s time tend to look. at it as an easy scapegoat, instead of looking underneath to get at the problem. “I understand how someone can see this,” said Erica Arnold, a writer for the Source magazine, the magazine of hip-hop and its culture. “But you have to look at the larger picture of what is hap- pening to young people in the last few years.” Arnold is right. You have to look at areas such as the rise in latch key kids, who have to raise themselves,’ as parents are at work. To the rise in drugs, especially the crack cocaine |. revolution, which destroyed the at- | mosphere in many urban commu- |~ nities. To teachers with low expec- tations in deteriorating public schools, who don’t push students to | - achieve, to the breakdown within the |- Black community, and family struc- ture in this community, which may have the most consequence on test scores. Music does influence people, and there are some fools that do $2 Foe €egea 6 s Me Re te, & te 6 foolish things and blame it on] - music. But just as there are nega- tives, there are some positives. Hip hop culture and rap is being used by some educators to bring back students in the classroom who haven't been motivated to learn, and to bridge the educa- tional divide. Ferguson hits on the right tune, when he says that more leisure reading needs to be encouraged to bring up reading and English scores. But pinning bad test scores on rap doesn't make sense. In fact, it gives rap a rap it doesn’t deserve. (Lee Hubbard can be reached by e-mail at superle@ hotmail.com. He writes on urban and national issues for several publications.) rf you plan ondigging, ° - excavating, demolish ing or moving the earth fhe N.C. Oné-Call Center. will contact participating members in your area and Sse oe Sse wm wee we ee a “fines, take 3: few mintites to. 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Shown at the First Born Community Development Center, Mayor Battle, Bishop James Smith and lovely wife.Below is Bishop Smith son and daughters and other community citizens taking a moment to pause for the camera of the 'M' Voice Newspaper. The First Born Community Development Center is rooted deep in it's founding faith communty. This center turns no one away. Staff photo Beers eo. ae TO BUY. RENT OR SELL REAL ESTATE CALL + D.D JR & rr "SINCE 1946" Call Us If You Need poe fe oi Your Rant Al Manage Your Property! Several Nice Building Lots. We Handle Conv., HU0, i VA & FMA, Financing. 606 ALBEMARLE 757-1692 OR 757-1162 FAX 757-0018 EST! TEES PS NEW FURNITURE “UNCLAIMED FREIGHT | ‘SALVAGE ‘ONE OF A KINDS \ Heel/Sew ff Quik FOOTWEAR CLINIC Carolina East Mall 752-756-0044 Get ready for the Hurricanes! | We clean Timberland — oith AIPM fadio for i. Shoes and Boots just $39.95 while they last. Shoe Repair & Clothing Alteration ‘SCRATCH AND DENT ‘FACTORY CLOSEOUTS TV gave us the best coverage on the storms during Floyd. Now you can still receive your TV when the lights go out. Regular $69.95 value now $39.95 during this sale. Have you seen the Site everyone =P F F G i T is talking about ? FOR THE FIRST 100 CUSTOMERS treaan, WWW.greenville.net : *Currént Local Events *® Weekly Yard Sale posting 4 *Local City & government Information *Complete Searchable Business Directory | ®Did you know your business is here | Let us link you up oo & rn ee ee ewe ee pe + ee a ee ee NE Se ew 217 West Third Street, Washington : ‘ PTT ae EY i iid Nhs TERA au T ee i dee ae te NC AA a ee: a me ee eo ae ee ee eee oe The City of Greenville is seeking a highly motivated and organized individual to _ manage the operations of the solid waste collection services, fleet maintenance facil- ity, and building & grounds maintenance services of the Public Works Department. Assists the Public Works Director in developing and implementing operational pro- cedures and polices within the Public Works Department as well as overseeing spe- cial projects with other agencies and the general public. This is a highly visable and challenging position that requires skills in dealing with a diverse workforce. Individual must have a thorough understanding of principles and practices of Public Works activities related to the above areas of responsibilities. Must possess good _ written and oralcommunication skills and the ability to handle multiple and compli- cated tasks. Reports directly to the Public Works Director and oversees the operation of three divisions of the PublicWorks Department consisting of approximately 100 employees. . Graduation from a recognized college or university with a degree in environmental engineering or public administration and at least five years experience of increasing responsibility with a municipal public works operation. Experience in the areas of personnel management, budget administration, and equipment purchase/management is critical. Valid drivers license required. . Salary range: $66,180.80 - 69,804.80 - $88,408.00 depending upon qualifications and experience. Competitive benefits package provided. Apply by 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2000, to the City of Greenville, Human Resources Department, 20] Martin Luther Kng, Jr. Drive, P.O. Box 7207, Greenville, N.C. 27835-7207. Resume’ will NOT be accepted in lieu of city application. If you are out of the a, P IMMEDIATE area, please contact 252-329-4492 for an application package. Police Officer Trainee Police Officer (Certified) Qa City of Greenville Professional law enforcement position with a nationally accredited law enforcement agency. Performs general duty law enforcement work. Rotating shifts. High school diploma or the equivalent and excellent physical/mental health required. Must be at least 20 years of age. State certification and associate's degree in police science preferred. Starting Annual Salary for North Carolina State Certified Officers: $31,408 Starting Annual Salary for trainees with BLET & Probationary Certification: $27,206 Starting Annual Salary for trainess with no experience and/or certification: $25,916 Apply by 5:00 p.m., Friday, September 29, 2000, to the City of Greenville, Human Resources Department, 201 Martin Luther Kng, Jr. Drive, PO. Box 7207, Greenville, N.C. 27835-7207. Resume’ will NOT be accepted in lieu of city application. If you are out of the area, please contact 252-329-4492 for an application package. Women and minorities are encouraged to apply. The City Of Greenville is an Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer Successful candidate must pass a physical and drug screen. POSITION Assemble items at home $500 weekly pay poten- tial,any hours,Easy work, no experience, Info. 1-504-646- 1700 DEPT, NC- 4466 ‘cludes demolition of the existing building, a new 3600 SF wood frame facility, > a | Plan Room, c/o McGee Reprographics, 801 Dickinson Avenue, Greenville, NC. t New Belhaven Library Construction = Sealed proposals for single prime bids will be received until 2:00p.m. Tuesday, October 31,2000 at the Belhaven Town Council Chambers 213 Bast Main Street, Belhaven,N.C.for the construction of the new Belhaven Public e rh Library, at which time and place Bids will be opened and read.The project ine | and a small parking lot, THE PROJECT BEING BID IS A NEW PROJECT,NOT A RE-BID. 2 RoE ge Complete plans and specifications for this project can be obtained from _ nO | EDA, Ltd. 201 West Ist Street, Suite 202, Greenville NC 27858, 252-758-3138 | (phone), 758-0553 (fax ), during normal office hours after October 6, 2000 wn are avaliable for examination at Construction Market Data Plan Room, 2300 oe oe | Rexwood Drive, Suite 130, Raliegh, NC 27607, Associated General Contractors | 27834, and ECC Plan Room 3422 Neuse Road, Kinston, NC 28501. Plan Deposit one hundred dollars ($100.00), per set. ce The Owner reserves the unqualified right to reject any and or all proposals | Susan D. Smith, Treasurer Belhaven Library, Inc. | 333 East Main Street Belhaven, North Carolina 27810 ‘| Standards Commission from DRIGTISKFORCLAGENT A Five County Narcotics Task Force in northeast North Carolina is seeking appplicants for undercover agents. Applicants must possess the highest degree of integrity, be certified in NC as law enforcement of- ficials. Experience in nar- cotics enforcement and/or financial investigations is preferred, Applicants must also be wiling to undergo background investigations including psychological, fi- nancial and polygraph test- | ing. Positions include random drug testing. Agents will be responsible for the enforcement of the NC Controlled Substances Act and the Criminal General Statutes of North Carolina. Salary depends on qualifica- tions. A completed Sheriff's _ Education and Training PITT COUNTY HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT | 1717 W. STH STREET GREENVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA 27834-1696 TELEPHONE (252) 830-6317 LOCAL MENTAL HEALTH ADMINISTRATOR | (Assistant Area Director/Human Resources Manager) Master's degree in mental health, social work, psy- chology, education, sociology, business, or public ad- ministration & 2 yrs. of exp. in a community, business, or governmental program in a health related field, social work, or education, including 1 yr. of supervisory, consultative or administrative exp., or grad. from an accredited 4-yr. college or university & 4 yrs. of exp. in a community, business, or govern- mental program in a health related field, social work, or education, including | yr, of supervisory, consula- tive or administrative exp.; or an equivalent combina- tion of education & éxp.Applicant must have know- ledge of regulations mcluding FLSA, ADA, FMLA, worker's compensation rules, knowledge of principles, methods & techniges of efficient administration, in- cluding public relations, personnel adminstration & classification, ge 4 relations, budgeting, account- ing & office mgt. This position is responsible for hu- F-3 is to be received by man resorces and quality improvement. Mina NS amston no , " Must submit application onl October 23,5000. The (NC PDIO7 or Pitt County) “el dale by October 20, 2000, Narcotics Task Force is an ual opportuni loyer. ‘Minority applicants are es pecially encouraged. THE 7th ANNUAL BLACK BUSINESS EXPO Nov. 4th & 5th,2000 - in in al The Wilis Bdo, Greenvile, NG LLY, Va. (AP)— with brambles and . uth Road lay forgotten for ‘S almost 200 years, its purpose de- + caying along with the slave cabins ‘that once lined it during the early = part of the 19th century. § Theroad might have remained a historical footnote on the neatly ~ ans not * Py nds of Sully Planta- as they worked to support one of briefing sessions were instituted to their own. Historical balance is the acologists and histori- | Northern Virginia's most lavish es- overed it 15 years tates. . ls ago, realizing it presented a rare | opportunity to depict what slave racial tensions, historical interpre- life may have been like in Fairfax tations—particularly those involv- County. ing slavery—are a delicate busi- Areconstructed South Road and — ness. A program of reenactments ~ a replica of a slave cabin were re- unveiled last year at Colonial cently opened to the public, provid- Williamsburg so upset some visi« ing visitors to Sully withanewlook tors that they tried to attack the actors portraying slave owners; de- . at the harsh conditions slaves faced meen Rape Gold Medal Winner...... The citizens of North Carolina lead their own olympics in each city in NC. Retired rincipal and educator Francis Mebane is shown being congratulated by Rev. James Snuggs, and Pitt County - i oe AACP Director Gaskon Monk. Father Mebane is proud of the gold medal he recieved from Senior “Olympics. He is wearing it around his neck. Photo by Jim Rouse cc. eo eee eo ee 2 oe oe koe ‘eee 4 Mt Hermon Lodge..... Shown above are Brothers from Wilson,NC who took the first step in be- = coming Mason's along with Bros Kimble, Williams and Rev Evans who are already Full Mason's. «Pictured from left to right - Derrick English, Shawn Williams, Wm. Elbert Hawkins, Mike Campbell, olli Eddie Hawkins, Kimble Williams Karl ; Evans qin PERLE CPS SEES 6 EE The Willis Bldg. 45-9) r6xe Es day, Past Master: James Phelps, Charlie Barrett and Rev. Photo: Jim Rouse Ist St Greenville N.C Vendor Welcome heey In a society that still roils with 5. siete toclean itup and make it sound like | Noreen McCann. La’ set ate We ~~ in ¢ Esther McCullough was one of : key, she said. =. __ the first to visit at the recent open-- «; ialsatSully ‘If the guides “sound like they're ing, raising her hand several times. whitewashing Washington, wehave todiscuss slave life with interpreter. ee | At A LOOK BACK—A slave cabin was recently opened to the public, providing visitors with a new look at the harsh conditions slaves faced as they worked to support one of Nort f you had your natural gas cut off for the spring and summer, apply NOW to get it turned on for the heating season. Don’t wait until the first sign of winter. If you do, you'll just be one of the crowd, and may have to wait longer for service. You must be home when your natural gas is turned on, so when you apply, we'll schedule a time for you to meet with our Service Worker. Call now, and we'll be able to schedule one day in ad- vance. There will be a $30 service charge to turn on your natural gas ($35 if GUC lights the pilot). Please call a Customer Service Representative at 752-7166 for assistance. Greenville A Utilities hern Virginia's most lavish estates.—D.W. HOWELL be ‘Keith Cheaper The Presidential contest nity to devour George W., between Vice-President Al ~— who seemingly is hiding be- Gore and Texas Governor ._ hind a bush? : ‘George W. Bush is of cru- Why:do so many cial importance in many. _ people question Bush’s intel- ways: This election will de- . ligence and basic recall abili- tetmine if this ‘nation reverts. ties? Why does Bush have a - to the gloom and doom days difficult time recalling names of. division, racial strife, and of presidents of key coun- economic stagnation or tries around*the world? moves forward progressively. Bush’s lack of smarts rre- George W. Bush, as presi- minds me of his father’s dent, would be disatrous to Vice - President, Dan America. Quayle, who had difficulity Governor Bush reminds __ spelling “potato.” Quayle, by too many people of his fa- the way, became the butt of ther, who proved to be both jokes on late night shows. In a liar and a joke. After he an August 24 - 25 broke his promise not to sup- Newsweek poll. 81% of the port new taxes, President respondents believe Gore is Bush lost credibility, even “intelligent and well in- ~ NADA Retail 2,600 | LE sa i sininoieseciaentiesnsineieitinatnit nn among many Republicans. In formed” compared to 72% 4 1992, he was even called for Bush. Other major polls, ' “Chicken George” because of like an NBC poll on August : his reluctance to debate . 3rd, reflect the aforesaid sta- as Clinton, a JFK-style tistics. Typically, when the NADA Retail 14 450 4 “slasher” debater. It appears economy is strong, that’s bad that the phrase, “like father, news for presidential chal- like son,” describes George _lengers. Although too many W., who despises the debate blacksare falling through the format of the bipartisan cracks, this nation has the Commission on Presidential lowest combination of unem- Debates. ployment and inflation in a Does George W. have generation. Gore’s boss, the the acumen, stamina and Honorable President Clinton, strength of character to de- paved the way for a record feat Gore, another “slasher” number of black millionaires a awaiting an oppurtu- and home ownerships. NADA Retail ‘12,650 NADA Whise ‘10,300 en 4 ited 4 ee. =f “Ait i 04 | Wig wes oy ae SG Oe He z AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE......... Shown above, Mother Swinson and Family as they _ = ——== ae | } give honor to whom honor is due, her husband and Pastor, Rev. Swinson the Pastor of Mills : "7 97 THIRDS Ser: HLTAT 8 : Phapel Church in Black Jack,NC < = photo by Faith Maye _ WAS Seso} tat, WAS 15, 800 | —é | paar 3 6 HAN ut PRICE 6,998 _ - 13,995 — ih WAS.—23, 200 ai WAS2==s2 22. 900 sel 21,000 AV OILY ERADO 0.5} WF) 96 JEEP GRAND HERD tat ¥ + ae 14, 500 sai, was $15,800 ' "13,950 College Grad Program ae ence vos mabantl . Pictured above....... Singing to te glory of Gop, the Hassell Gospel Singers were in fine form when they came ea out to support the appreciation service for Pastor Swinson. 3325 South Memorial Dr., Greenville, N. C. | photo by Faith Maye mai 756-2150 — en SES MEE “of Christians responded? They - Satan has been very successful in _ diverting us from the path that God ° 1 has laid out before us. God’s peo- Dr. George Hawkins Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ: It is apparent to those of us who do battle against the kingdom of darkness on a regular basis that there are a lot of strongholds that need to be pulled down. Ideally, this should be a combined effort of the body of Christ. Unfortunately, a large portion of God’s people are — not ready to join such an effort even if they wanted to. Their own spiritual lives would hinder them in doing so. A campaign to bring down demonic strongholds will not be accomplished with slogans, clever programs, or even spiritual techniques. Time and time again Christians have had good intentions, yet they have made little impact on our so- ciety to change it. In fact, this na- tion is becoming more and more ungodly. When it comes to the major issues of the day, the Christian voice is being ignored and even ridiculed. Christians are y 4 have gone about business as a ple have become self-centered and + self-indulgent in their lifestyles. | Christ has called us to take up‘ our cross daily, but his voice has been drowned out by the multitude of enticements that surround us. Many are satisfied to carry the name of Christ and live like the rest of the world. They are con- tent with the world as it is and for ~ others the task of changing the world is overwhelming. I’m glad the disciples did not think like that. Repentance Frankly, we will not make an im- pact for Christ in this world unless we change! This is foundational. God’s people need to take an ob- jective inventory of their lives and start repenting. Yes, we repented when we gave our hearts to God. But that was only the beginning of what should have become a life lived in an attitude of repentance. All of us need to open our eyes and recognize what we have be- come. We need to see how we have been grieving the Holy Spirit by the way we are living. We can- not think about change in our lives and hope our good intentions will be acceptable. There must be a change that is radical if we are to be in God’s will. The Holy Spirit desires to work in give e their sin and heal a - -2 Chronicles 7:14, ify we want to see God m move in our lives and in the lives of others, there must be repentance that starts with us. God’s words to Israel through Ezekiel could just as well be addressed to the church today. “Therefore I will judge you. O- house of Israel, every one accord- ing to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; $ $o in- iquity shall not be your ruin.” Ezekiel 18:30. Jesus’ revelation to John includes some very sobering words to God’s people. As he addressed the church in Ephesus and acknowl- edged some fruit to be good, a word of rebuke was also given ac- _ companied by a warning. “But | have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember then from what you have fallen; REPENT, and do the works you did at first. If not, | will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Revelation 2:4-5. God is already beginning to shake and sift and even bring temporal judgment upon the body of Christ (Peter 4:17). He will fulfill His eternal plan no matter what it takes. He will prepare a people to be the bride of Christ. What is true repentance? It is be- ing sorry for grieving God by the way you live. It is a desire to turn “Thelin fa universities. and economic future. Right now, North Carolina businesses are booming and the state's economy is excellent. Much of our overall success is due to the excellent education and training provided by the state's 59 community colleges and 16 public By the end of this decade, North Coates s college enrollment is expected to to accommodate them. The Community College and University Bonds will provide much-needed resources to upgrade all campuses. Get the facts about how you can help secure North Carolina's educational BS oe eg better.” No, we must be praying, “Lord, start with me and change me.” Change will rarely take place un: less. we are willing for it to begin with ourselves, Satan will always sesh to. convince us that everything is fine in our lives. There is no need to be overly concerned about our condi- tion because there are a lot of peo- ple who are in much worse spiritual shape than ourselves. This is how many rationalize away the need for repentance in their own lives. They permit pride and self-righteousness to take root. Lack of repentance has been the major reason why so many Christians have gone into bondage in one form or the other. To be continued... Qcae7s-10, We cannot be a ose Sal il pes Sod pgs Plas, ne endite t re quired. 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SO ose or sale, From '499 down + NC tax + tape + ‘14 servic fo doled col Doms Peroni ry dren “and tha her children were alleged close friends. : just too dark. This all took place. ‘on one of - ‘teue nonsensical daytime talk shows that seem to cater to un-" learned, unschooled, and otherwise pnprepared black females. From time to time, there are non-blacks on the show, but the most explosive that.” My late pa highly respected fried, A.S. Doc. Young used to say ; Ges walt-soucsted black lemale black doc ‘shook her head and then com- dc mented, “I'm glad I have ‘enough - white blood in my veins so. I don’t have to worry about ‘anything like surgeon, ‘The only su able who it the bill asa crotchety 4 old man in retirement. Once he saw the white doctor, This was st physically he was happy. The problem wasthe — old man botched the job’almost are the young black women. " we are convinced the white man's immediately and the black surgeon wore a Phi Beta Kappa key and —e te "For some strange reason, when _ ice is colder. Which is to say that if had to clean up the mess and save been accepted at several graduate ‘moataneadealt vert : all of this was going on, I remem- _ it is white, it is good, if it is black, the man’s life. . schools. She was unquestionably and it will not simply be- by bered the original movie, “Imita- then it is no good. We need to stop this madness attractive in every way. The prob- cause we wish it so. One of the harsh e chi _ tion of Life,” when Louise Beavers, In another time, kids use to say about being concerned with the lem was that she was. exseampely realities of life is that if there is a than hip-h ‘the mother, was questioned about “If you're white, you're right. If color of the skin. It means abso- dark, |. series of racial incidents, itreally won't palo the father of her apparently half- you're yellow, you're mellow. If lutely nothing. In the old days, light- After the son took his gitlfriend ~ matter if you are yellow, brown or.’ h ye p white daughter. Her reply was, “He _ you're brown, stick around. But if skinned blacks were usually the home, he hurried back to his house _ black. By and large, we are all oily es,” “was a light complected colored “man.” you're black, git back—way back. weeWenally. it was not just the kids oo HUTCHIN SON: Continued From A-6 offspring of “the mass” and out of some perverse sense of caring or tacit acknowledgment, they became the house slaves. . where his mother awaited. Seeking his mother's. approval, he asked, “Well, how did you like her?” His mother smiled and said, “She | identifiable, If we look ot the scale, we will ‘tion see that some of the accomplished str African Americans did not and do. The fact that they were lighter in ‘a seems like a very nice girl, but she not have light skin. Firebrand Con- \ildren. ‘Proposition 38 is a half-baked, ill conceived measure wildly out of step -with even the standard voucher plans floated by conservative Republi- cans. These plans apply oa) a students, mostly the poor, blacks and it atenan je Ensliann aublin nabanin Renwanjtina ‘ Latinos, in failing public,schools. Proposition | everyone, including Bill Gates children. 48 gives money to any and Still, the big question is how to better improve the failing L.A. public ah co schools that trap and anger so many black and Latino parents and provide o a 7 . 0 EM BESS ' fertile ground for the black Proposition 38 backers. There are five things ee pg The Schiff- Cardenas minority youth, by not funding or under-funding -sive. e. Experts ¢ estimate on dir Crime Prevention Act of 2000 (AB2885) passed the tis * - State Assembly by a vote of 75 to 0 and the State Senate by 36 to 0. Still, programs that have demonstrated their success with juveniles. It will also have a negative im- pact on youth within the probation system in Los risk youth froma life of crime can save the government from $1 million million over the life of the minor. ‘that must be done. The first is to publicly acknowledge that the most segregated schools in L.A. County are the L.A. city schools. The L.A. ‘Unified School District should initiate an emergency crash program to : upgrade the texts and facilities, purchase more computers, and to place the Angeles County and other counties because of substantial research showing that ‘highest caliber teachers, counselors, and administrators possible at these “liberal,” centrist Gov. Gray Davis deleted all of insufficient funding of programs needed to di- risk minors are provided intervention pre- schools. This also means that the United Teachers of Los Angeles must the $121.3 million for juvenile justice preven- vert these minors from committing new crimes. _ vention services, the. greater the _actively work to enforce strict professional standards that hold teachers at tion and intervention programs designed to re- Los Angeles County could have received verting them from becoming chronic off ‘these schools accountable for the performance of their students. duce the recidivism rate for juveniles currently approximately $34 million for juvenile programs More importantly, these programs have The second is to bury the myth that students in public schools can’t or under the jurisdiction of county probation de- provided for in AB2885. Davis claimed that he onstrated a reduction in crime. The $121. Jion contained in AB2885-would have for the hiring of more law é cers = and probation personnel and also prov nec- essary funding to permit community-based or- t : ganizations to hire more staff so that law enforcement and probation epar could implement more oarty invention, fee vism-reduction programs. a ae Clearly, the result would have been lesscrime, 7 fewer victims and more minors becoming pro- ductive members of their communities. partments. Since youth crime, as well as the criminalization of youth, are of increasing inter- est, especially in the African American and Latino communities, the governor's action is all the more reprehensible. The Chicano Employees Association was a major supporter of the Schiff-Cardenas Crime Prevention Act. The Association's response to Davis’ deleting the program funds contains con- ceptual and practical rationale for strong juve- nile crime prevention and intervention stategies. wanted proven programs in order to release $71 million for juvenile programs. However, he is © also insisting as a price for the $71 million that the legislature allocate millions of dollars for boot camps run by the National Guard. Staffing boot camps with minimally trained or untrained non-law enforcement staff to guard minors (who are overwhelmingly minority) is not sound pub- lic policy. Because research has not demonstrated that juvenile boot camps run by the National Guard won't learn. Generations of black and Latino students attended mostly * segregated schools in South Central Los Angeles. Yet many managed to “graduate, go on to college, and become successful in business and the professions. They were taught by teachers who were dedicated and determined that they achieve in their studies. These teachers expected and ‘demanded that their students perform up to the same level as white ‘students. They challenged the students to learn, set specific goals, de- ‘manded their full participation in classroom work, and gave them positive ‘and continual direction and reinforcement. Many teachers and administra- tors at these schools also devised innovative learning methods that raised ‘reading, math test scores, and achievement levels. The third is for black and Latino educators, businesspersons and The ChicanoEmployees Association'’sresponse are effective in reducing juvenile crime or in ously, funding these programs would professionals to sponsor conferences in which they provide parents with is instructive, it illuminates important underly- sehabilitating the juveniles under their jurisdic- __ fesulted in substantial savings in taxpayers dol- dearning tips and materials to help them improve the study habits of their _ing issues. Excerpts from. the association’s're- Aion, the legislature rejected Davis’ proposal. Tar. a « j children. They can also expand the economic and professional opportu- “sponse are presented herein: Also, it is important to note that Davis’ claim of With a hhuge mega-bi Davis essentially told the African Amer Latino communities that the future of risk minor, as well as the fate of their youth now - in the Juvenile justice system, is not a prio for him. In Los Angeles County, youth under jurisdiction of the Los Angeles County Pre tion Department are over 80 percent African American and Latino. Davis’ lack of support for .* programs for at-risk minors and minors alrea within the criminal justice system appears tob substantially the same as of his pres Gov. Pete Wilson. a It is especially tragic that the strong oak bi-partisanship that was developing over ¥ to fund effective programs for at-risk youth ; those already within the criminal justice system was rebuffed by our governor. The Chicano-s Employees’ Association's response to Davis’ (= action ends with the following aon, from _syndicated columnist: “His critics can do whatever. they can do, but ae they'll never persuade Davis to accept some- if thing that he believes poses any political risk, on crime, no matter how scant it am be. ‘That's be . way he is.” ee Gov. Davis’ deletion or program funds in the Schiff-Cardenas betrays the trust of the Latino and African American communities. These pro- grains were designed to effectively work with at-risk minors at an early age to discourage them from joining gangs, encourage them to stay in school and to provide them with educational and recreational programs to help motivate them not to commit additional crimes. A major goal of the time-tested programs is to help juveniles stay away from gangs and criminal activities when their incarceration is completed and they return to their communities. Davis deleted the $121.3 million for juvenile programs despite overwhelming bipartisan sup- port in the State Legislature for the bill. The bill also has strong support from African American and Latino organizations, law enforcement offi- cials and unions representing rank and file po- lice, sheriffs, probation department employees and municipal employce associations HAT 0 out the state. The governor’ s deletion of funds for juvenile crime prevention programs will have a signifi- cant negative impact on at-risk, predominantly BETWEEN THE Lines wanting to fund juvenile programs witha proven success rate is not persuasive because in May Davis rejected requests from Assemblyman Tony Cardenas that would have added $475 million to the state budget to fund well-established, proven juvenile crime diversion and gang prevention programs administered by law enforcement agen- cies, probation departments and community- based organizations. The governor's action hurts proven, success- ful programs that would have helped to substan- tially reduce the number of nfinors entering or returning to the juvenile justice system. The programs range from approximately $1,000 per . juvenile for at risk minors to $20,000 per juve- nile for the intensive Repeat Offender Preven- tion Project. This program, according to a 12- month evaluation found the participants im- proved their grades, reduced drug use and exhib- ited a 33 percent decrease in law violations compared to minors receiving traditional proba- tion supervision. . Since it currently costs about $40,000 annu- ally to house a minor in an institution, these types of programs are substantially less expen- ‘nities for poor students by creating and endowing programs that provide educational scholarships, career counseling, job and training skills pro- grams, and computer training. The fourth is to eliminate the obscene disparities in public funding. ‘Current state funding formulas guarantee that well-to-do, mostly white ‘suburban school districts get a bigger share of state education funds than poor, inner city schools. This funding gap guarantees a two-tiered public education system in which poor schools do not receive adequate funds to pay for up-to-date texts, computer equipment, the physical maintenance ‘of the facilities, and higher teacher salaries. The last is to understand that educational excellence can’t be attained ‘in segregated schools, or private schools too despite what the black "ministers who back Proposition 38 claim, unless parents do their part. This ‘means they must attend parent-teacher conferences, monitor their children’s classroom and homework assignments, join and get actively involved ‘with the PTA’s and parent-advisory councils at their local schools. Restoring excellence at grossly underperforming schools in black and Latino areas is a goal that everyone wants to achieve. It will take hard ‘work, renewed dedication, and total commitment to equal funding for ‘inner city public schools. It will not take a fraudulent and destructive “voucher initiative such as Proposition 38. | _ (Earl Ofari Hutchinson is the author of The Disappearance of Black Leadership. He can be heard on KPFK Radio, 90.7 FM, Tuesdays, 7-8 p.m.) By A. ASADULLAH SAMAD Generally, summer is the slowest time of the year for sports lovers. Particularly, “TV” sports lovers, ; who loathe watching that melodra- : matic mix of baseball, golf and ten- nis on Saturday and Sunday after- noons—which can be as exciting as , watching grass grow, or estimating - the net time your dog will move : from that one spot he’s been laying - in all day. Hell, on any “normal” * ‘summer sports weekend—given the - choice of watching tennis or golf, ; » or going shopping with the wife and ‘ ‘kids, it's “Honey, load up car.” Not this summer. » An interesting phenomena took ' “place in the midst of a sports period : uisually reserved for “whites only.” : ‘Black athletes, in their sparsely few numbers, dominated “the summer sports” like no time in recent his- tory. Unprecedented winning streaks by Tiger Woods, as well as ; Venus and Serena Williams created aa “Michael Jordan-like” interest in ‘ tennis and golf, Not only because ty brow ee ee ee 2s Sees oe me spective games, \inerica watched. i ae ag } attention of black — dey or Sunday, they quadruple. ~ some Sundays, Tiger outdrew the that really was a flipside to the suc- cess of these young talents. People watched, not necessarily to see them win (African Ameri- cans did, of course), but to see them lose. And when they didn’t, they. got “talked about,” until the fol- lowing week when there was an- other opportunity to vindicate “the whiteness” of these sports. And when they couldn’t, it was almost ridiculous how some of the com- mentators “playa-hated” those young people. They’d congratulate on one hand, then playa-hate on the next. It was a long, hot summer. Watching Tiger win the British Open, then the PGA Championship, then NEC Championship was like watching cliff hanging episodes of -agood “whodunit.” You never knew who was going to be the next vic- tim, but you knew somehow, Tiger was going to be in the mix. And you knew that the public was going to tune in, and tune in they did. Every time Tiger Woods plays in a tourna- ment, television ratingsdouble. And every time he's leading on Satur- You know you have something hot when you can get black people . to stay in the house on Sunday af- ternoons in the summertime, On a é NBA playoffs. Tiger won so much and won so easily, it created a “Ti- ger backlash.” They essentially got sick of him winning. Other players and TV commen- tators started talking about the Ti- ger was winning “too much.” That courses needed to be “Tiger- proofed” to give the rest of the field achance. In what sport can you win too much? Jack Nicklaus was the long hitter and most dominating player in golf for 25 years, but they never talked about changing the sport or the courses for him. But Tiger wins more majors than Jack: and Arnold Palmer, together, won in their first 100 tournaments, and ‘the integrity of the game must be protected, Is there a socio-political aspect to that rationalization? I would say so. Tiger's won more money in hisv four years on the tour than all of the professional players, past and present, except Davis Love III, have won in their careers. Winning the PGA and NEC back- to-back netted him almost $2 million (actually $1.9 mil) in two weeks, One of the those weeks, the media started playing up the possibly of a “letdown.” Tiger won at Firestone, one of the hardest courses in the nation, by playing 21. over par. Played the last three holes ‘in the dark, and birdied the 18th hole. Then he played the last two days with the flu, gave a clinic for youth the next morning, then flew to Palm Desert and played a “made for TV” match play exhibition for a million dollars. Playing while sick, he still lead most of the match and lost by one stroke. You'd thought they'd just beat him in the Super Bowl or something. After the sum- mer Tiger had, they'd take “a win” any way they could get it. Even if it didn’t count for anything. Watching the socio-political as- pects of the Williams sisters’ suc- cess was just as intriguing. Watching the sisters playing each other in the Wimbledon semi- finals had a cruel aspect to it, but that’s the nature of competition— somebody has to lose, But watch-. ing Venus win it all, then watching the sisters win the Doubles Cham- pionship, leave Wimbledon and each go on separate streaks of their owh, was a pure treat. In fact, as a doubles team, they haven't lost in any tournaments they’ ve played in, which caused a controversy when. Olympic tennis coach, Billie Jean : King, selected them to play together — vin Sydney. Why? ‘King passed over the No.1 doubles player in the world, but she was only number one because the —_ se ay — tourna- both peaking at the right time, John bi “Crazy-A**"’ McEnroe wants to pr Tiger and the Williams Sisters: Flipside of a Long, Hot Summer | ments as a pair to be ranked. The doubles player challenged the deci- sion, went to arbitration and lost. Imagine if one of us had challenged acoach’s decision. We'd be “black- balled” from the sport. Just one of those things where some people feel they're “entitled” to go, in spite of the choices made. Certainly asocio- political aspect of tennis politics we rarely see. Both sisters had been suffering from injuries, and both weren't ex- pected to do well in the majors. But now that they’ré winning, nobody can stop talking about them,—gqod or bad. No matter how either of them play, commentators constantly find fault with their games. And they somehow seem to get penal- ized because there's two of them, - Their opponents have to play one, then play the other. And when. enoughtosay, Serena was confident “Beating one of us is hard enough, but beating both of us is near im- possible,” people thought tennis protocol was somehow broken. Now _ my view of the Williams si he hasn’t talked about playing Lindsey Davenport, all six feet of her, is No. 2 in the world (wit 100 mph serve also), and he hasn't. talked about playing her. But he this burning desire to prove th Williams sisters are not as go everyone are making them | be. Think there greg, as litical aspect to type raed rationalization? I think The Williams sisters are and the last time an “over the hill” male talked about whippin’ up on a women tennis player, he got his old a** kicked. Mind you, McEnroe is talking “pay per view” for. the chance to take this whippin’. And » — I'd pay for it. It wouldn't change § : bit. And as for Tiger and his | Cablinasian self, believe me when say the only part they see is the “bl” part. Still we celebrate his nance as if it was our own with 100 mile an hour serves and li play one or both of the Williams sisters to prove that “a good | college player or a ranked senior player” pons beat them sername ea the