6 Ww ot-w -JE-fe) : OF-h od a t-8 | fay at tsed 4 Bishop Henry Brown Celebrats at \) Gm OF Rha be ¥y Faces ys Ee t= | What You See Is What You Get, What Y ou IK What Know And Save Free November hat’ Serving Eastern North Carolina Since 1981 Queens, N.Y., where both men grew up. Ja Rule claims that there was a brief encounter between the two and 50 Cent took offense to what he perceived as a snub, or a “diss,” by Ja. 50 Cent. whose real name is Curtis Jackson, says the beef started when a member of his crew snatched a neck- lace from Ja Rule's neck. What ensued was a verbal onslaught by 50 Cent on wax in the form of “diss records” aimed at Ja Rule, his record label. Murder Inc., and others. That escalated into at least two reported brawls between the rappers. However, in May 2000, words and fists morphed into bullets when 50 Cent was hit with nine slugs as he sat in a car outside his grandmother's house. From the beginning, 50 Cent has insisted the shooting was the work of a man named Kenneth “Supreme” McGriff, one of New York's most notorious drug dealers in the 1980s. McGriff allegedly supplied Ja Rule's record label with some start-up capital and that allegation has led to a federal criminal inves- y tigation of McGriff and Murder Inc., with charges ranging from money laundering to murder, Several others besides 50 Cent have allegedly been By Sean Yoes Special to the AFRO That's the question the late, great Christopher Wallace, better known as the a Notorious B.I.G.. asked on his classic hi + hop album. Life After Death (Book 1). And Biggie answered as only Biggie: could. “Beef is when you need two gats to go to sleep / Beef is when your moms ain't safe up in the streets.” Biggie was prophetic, because “beef” is what got him killed in 1997. “Beef” is what got his nemesis/brother in life and death Tupac Amaru Shakur -killed in 1996. “Beef” is what made thei both modern-day martyrs. Now, there's a new beef brewing. ; Earlier this week, Black Entertainment Television aired a discussion between Min. Louis Farrakhan, leader of the Nation of Islam, and rap ~ star Ja Rule. The dialogue was an effort to defuse the bitter and volatil conflict between Ja Rule and multi-platinum rapper 50 Cent. “Hip-hop is being threatened today, the future of it. And I don’t j want to see you lose your life or 50 Cent lose his life. or any of the rappers lose their life.” stated Farrakhan. . Music mogul and entrepreneur Russell Simmons, who asked 0 Barrakhan to sit down with the two feuding entertainers, arranged the B Meeting three weeks ago. 50 Cent was reportedly on tour during the discussion between Ja Rule and Farrakhan and couldn’t : attend; however, he has tentatively agreed to sit down with the - Islamic teader in the near future. } ! lly be : How this latest feud between hip:hop titans was sparked shot at, shot and/or murdered In connection with this % depends Upoii’y vhom you ask, Agcording to Ja Rule, whose. _, Sonflict between the two hip-hop, icons. 7 S, ‘real fame ws deltrey , the ongoing ‘hostility between “*~--~Perhaps whattsso-disturbtitg-in-the eyes Or Matiy- % him and 50 Cént was triggered during a video shoot in (C ontinued on page 9) Black prison rate not right v $ yy & z. Greenville, promotion to Bish Bishop Henry Brown (far left for our camera duririg the banquet which took place at the s Bishop In The House... .. . The week leading up to Pastor Henry Brown of Mount Pp was a week of spirtual services of God' Hilton Hotel in Greenville. Photo by Jim Rouse Calvary FWB in S blessings and joy. Shown here is ) and his lovely wife with Bishop Brown's brother and wife as they stop By Earl Byrd AFRO STAFF "Race and Incarceration in Maryland," a new Justice Policy Institute study; reports Blacks are imprisoned disproportion- ately, and has shocked members of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus with this startling revelation: African Americans make up 90 percent of the state prisons’ drugoffender popula- tion. "I'm astounded and outraged by the racial inequities," says Dei. Obie Patterson, (D-26), chair of the Black caucus, which com- missioned the study, when he learned that Maryland ranked third nationally in incoming prisoners, behind New Jersey and New York. “We knew the numbers were bad," he said on Nov.. 4-"but not astounding. Ninety percent of all drug offenders in Maryland pris- ons are African Americans?" His voice is exasperated. "That's 9 out of 10. Something is not right. We're only 28 percent of the population in Maryland, but account for 68 percent of the drug arrests and 90 percent of the prisoners." And it's not just in Maryland. The problem, along with drugs, has swept the country. With 1.2 million of America's 2 million prisoners convicted for non-violent offenses, Patterson says that diverting drug abusers into treatment is essential for the future. But there are many causes, he i] ‘run free." he said, . says, "from inappropriate behav- ior being taught in the African- American community to Blacks not having networks or the money for competent legal rep- resentation and White judges not being sensitive to African Americans in court. "I don't mean to let everybody "but the non-violent drug offender we can bring back through treat- ment, hope and the development of job skills." As a lawmaker, he knows states are cutting education and health care to the poor. He proposes to help ease one financial burden of the criminal justice system when the General Assembly convenes on Jan. 15 by proposing legisla- tion that offers treatment options to the comparatively astronomi- cal cost of housing a non-violent drug offender in prison. Patterson said that the money saved could be used for. treat- ment. State Sen. Verna Jones (D-44), said she agrees and gave this statement through her spokes- man, Jamie Kendrick: "Clearly,the rate of prosecutions for African Americans is incon- sistent with the known patterns of drug abuse throughout our region and state. While enforce- ment efforts must continue, they must be targeted more fairly throughout all segments of soci- ety." Department of Justice statistics on July 27 showed that the 2002 incarceration-rate increase in America was equal to an addi- 4 yy ya ‘ Maggs ahaa 4 a oni, ¥ tional 700 prisoners being added every week during the year. The report says that more than 50 percent of Black male school dropouts in their 30s have a criminal record. So while trying to “fund education, health care and stave off spending cuts," Says Jasen Ziedenberg of JPI, “many legis- lators are continuing to choose to pay for an expensive justice _ System that damages communi- ties and does not produce safe and healthy neighborhoods." Baltimore City State’ Attorney Patricia Jessamy has long been aware of the problem, says her spokesperson, Mary Burns, "Pat Jessamy's had a three- pronged approach to the prob- lem since 1996 when she started the first drug court that holds offenders accountable with fre- quent testing to monitor drug abuse," Burns said. She also believes in early intervention: to change delinquent behavior and feels that a number of offenders can benefit from treatment.” Finally, Burns Says, Jessamy believes, "Violent repeat offend- ers need the stiffest penalty to put them out of the community for as long as possible." Patterson said the study was ' commissioned as a continuation of the "profile data we gathered a couple years ago. So we looked at prisons, ‘and now the Prince George's Hospital is in trouble, D.C. General has closed, it's impacted us, and we think the next thing to look at is health care in the Black community." AREY Ke Mil 4 Uk IA 7. . + «+» Snow Hill ow has it's own community building where they can rally to answer to the nace affecting the black populaton. Shown above getting ready for election year 2004 pictured. from left to > right is.one of the participants at the event along with activist Bro Britt, Christine F itch, mayor of Snow Hill * Don Davis and his wife. (see also faces and places pictorial) photo Jim Rouse To fully. understand how extreme the California Supreme Court judge is, one needs to remember that she sits on a court where six of the seven members were appointed by Republican governors. Even in that setting, Brown is a lone dis- Senter. The Web sites of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights _(www.civilrights.org), People for the American Way (www.pfaw.org) and Alliance for Justice (www.afj.org) carry detailed examinations of Brown's opinions, so I will not try to duplicate them in this lim- ited space. At Brown's confirma- tion last month, Sen. Richard J. Durbin. (D-IL) reminded her, “In case after case, you come down on swore to the downtrodden and disad- vantaged. Oftentimes you to housing discrimination victims. — “In a disability discrimina- tion case, ‘you were the only mber of your court to con- clude that due to a technical ifort ___ legislature. — “You were the only member of the California Supreme Court who dissented in a case involv. ing the sale of cigarettes to minors. All the other justices. ruled that a corporation can, on behalf of the public, sue a retailer competition law. — “You were the only member of the California Supreme Court who would strike down a San Francisco law that provided housing assistance to displaced low-income, elderly, and dis- abled people. — “You were the only member of the California Supreme Court who concluded that there was nothing about requiring a criminal defendant to wear a 50,000-volt “stun belt” at his trial. — “You were the only member of the California Supreme Court who Voted to overturn the rape con- viction of a 17-year-old girl because you felt that the victim gave mixed messages to the rapist. — “You were the only member of the California Supreme Court who dissented in two rulings that permitted counties to ban guns or gun ‘tive ruling (“Hi-Voltage Wire Works, Inc. v. City of San Jose”), said her written opinion in the case minimized the existence of racial discrimination: “The general theme that runs through the majority opinion’s historical discussion—that there is no meaningful distine- tion between discriminatory. racial policies that were ‘imposed for the clear purpose of. establishing and preserving . Facial segregation, on the one hand, and race-conscious affir- mative action programs whose aim is to break down or elimi- nate the continuing effects of such segregation and discrimi- nation, on the other hand—rep- resents a serious distortion of history and does a grave disser- vice to the sincerely held views of a significant segment of our populace,” he wrote. _ Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) argues that Brown “is a conserv- ative African-American woman, and for some, that alone disqual- ifies her nomination to the D.C. Circuit.” No, she is unqualified because she has demonstrated that she is unable to put aside her conservative political views and fairly uphold the law. George E. Curry is editor-in-chief of the NNPA News Service and BlackPressUSA.com. His most recent book is “The Best of Emerge Magazine,” an antholo- &y published by Ballantine sales on fairgrounds and other Books. He can be reached public property. — “As an appel- late court judge, you ruled that paint companies could use through his Web site, georgecur- ry.com. udos to Sister Jennifer K Parker and, of course, .~ Staff of volunteers, for conduct- ing one of the best economic empowerment conferences | have ever attended - and I have attended quite a few. Jennifer is the brainchild of The Black Capital Network (www.the- ben.com) and has diligently labored to bring her vision of economic prosperity for African-Americans to fruition. She “stayed the course,” as George Fraser would Say, and presented their second annual Black Capital Network confer- ence. She and her husband, Mel; held on to their commit. ment, continued to make the sacrifices necessary to accom- Plish their goals, and they brought an outstanding event to the people of Buffalo, New York, on November 1, 2003. I had the honor and pleasure to conduct a Blackonomics workshop during the confer- ence, but my excitement. is grounded in three other aspects of the BCN: I was thrilled to see the turnout of participants; | was impressed at the variety of The Black Capital Network C vendors and, not only their willingness to support the BCN but also their reciprocal com- mitment to recycling Black dol- lars; and I was especially pleased with the outstanding speakers Jennifer brought to the conference. I often talk about how even I need an eco- homic empowerment “booster shot” from time to time to keep me going. Well, I certainly got that and more at the Black Capital Network Conference. Being in the company once again of Brooke Stephens, financial author (Wealth Happens One Day at a Time) and lecturer, listening to Brother Melvin Gravely, entre- Preneur, author (When Black and White Make Green), and lecturer, hearing real solutions for Anyway?) in person, and just being in close proximity to so many accomplished entrepre- heurs and fantastic brothers and sisters was, indeed, a privi- lege and an honor for me. Then there was Simon T Bailey. The author of Simon Says...Dream - Live a Passionate Life, Bailey took the conference by storm, or should I say a “Whirlwind”? This brother delivered one of the best speeches I have ever heard. If you have not heard Simon or read his work, somewhere down the line there is a treat waiting for you; sooner or later you will come in contact with this brother, who is one of the, nation’s most sought-after speakers. Weaving metaphors, life-lessons, homespun yarns, common sense, metaphysics, and stark realities into a tapes- try of positive, results-oriented, and very practical Strategies for success, Simon T Bailey was a joy to behold. He is a : and ‘Kentucky, but that should ‘have a | Surprised no one. After all, | Mississippi 17 ‘Percent and. | Kentucky by 15 percent in the elections. That gives Republicans control of 29 state. — California | houses to 22 for Democrats, a ~ : _ ed] Republicans as the 2004 presi- } Gential elections come into view. Agaim we have to be careful in | our assessments. There were 3] Republican governors serving when Bill Clinton was first elect- ed, two more than serving now. Former Republican National Committee Chairman | Haley Barbour’s defeat of incumbent Democrat Ronnie Snows -in Mississippi spoiled the chances of State Sen. Barbara Blackmon, an African. American, becoming _Lt. Governor. It was a race that was marked by charges of the intim- idation of Black voters. Barbour is a Washington lob- byist for tobacco and pharma- ceutical interests who parlayed millions of dollars to outspend the incumbent. He also refused to take his picture off of the Web site of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a racist organization that was a succes- sor to the White Citizens Councils. Apparently, he woke up this segment of the elec. torate as turnout approached record levels, overcoming a strong back turnout in the process. In any case, statewide elec- tions tend to be a bell-weather of how voters feel about national issues and therefore, one sur- prise in this result is that in recent public opinion polls, George Bush's numbers have been slipping badly because of his handling of the Iraq war. for undoubtedly recent visits into those states and the star power of a presi- dent no matter what the circum- stances. There may also be a serious disconnect here between the voters in those states which have strong military back- grounds as one of their histori- cal characteristics. and the rest of the country, In the other races of interest, Mayor John Street swept to a strong victory over challenger Republican Sam Katz, who accused him of corruption. The strong Street victory was seen as a referendum on the FBI investigation launched on the office of Street shortly before the election. Apparently, there was some question about a $13 million contract that the Mayor's office let that was con- nected to an associate of his brother. . - Although the FBI initially said that Street was not the tar- get of the investigation, the sub- poena of his office records shortly afterward lent strong credence to the view that he was, in fact, the target and that the investigation timing was controlled by John Ashcroft’s Justice Department. _ Pennsylvania has a popular Democratic Governor, Ed Rendell, who was former Mayor of Philadelphia and who called for accountability from the indoubtedly take this to be a _ minor referendum on the war. it “May also be a result of his November, 2003, control of the largest city in the State by Democrats in a, place where Al Gore won by 200,000 votes in 2000. Although Street may not be out of the woods with the Justice Department _ . bearing down on him, this isone — ~ hurdle that he successfully over- came. For the sake of nostalgia, let's look at former Virginia. gover-. nor Doug Wilder, who is stilla major force in politics both in the state and in the city of Richmond. He recently champi- oned a measure to make the Richmond mayor, who is now appointed by the City Council, elected at large by the voters. It was a resounding defeat for Blacks who had lined up against Wilder such as Congressman Bobby Scott, the venerable Black organization, Virginia Crusade for Voters and the NAACP. lacks in the City fear that electing the mayor at large would reduce the voting power of Blacks and thus, the measure might be subject to challenge on the grounds that it violates the Voting Rights Act. So. it may be subsequently challenged by the Justice Dept. . Overall, this is not great news for the Democrats, but will be trumpeted as for Republicans. I tend to think that it gives us lit- tle perspective on what will occur in the months ahead. Ron Walters is Distinguished Leadership Scholar, director of the African American Leadership Institute in the Academy of Leadership and professor of government and politics at the University of Maryland-College Park. His lat- est book is “White Nationalism, Black Interests” (Wayne State University Press). Make YOUR VOICE heard ... write a letter to the editor fresh face on the scene and ~asurely someone. to watch as he “hambly makes His way to the top, but reaches back to help someone else as well. We should listen to what Simon says. All in all, the Black Capital Network .was a veritable pot- pourri of excellence, compris- ing local business owners and corporate representatives with national authors and entrepre- neurs. The event ended with a- book forum, sponsored by local attorney, John Elmore, and The Weddings of Color Expo and Fashion show. The forum fea- tured local authors and was moderated by Yvonne Rose, co- owner and Editor of Amber Books, Phoenix, Arizona, the nation’s largest African American self-help and career guide publishing house. The Weddings of Color Expo and Fashion Show highlighted wed- ding gowns by New York designer, Therez Fleetwood. Ms. Fleetwood is also the author of the new best-seller, The Afrocentric Bride, which features the most beautiful and culturally sensitive wedding onference | gowns ever made. Check out Ms. Fleetwood's gowns and her book; you will'be very pleased with what your see. Now whet is the bottom line of: all of this? Meetings and conferences are held by and for Black people in this country virtually every week. But, as I told my audience, it’s not just the meeting that's important, it’s what happens. after the meeting. My challenge is always centered on the “doing,” the positive action’ that emanates as a result of the many meetings we have. As far as economic empowerment conferences are concerned, it’s one thing to practice it during the conference, at the vending tables, in the workshops, and during the book Signings, but it’s a different thing to leave the venue and really get involved in day-to-day economic empower- ment. It's another thing to make it a habit to support Black owned businesses, to grow and expand our businesses via Strategic partnerships, cooper- ative purchasing, and mergers. In other words, it’s one thing to talk about it and another thing to do it. While I thank Jennifer Parker and everyone else who attended the conference, | encourage us as all to follow up and follow through on what we learned there. | pray that we will do what we Say, practice what we preach, and walk our talk when it comes to economic empowerment and entrepre- neurship. We cannot afford to keep going to meetings only to return home and do nothing with the information we gleaned from those meetings. Let’s get busy y'all. James E. Clingman, an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati's African-American Studies department, is former editor of the Cincinnati Herald Newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American , Chamber of Commerce. He hosts the radio program, “'Blackonomics,” and is the author of the book, “Economic Empowerment or Economic Enslavement- We have a Choice.” He can be reached at (513) 489-4132, or by e-mail at jclingman@blackonomics.com, STARRING Continued from Page 4 “there's enough talent among minority coaches throughout col- lege sports to begin making a dif. ference immediately. It is short. sighted to assume that the coach- ing staff at the top historically black colleges and universities could not improve the win-loss records of most programs in Division I. And yet, the names of those individuals rarely appear on the lists of candidates many athletic directors begin carrying around this time of year.” Brand says that much of the problem is rooted in the hiring process for these positions, which now is heavily dependent on a limited, old-boys network and is often done “in a week or a week- end from a short list of candi- dates known only to a closed cir- cle of confidants.“ College presidents, he says, are the ones to change that process. They “must not yield to the pres- First flu case of the season co sures of making quick decisions, even when media coverage is intense, if that haste excludes a full and fair hearing for qualified minority candidates.” His proposal is that the hiring, for example, of a head football coach should involve a search committee representing the ath- letics department, faculty, admin- istrators, and perhaps alumni and others from outside the insti- tution. Its job would be to devel- op a diverse pool of candidates, and recommend the three or four best qualified to the president. The president would then inter- view the finalists and, in consul- tation with the institution's ath- letics director, either make the final decision or recommend that candidate to the institution's trustees. This process, Brand sflys, shouldn't. take more than a few weeks to complete. Brand also supports the five- part evaluation system to judge hiring practices in Division 1-A football being developed by the Black Coaches Association as part of its effort to expand the competition for collegiate coach- ing positions. The NCAA itself now funds a total of 16 programs to help minority men and women gain the skills to assume leadership within college sports. But. of course, the association is not involved in hiring decisions at the campus level. Brand readily acknowledges that there's no guarantee that his proposal would guarantee a sig- nfirmed: high risk individuals urged to see The first laboratory-con- firmed case of influenza for the 2003-04 flu season has been reported to the state Division of Public Health. The lab results show the patient, a Pitt County resi- dent tested positive for influenza Type A. With the advent of this first flu case, Dr. Jeffrey Engel, state epidemiologist in the N.C. Division of Public Health, is encouraging all North Carolinians over 50 and those considered to be high-risk individuals, to be vaccinated against the flu as * f soon as possible. “Flu is a serious health risk to older adults and to people who have problems like chronic heart and lung conditions, kidney disease, diabetes and suppressed immune systems,” Engel said. “They should get their annual flu shot in the next’ couple of weeks. The flu shot is available at local health departments and other health care providers. - It is free to those who have Medicare Part B ” “The following persons are at the greatest risk of compli- cations from flu and should Start getting their vaccina- tions now, as recommended by the Advisory Committee on [mmunization Practices (ACIP): adults aged 50 or older: infants and children aged 6 months through 23 months; anyone aged 2-49 years who is at increased risk for influenza-related compli- cations; children under 9 years old who have not had their first. influenza vaccina- tion; healthcare workers; and all household contacts of per- Sons at high risk of influenza. All children under 9 who are being vaccinated for the first time will need. to receive a second dose a month later. As in any flu season, Dr. Engel urges everyone to take basic precautions to help influenza. Avoiding contact with ill persons and frequent- ly washing your hands can reduce risk of infection, People who cough or sneeze should cover their nose and mouth with disposable tis- sues or a handkerchief to limit spread of the virus, Flu symptoms begin sud- denly and may include fever, severe headache, body aches, é sore throat and cough. Flu can make a person more sus. ceptible to pneumonia, an ill- ness that puts a severe strain on the heart and lungs, which can be especially dangerous to people who already suffer from heart and lung disease. Those who develop flu-like Symptoms should drink flu. ids, rest and Stay home to avoid spreading the infection, Flu-sufferers may also take over-the-counter drugs such aS acetaminophen and ibuprofen, but aspirin should be avoided because taking it for some forms of flu has nificantly more diverse group of head coaches and athletic direc. tors than exists now. But his point is that something must be tried now. African American$Tave long shown they can star on the playing fields. They deserve the chance to star on the sidelines, tov. As he says, “This is not a prob- lem to be addressed next year. It is a problem for each campus to address now. We've waited far too long.” K vaccination ‘been associated with Reye's Syndrome, a Serious diseases in children that can occur fol- lowing a viral illness and that Causes swelling of the brain. Prescription drugs are avail- able to treat flu; they are most effective if taken within two days of developing symp- toms. Antibiotics are not effective against Viral dis- eases like flu. For information regarding local-area fly vaccinations, contact department or the state Immunization Branch at (919) 733-7752, the . verstated Justice Department for ‘the investigation of Street. This vic- tory by Street solidifies both at your local health © #@#e2ea@ @#2ezezeg. As#SAsa28 ee tf ee eeeserere FRPP CF ES 2 ER 442 eRe nees 2% 4@¢@e@ @#eg¢e a #aeen #8 .£eeaeas €@e 6/6 &@ 888 8 g. © 20 2 ) a ,@e, 2268 ae > 2s ae o # 2 aaa (ae 3 * #2 ao. 8 € Sas eas ea aabebasa 7 ee » SB 8 £ a 2s a * . & * ss @ @€¢€@4@ . r#e@@ @@ae @ @ € feCKRKEE EC e®€ece € «~@e@ ee ee? ~~ © €€ Fe eeee@ ae aw we way eeeeuzeceds SO DIS BLS, +444 2 it ft Ceetce eee «ee ee €¢e € #€ * i * @el se ee 7 2 eae kt we a <6 € Re 4 = le % 2 ote 8 6 ees + % 2 @éé€.. . ee ew a ke ’ November, 2003 _ Pastor's Birthday With A 70'< Thane’ ? le ee ee ae en Pastor James Corbett celebrated his birthday Oct. 29 included an Afro wig, Afro pick, an old bottled Coca-Cola pink record albums. Pastors James and Delores Corbett and their family would like to thank every of WOOW and The Minority Voice Newspaper would like to wish Pastor Corbett many happy returns. Photos By Faith May/Staff Photographer ~~) 1900 South Pitt Street Greenville, NC 27835 ( 252 ) 321-699] Listen to Joy 1340 from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. for The Bev Smith Show. Brought to you by the American Urban Radio Networks, Tlie Bev | Smith Show is the only national talk show tar- geted to a Black audience. Bev goes in deep, | | he tackling top politicians, examiniry health care pe we . issues affecting African-Americans, laug).ny, | ; esinican- Americans, laughing, Hours: crying and sharing joy nightly, Monday Mon-Sat 9 through Friday. The Bev Smith Shew has its on-sat Jam Spm own 800 number allowir.., iisteners to ta!!: Sun Ipm-6pm wet Wo Ow “toll free” to Bev anc her provocative guests. Focus your marketing on Joy 1340 AM. " NJ aa Kea S ow To advertise with “The People’s Station,” 2a}! JOY | 3 40 AM our sales department at 252.757.0365 me oo» ee www eo 8 pre Oe ote. ten eo enammmaie — ne ‘ Page 4 | | | Oo November, 2003 (i NATIONAL 4 and INTERNATIONAL ~ More Blacks are Enrolling in College | SALNOW2 The number of Black students attending college has increased by 56 percent since 1981, but sti}] trails the rate of Whites, a new study says. A report by the‘American Council on Education (ACE) found that although Black enrollment increased to 1.5 million students over that Period, only 40 percent of college-age African-American high school graduates go to college, compared: 2 Th A to 46 percent of Whites. The most dramatic ‘increase in attendance occurred among Black ALSO F EAT URED women..In 1980, only 28 percent of African-American women attended college. Now, that figure a has increased to 42 percent. Meanwhile, the participation rate by Black male high school grad- : i DY BROWN EYE S uates increased at only half the rate of African-American women, from 30 percent to 37 percent. wy ! The ACE study, the annual “Minorities in Higher Education Status Report,” observes that altheugh progress has been made in the percentage of African-Americans now attending col- lege, the participation gap between Blacks and Whites has increased during that period. Black | en are Smoking Less | - The smoking rate for Black men has fallen close to the level of White men for the first time in history, a federal study says. Black women still smoke less than their White counterparts. MELVIN "GUITAR" - _ WILLIAMS - = fo . | UNCF Head to Retire UT RROWN EYES Ns : (Special to the NNPA)-William H. Gray III will retire as president and CEO of the United Negro ALS O FE AT URED College Fund next March after serving 12 years. The Baptist minister and former congressman from Philadelphia raised $1.54 billion for UNCF approximately 70 percent of the $2.2 billion the organization has raised since it was established in 1944, he College Fund/UNFC Serves 39 pri- " VOC AL DON aM vate Black colleges and offers financial assistance to other African-Americans enrolled in high- ; . ereducation. . New Beginning ¢Johnny Boy Next Pope Could Be a Nigerian Lady K "SUPER =~ LAGOS, NIGERIA-IPS/GIN)-Senior Officials in the Nigerian Roman Catholic church say there is a chance that the next pope will be from Nigeria. . When Pope John Paul IT dies, his successor will be selected from a conclave of 135 cardinals, “Nigeria now has two candidates to vote and be voted for the position of pope,” states Rev. JEFF" have, the brighter your chances at the conclave.” The two Nigerian cardinals are Francis “NIGHT OF THE SHOW" Deluxe Rooms Available / Discounted Rate Arinze, who was made cardinal in 1985 and now the fourth-highest Vatican official, and — ¢ | Anthony Okogie, who was appointed a cardinal just three weeks ago. ; Hamilton Inn & Conference Center . The current pope, from Poland, is now 83 years old and is extremely frail. He has to be trans- HWY 11 NORTH e Greenville, NC 27834 Ported in a chair with wheels attached to it, and at one recent public even he was unable to read Advance Tickets $1 3.00 . At the Door $15 00 : his entire speech and an aide had to read for him. Ticket Information: (252) 830-4800 or 75 7.0365 Sudanese-born Doctor Wins “Genius Award” ' WE ACCEPT MASTERCARD o VISA ¢ AMERICAN EXPRESS BOSTON IPS/GIN)-A Sudanese-born doctor has won a $500,000 award for her work with vic- ' tims of female genital mutilation. ‘Open 9am - 5pm | Since 1949 Dr. Nawal M. 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Although the Harvard Medical School grad has lived in the U.S. since 1980, she was born and reared in Sudan. ~ 907 Dickinson Ave. Greenville, NC (252) 787. 3191 Accepted | students & parents want to learn more about financial aid? we can help. bey Some companies offer “free” financial aid presentations and then ask you to pay a fee or buy a product. College Foundation of North Carolina provides all the information you need at no cost! CFNC can help you: “ » Understand the college financial aid process College 7 Foundation of North Carolina » Find information on scholarships and grants » Find low-interest student and parent loans with benefits to save you money » And our services and help are free Helping You Plan, Apply, and Pay for College Visit our website or call our toll-free number today to speak with 4 financial aid specialist. * www.CFNC.org — 866-866-CFNC (toi:-free) Se Habla Espa A service of the State of North Caroling © College Foundation, ine. 2003 { November, 2003 Suejette Jones Thurmond: A Segregationist’s Final Secret The late senator James Strom — , Thurmond, the longest-serving senator in American History, may », be taking a shameful secret to his -, grave, said Diane McWhorter in ~ Slate dot com. It seems that the _ fire-eating Dixiecrat---who spent decades fighting the “mongreli- “zation” of the races----fathered a “ black child out of wedlock. Her ‘name is Essie Mae Washington Williams, a widowed former schoolteacher who lives in Los Angeles. In their 1998 biogra- phy Ol’ Strom, Jack Bass and 1 Marilyn Thompson make a com- -, pelling case that the young ».: Thurmond apparently had an on- - going affair with Essie “Tunch” , Butler, a black house servant. Williams, born in 1925, was the tpn wd Ring result. While governor of South Carolina, Thurmond gave Williams money and frequently visited her at the black South Carolina college “where she was a ‘high yaller’ sorority girl.” Some say this all shows that Thurmond was not “such a racist bastard after all.” On the con- trary: It only underscores the hy- pocrisy that animated his entire - political career. In 1948, Thrumond ran-for presi- dent en a platform that was al- most entirely based on opposition to “race. mixing.” In 1957, he tried to stop the Civil Rights Act with an infamous, 24-hour fili- buster. Like his slave-owning forebearers, in other words, the private Thurmond had sex with the household help, and the pub- lic Thurmond contended that the Negro was unfit for white com- pany. Now that he’s gone, Thurmond is being remembered as an honorable Southern gentle- man who changed with the times. But for most of his life, he fought any social progress by “a race that included members of his own family.” Where’s the honor in that? From: Best Columns: U.S. Note: The book Ol’ Strom was first published * in 1998.. The 2003 edition is available at Barnes and Nobles Of Mother Erther Mat Portenn eevee eeasecesceees! Alga: dly 7, 1936 YT & THE MINORITY VOICE NEWSPAPER Omiya November 1, 2003 Faith May THE CALLING OF A HUSBAND Prior to a son going out on his first date, parents should talk to him about his responsibility to the one who was going out with him. The word, honor should be im- pressed upon him. If he honored his date, he would give her-reason to feel safe and protected by his strength, and he would grow stronger because of her trust. While such honor is founda- tional to the relationship between a man and a woman, God requires more of a husband. Accordirfg to the New Testament letter to the Ephesians, a husband’s distinct role and responsibility is to love his wife the way Christ loves the church. This is how he submits his own will to God-to care for her and to protect her. Christlike love (Eph. 5:25). Paul told husbands to “love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her/” By this clear and direct statement, we learn more of what Jesus taught about leadership. The Lord who sacrificially died for the church gave His disciples a profound pattern for leadership when He said: The king of,the Gentiles lord it over them; and those who exercise authority over them call them- selves Benefactors. But you are not to be like that. Instead, the greatest among you should be like the youngest, and the one who Saturday, November 8, 2003 12:00 Noon Nn Calvary FWB Church 400 Watauga Avenue Greenville, NC 27835 Bishop Henry Brown, Sr., Pastor Officiating Acknowledgments The family of Mother Porteur are deeply grateful to their many friends who by their presence, cards, other messages, and loving care shared with them in the "homegoing" of a great spirit. ¢ Church Loans ¢ Special Rates (Limited _ Time Only) ° New Church Construction rules like the one who serves (Lk. 22:25-26). : : When this principle of servant leadership is applied to the mar- riage relationship, it helps us see that husbands are not called to rule over their wives but to lead by ‘the way they love. And how did Christ love the church? He patiently cared for her-even to the point of dying for her. A man is called to use his strength to provide a safe relation- ship in which a woman will not face the fear of abuse or abandon- ment. As a husband gives his wife reason to feel secure and deeply loved, her true beauty will be enhanced. She will feel more trusting, and they will feel close. Every woman longs to feel nourished and cherished by her man. To nourish means that he provides her with with what she needs to flourish as a woman. He ~ wants her to grow strong, so he feeds her hunger for communica- tion, attention, time, and touch. A husband should take the initia- tive to provide a relational and spiritual greenhouse environment that consistently encourages his wife to engage in acts of love and good deeds (Heb. 10:24)( as she lives out of her call to reflect beauty and tenderness in nurtur- ing relationships. To cherish means that a husband treats his wife in ways that make her feel highly valued and deeply loved. Actions and words that take her best interests and desires into account make a woman feel cherished. Knowing that she’s - not only heard but also listened to communicates to a wife that she’s significant in her man’s life. His appreciative comments not only praise her in private but honor her in public. By taking initiative to courageously draw out her inner feminine beauty, a man provides his wife a taste of the very first marriage. Resource: Discovery Series When The Flame Flickers IN THE MOVIES Vw bh FF ws & Olds Friends Rev. & Mrs. Thigphen and son, Sister Sharon who worked for the Minority Voice Newspaper & WOOW a year ago. She stopped by to pose for our cameras. Rev. Thigphen is an author a new book and the pastor of his own church in Chapel Hill, NC. Photo by Jim Rouse oO” New movie to feature Brother Mark Olds from Snow Hill. Brother Olds stopped by WOOW radio station with a movie producer who will feature Brother Olds in a movie about his life story Photo by Jim Rouse "What You See | " ha No Cot - Prime Plus 2% What You Read What You Know - 1% Origination Fee - 12 Month Term - Easy Inspections and Draws SS SR SS SS STS ewe ee ewe mete eee wey ~ Free Construction Checking Account - Permanent Church and Refinance * If Construction to Permanent, One time Origination-Fee * Prime Plus 1.75% Variable or Fixed of 5.75% with 5 year call 15 year term Millennia The biggest Smules in modern banking Lf" a wey ee ee a I an a Millennia Community Bank 1310 West Arlington Blvd. * P.O. Drawer 30410 » Greenville, NC 27834 Ph: 252-695-0077 »* Fax: 252-754-0735 www.bankmcb.com INSURED A a Sc aaa a. a. Ali: a as. a: Tl . ES SE Oe aoe enepetatp & SLL A EE I A ea cas ae a we we November, 2003 November, 2003" Is this Sad or What Blacks Don’t Read This message was read on A New York radio station, April 30, 2003 (by a Caucasian) “Blacks Don’t Read”, They are sill our slaves. Look at the current methods of contain- ment (control) that they use on themselves: Ignorance, greed, and selfishness. Their ignorance is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, “The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book”, We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of the fight for freedori, yet they | refuse to read. There are numer- ous books readily available at Barnes & Nobles, Black Bookstores (and may | add (our NAACP HONORS BLACK MAYORS. local libraries, whether school or public) that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equity but few consistently, it at all. Greed is another powerful weapon _of_, ‘containment. "Blacks, since the abolition of Slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion, dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total. yearly income (2.22%). Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business ven- ture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primar: ily a consumer people, they function totally on greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or _ investing. They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their. chil- dren to have the latest Tommy or FUBU. They still think that having a Mercedes, and a big. house gives. them “status” or they have achieved the American Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities. “With the help of BET, and the rest of their black media that offen broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see. huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike, They will. continue to show off to each other while we build solid communities with the profit from our businesses that we market from them. Selfishness, ’in- grained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois said that there was an innate division in their culture, a “Talented Tenth” he called it. He was correct in his deduction: that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some “form” of success. However, that. segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn’t read that the “Talented Tenth” was then responsible to aid the Non-Talented ninety percent in achieving a better life.~ instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or-aids them in condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their names without making any real change in their community. They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels, and talk about what they will do, while-they award plaques to the best speakers, not the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM)! They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, in fact, most of those: Buppies are but one or two paychecks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms. Yes, we will Continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want, and keep thinking they are “helping” their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way. don’t worry about any of them reading this letter, remember “THEY DON’T READ!!! Common Bad Habits in the Workplace 1.One is distraction. Making personal calls that drag on too long. 2. Another is excuses. 3.A third is being on time. Arrive at work a half hour early and get all of your social conversations out of the way, getting your coffee poured so that when the workday Starts you are ready. 4. Another bad habit is wasting too much energy on things in the workplace that you cannot control, whether it’s being envious of coworkers or being critical about them. Gossip is a common practice in virtually every work- place there is, and it’s not only self-defeating, it’s a waste of time.: 5. A fifth common bad habit is allowing your personal life to come into the workplace. This happens all the time, and it's potentially very destructive. That's the trouble with bad habits. They spread. They get noticed like the guy who comes to work with two different-colored socks. Bad habits get harder to correct the more entrenched they becothe. Successful people develop good habits. Good habits also are a safeguard against under-achieving. They prevent laziness. They prevent flounderinig. Good habits create Organization and discipline in our lives Lessen the Stress Learn to live simply, focusing on what’s truly important Beatrice Maye 1. Don’t answer the telephone during dinner. 2. Stop trying to please everybody. Start pleasing yourself. 3. Carve out an hour a day for solitude. 4. Set aside one day a week for rest and renewal. 5 .For every “Yes”, let there be a “No”. 6..Don't squander precious re- sources: time, creative energy, emotion. 7, Never make a promise you can’t keep. 8 Allow an extra half-hour for everything you do. 9. Always carry something — interesting to read. 10.Drink pure spring water - lots of it. ° 11. Always opt for comfort. 12.. Exchange -security for se- renity. 13 .Luxuriate in your senses. 14. If you don’t love it, live without it. 15. Let Mother Nature nurture. 16. Go to bed at 9 o'clock twice a week. 17 .Move - walk, dance. run. find a sport you enjoy. 18. Begin and end the day with prayer, meditation, reflection. 19. Strive for realistic dead- lines. 20. Approach problems as chal- lenges. 21 .Nurture friendships. 22 .Honor your aspirations. 23. Savor beauty. 24 ‘Don’t be afraid of your passion. 25. Search for your authentic self until you find her/him. a) The Pitt County Chapter of the NAACE President Calvin Henderson host: the state convention that honored Black Mayors. Hats off to President Henderson and the great. accomplishments of the NAACP | . oe - ! ) want to learn more about financial aid? Photo by Jim Rouse we can help. Some companies offer “free” College Foundation of North Carolina provides all the information you need at no cost! CFNC can help you: Understand the college financial aid process Find information on scholarships and grants Find low-interest student and parent loans with benefits to save you money And our services and help are free Visit our website or call our toll-free number today to speak with a financial aid specialist. financial aid presentations and then ask you to pay a fee or buy a product. a | www.CFNC.org 866-866- CFNC (toll-free) College 7. Foundation of North Carolina Helping You Plan, Apply, and Pay for College ping ppl \ iu Se Habla Espatiol Venwe of the State of North Carolina © College Foundatian. Ine 2004 ~ C ongratul ljons: ations To Bishi | ish of Mt. C alvery ¥ oer \» Page 8 ry Brown i Beef... B Cont. fi ‘ont pg Perhaps what is so disturbing in the eyes of many hip-hop observers and fans is how eerily similar this is to the circumstances that led to _the murders of Biggie and Tupac. During his conversation with Ja Rule. ‘Farrakhan made that connection crystal clear. “Your disagreement with 50 [Cent] and his disagreement with you could ignite something that has the potential of becoming so violent _‘that even hip-hop itself seems threatened by ‘two giants going at each other, not Just in lyr- .ics, not just in words, but it’s coming down ‘now to should one or both end up like Tupac and Biggie?” - Unfortunately, in 1996, just before ‘Tupac Shakur was murdered, there was talk of ‘bringing Farrakhan in to negotiate a truce be- ‘tween Tupac and Biggie, but tragically the ef- ‘fort was so late. , Ow, In a very purposeful twist of sfate, the leader of the Nation of Islam has in- serted himself directly between 50 Cent and Ja ‘Rule before more blood is shed. And hip-hop hopes this time it’s not p JaCKSON y TROUBLES Jacko Lawyer on Case for ~ Months Thursday, November 20, 2003 By Roger Friedman ‘too late. Forget all these stories that Mark Geragos was hired to represent | Michael Jackson just yesterday. Or the day before. Were we all ‘born yesterday? Geragos has been on the case since last March. That’s right. Jackson has known for most of the year, even if he didn’t want to acknowledge it, that trouble was brewing at Neverland. The child Mark A. Ward Attorney at Law BOARD CERTIFIED SPECIALIST IN STATE CRIMINAL LAW 105 Commerce Street. Greenville. NC 27858 Office (252) 752-7529 — Cell (252) 347-1175 Fax (252) 752-8556 E-mail mward@ mark-ward.com Website wwu.imark-ward.com James R. “Jimmy” Streeter LAW OFFICEOF Taw \ttornes \tl alWw PO Box 30927 Office: 252.327.4698 Greenville, NC 27833-0927 Heme: 252.353.2307 Ian: 252.353.0061] Iematk jimmy zstrecter@ yahoo.com Office: (252) 752-4538 Fax: (252) 758-8392 Res: (252) 758-8392 NORTH CAROLINA MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY — JOYCE HUNTER Sales Representative \ 1209 W. 14th Street, Greenville East District Greenville, North Carolina 27834 Hlby; BerkerShop B& Omar Jurnaye UN bths Bethe 1005 A. . Hamilton SI. Children Is There Concern |! Pg 9 These lovely ladies are Board Members of the Outdoor Festaval, that took place last Saturday at the West Greenville Regional Development Center located at Tom Foreman Park. Shown above(pictured from left to right) Miss Minnie Chairwoman of the event, Sister Mary Williams, and Greenville City Councilwoman Rose Glover. Photo by Jim Rouse Who is now the subject of this | tholestation allegation began to raise questions about their relationship late last winter. Jackson -- who is not completely out of touch with reality -- responded by bringing in an expert | defender. Jackson’s camp, | am told, is more | than, ready to do battle with his ' accuser and his family. | am told that | the mother of the child involved will “f" ' be held up to severe scrutiny. In fact, Jackson’s side will likely argue that when he tried to break off his involvement with helping the boy and his family financially, the mother became, and I am quoting a Jackson insider, “a scorned woman.” “She’s very screwed up,” said one source. “There’s videotape of her acting weird, too. And Michael was yery kind to her, even getting an apartment for her boyfriend.” But the argument will be that when this woman, who is financially so. dependent that she claimed to have lived in a barn, was told by Jackson’s people that the party was over, she tan to a lawyer to see what she could get out of it. Remember, everyone in this country ls guaranteed a defense, even if you don't agree with it. But as I wrote in this space yester- day, a lot of the evidence in the Jackson case will come down to videotape. There is lots of it, too, some of which may show the boy and his family singing the praises of FOOTWEAR CAROLINA EAST MALL GREENVILLE,NC *Full and Half Soles “Heel Replacement* “a sae acca Open Mon - Sat 10AM< SPM elephone 252-756- Let Us Ride You In Style, Comfort & Class _GRANELLE'S _ imousine Service a Fully Equipped Luxury SUPER STRETCH 792-8989 4230 NC NW Jackson, defending and explaining his odd lifestyle. If so, they will be hard-pressed to explain their own havior now. For example: In one interview last winter, the mother of the boy told a reporter: "Michael has et names for all of my children, and on of then] even calls him Daddy. Te is the father they never had." She said all her children were “hoping to spend a lot more time with him in the future." The sudden change in Jackson's schedule, by the way, throws a monkey wrench into his promotional lans for his new greatest hits album. ichael and his entourage were three days away from leaving for Paris and Berlin, ee enthusiastic fans would have greeted him. Here in the U.S., the album has so far not made any of the early top 10 of the week lists at major retailers like Tower, Virgin or HMV. And here’s one big P.S. for all you Jackson watchers: Steer clear of on-camera commentators who are hustling their own gig on Jacko’s back. I am talking about folks like Shmuley Boteach, Uri Geller and Brian Oxman, all of whom are quick to quip when the red light goes On, but know nothing about the case, ‘Jackson or his alleged victitn, “Help Save Lives With CPR” | Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Certification & Recertification 332 Farmingwood Road Greenville, NC 27858 Tel: 252 757-3571 Cp: 252 916-2210 Charlotte Pitt BLS-Basic Life Support Instructor A EERE EN | MLS 9 To buy, Call the D. D. Garrett Agency. rent, or sell real estate, "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, | fha fiancing. Consultant ------- F Notary Public a say 606 Albemarle Avenue Greenville, NC 27834 (252) 757-1692 or (252) 757-] 162 Fax number: (252) 757-0018 (A Taste of Heaven! Christian Bookstore and Music Gallery Hours: MonsFhurs 10:30am - 7pm Fri-Sat 10:30am-7pm Sunday 1-Spm email:atoh2021@hotmail,com my Viw A* sits 3400 S. GREENVILLE, AC 27835 PH (252) 321-2021 A Wide Variety Of Music And Biblical Supplies MEMORIAL ORIVE Carolina East Center (across from Ryan's Steakhouse) 3400 Memorial Drive, Greenville. NC (252) 321-2021 c November, 2003 — TIDBITS: NAACP hosts financial planning workshop The NAACP is inviting everyone to a free financial aos Beak the workshop, sponsored by 0 Hiacaneig is designed to help individ- uals and families save for the future. The Seminar will be on Wed., Dec. 3, 2003 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Community Foundation of Greater Memphis, 1900 Union Ave. Seminar topics include investing €ven small amounts of money, estab- lishing financial goals, saving” for college, and other investment topics. Investment products offered by Bank of America Investment Ser- vices, Inc. are not FDIC insured, may lose value and are not bank guaranteed. . For registration information, call the Memphis Branch NAACP at (901) 526-4663. Time Warner to launch new business service | Time Warner Cable and Road Run- ner Business Class are the exclusive broadband internet sponsors for Memphis ITEC. Memtphis ITEC,.a series leader of business-to-business IT events, is set to be previewed Nov. 19-20 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Road Runner Business Class will Showcase broadband internet con- neetivity for small to enterprise busi- nesses and introduce what’s new to Road Runner Business Class includ- ing dedicated fiber connectivity, point-to-multipoint and branch of- ficeAeleworker aggregation, remote storage, managed security and -virtu- al private networking, commercial dial access and hospitality broad- band solutions. . Road Runner Business Class was specifically developed by Time Warner Cable for commercial cus- tomers in vertical markets such as medical, financial, law, advertising, legal, architectural, real estate and all other commercial organizations looking to increase efficiencies for business owners and employees. Black FedExForum contracts at 18.6 % According to figures released by the New Memphis Arena Public Building Authority, as of Nov. 7, 2003 overall contracts awarded for the . FedExForum project _ total $142,356,170. Of that amount, $118,284,913 has been awarded for construction contracts. In addition to construction costs, the “overall con- tracts” category include architectur- al, legal, accounting and a variety of other administrative or “soft costs”. Overall contracts held by minorities and women-owned businesses for the FedExForum basketball arena con- tract totaled $37,490,604 or 26.3 per- cent of the total contracts awarded. Of that amount, $32,674,392 or 27.6 per- cent of the total construction contracts have been awarded to minority and women-owned businesses. African American-owned compa- nies have received $26,466,776 or 18.6 percent of the overall contract amount and $2] 879,690 or 18.5 per- cent of the total construction con- tract amount awarded. Local construction companies have been awarded 67.5 percent of the Construction contracts and 65.2 per- cent of the overall project contracts awarded. ) Weekly effective formula rate of interest Chapter 464, Public Acts of 1963, the legislation regulating interest rates in Tennessee, requires that the Commissioner of Financial Institu- tions make an announcement weekly of the formula rate of interest. Tennessee Department of Financial Institutions Commissioner Kevin P. Lavender announces that the maximum effective formula rate of interest in Ten- nessee is 8.00 t per annum. The rate is based on a ceiling of 4 Percent over the weekly average prime loan rate of 4,00 percent as published by the Federal Reserve on Nov. 10, 2003. Lavender said the rate remains in effect until the average prime loan rate as announced by the Federal Re- serve Bank changes. The ‘Big One’ is back at the fairgrounds The Memphis Flea Market, the “Big One” will be at the Mid-South Fairgrounds on Sat., Nov. 15 & Sun., Nov. 16, 2003 in all four buildings plus outside. Approximately, 800-1 000 vendors from all over the region will sell such items as Elvis memorabilia, an- tiques, collectibles, computers, sil- ver and gold jewelry, crafts, leather oods, framed prints and clothing. Those wanting to browse or s will also find NASCAR items, furni- ture, wicker, T-shirts, candles, rugs, pet supplies, sewing machines, floral arrangements, shoes, cell phone ac- cessories, dolls and toys. Accordin to spokespersons for the “Big One”, there's something for everyone. The Mid-South Fairgrounds is lo- E " the third weekend of er The Black €o Read The Minority Voice Newspaper wa gh he natal eg cated on Central Ave. at Parkway. Parking is $2 per car, admission is free. The “Big One’ is open Sat. and Sun. from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Memphis Flea Market is held twice in December. There are two “Big One’ flea market sales following this one in December: the “Big One Christmas Show” (in all four build- ings plus outside) Dec. 6 and 7 and the “Big One” Dec. 20 and 21, 2003. U of M Engineeri Open Howse The Herff College of Engineering is ~ hosting an open house at the Universi- ty of Memphis on Fri., Nov. 21, 2003 from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. on the U of M ° campus. The engineering building is located at 3795 Central Ave. near the Zach Curlin intersection, Persons in attendance will. be af- forded the opportunity of being in the cockpit of a U.S. Navy Blue Angels F/A-18 Hornet. The event is free. The simulator offers realistic, su- personic flight and cutting-edge en- tertainment technology. Rides pro- vide a pilot's perspective, with all the sights, sounds, and experiences of up-close flying. The 65-foot, 000-pound vehicle carries a cus- tom-built, 15-seat motion pod with State-of-the-art digital projection and audio systems. : In addition to the flight simulator, visitors can learn more about the im- pact that engineers have on society and about research being conducted at the Herff College. Tours may be arranged for groups. Faculty, staff and current students will be on hand to answer questions and discuss spe- cific engineering programs. . Hilton Hotels sponsors JA Bowl-A-Thon For the eighth consecutive year, Hilton Hotels Corporation is serving as the title sponsor for Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South’s (JA) annual “Bowlin’ on the River” Bowl-A-Thon. The 2004 event will take place Feb. 21-22 and Feb. 28-29, 2004 at area bowling centers. JA’s largest fund-raiser, Bowl-A-Thon proceeds help support programs, activities and in-school classes dedicated to edu- cating more than 50,000 young peo- ple about business, economics and free enterprise in grades K-12. James E. Holthouser, senior vice president, brand management, Hilton Hotels Corporation will chair this year's event. As chairman, Holthouser will lead efforts to attract new busi- Ness participants to Bowl-A-Thon. anizations seeking more infor- mation or wanting to bowl should call Junior Achievement at (901) 366- 7800 or visit www, jamemphis.org. Junior Achievement of Memphis and the Mid-South is part of the world’s largest organizations dedi- cated to educating young people about business, economics and free enterprise. Charming Shoppes, Inc. donates coats Oakhaven Elementary School stu- dents will receive an unexpected gift that is sure to make their holiday sea- son warmer. Charming Shoppes, Inc. will donate 850 coats to students at the school on Wed., Nov. 12 from 8:30 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Oakhaven Elementary is located on 3795 Bishops Bridge. “The excitement for this day has been building since the announce- ment was made that we had been se- lected to participate in this wonder- ful event,” said Evelyn Willis, prin- cipal. “We can’t wait to see the faces of our students, some of whom have never owned a new coat of their own,” she said. The donation is part of Charming Shoppes, Inc.'s Keeping Kids Warm program. Charming Shoppes, Inc. op- trates more than 2,300 retail special- ty stores in 48 states under the names Fashion Bag, Fashion Bag Plus, Lane Bryant and Catherine's Plus Sizes. Crye-Leike publishes home buyer’s guide Crye-Leike, the nation’s 10th largest real estate company, recently launched its new Buyer's Guide to Premier Homes, a monthiy publica- tion showcasing 90 of Crye-Leike’'s most prestigious residential proper- ties for sale within Crye-Leike’s four principal market areas: West Ten- nessee, Middle Tennessee, South- eastern Tennessee and Arkansas. The guide features houses with an sales price exceeding and is being distributed monthly by direct mail to more than 50,000 homeowners who reside in 49 zip code areas within West and Mid- dle Tennessee. Recipients are princi- pal residents over the age of 35 whc currently own their own homes and have a total household income equal Q or greater than $150,000 per year. Another 25,000 distribution to South- eastern Tennessee and Arkansas is planned to be added in the first quar- ter of the new year. The company has trained more than 450 sales associates in the past three years on marketing premier Properties valued at $400,000 or more through its Crye-Leike Premier ies Division. munity Blackonomics: The B by James Clingman - Special to the Tri-State Defender. Kudos to Sister Jennifer Parker and. of course, her excellent support staff of volunteers, one ° ferences I have ever attended — and | have attended quite a few. Jennifer is the brainchild of The Black‘ Capijtal Network (www.theben.com) and has diligently labored to bring her vision of economic prosperity for African- Americans to fruition. She “stayed the course,” as George Fraser would Say, and presented their second: annual Black Capital Network conference. She and her husband, Mel, held on to ‘their commitment, continued to make the sacrifices necessary to accomplish their goals, and they ) standing event to the people of Buffa- lo. New York, on November 1, 2003. I had the ‘honor and Pleasure to conduct a Blackonomics workshop during the conference. but my ex- citement is grounded in three other aspects of the BCN: I was thrilled to See the turnout of Participants; | was impressed at the variety of vendors and, not only their willing to support _ the BCN but also their reciprocal” commitment to recycling Black dol- lars; and | was especially pleased with the Outstanding speakers Jen- nifer brought to the conference. Being in the company once ‘again of Brooke Stephens, financial author (Wealth Happens One Day at a Time) and lecturer, listening to Brother Melvin Gravely, entrepre- neur, author (When Black and White Make Green). and lecturer, hearing real solutions for accessing capital, seeing the New York activist and legend, Dorothy Pittman Hughes, (Wake Up and Smell the Dollars —Whose Inner City is it Anyway?) in person, and just being in close prox- imity to so many accomplished en- trepreneurs and fantastic brothers and sisters was, indeed, a privilege and an honor for me. Then there was Simon T. Bailey. The author of Simon Says. .. Dream — Livea Passionate Life, Bailey took the confer- ence by storm, or should | say a “Whirl- wind”? This brother delivered one of the best speeches I have ever heard. If ‘yams, common sense, you have not heard Simon or read his work, somewhere down the line there is _ _ a treat waiting for you; sooner or later you will come in contact with this brother, who is one of the nation’s most sought-after speakers. Weaving metaphors, life-lessons, homespun metaphysics, and stark realities into a tapestry of pos. itive, results-oriented, and very practi- cal strategies for success, Simon T. Bai- ley was a joy to behold. . All inall, the Black Capital Network was a veritable potpourri of excel- lence, comprising local business own- ers and corporate representatives with national authors and entrepreneurs. Now what is the bottom line of all of this? Meetings and conferences are held by and for Black people in this country Virtually every week. But. as | told my audience. it's not just the meeting that's important. it’s what happens after the Meeting. My challenge is always cen- tered on the “doing.” the Positive action that emanates as a result of the many Meetings we have. As for as economic empowerment conferences are con- cemed. it's. one thing to practice it during the conference, at the vending tables. in the workshops. and during the book Signings, but it’s a different thing to leave. Page 10 lack Capital Network the venue and really get involved in day- to-day economic empowerment. It’s an- ~ other thi to make it a habit to support Black owned buses inesses, to grow and _ expand our bysinesses via strategic part- ; ; hi ; ative “ | ‘ing, and D ‘Mergers. In other words, it’s one thing # talk aboitt it and another thing to do it ‘ (Clingman,'an adjunct professor at. ‘the University of Cincinnati's African-American Studies depart- “ment, is former editor of the Cincin- nati Herald Newspaper and founder of the Greater Cincinnati African ‘American Chamber of Commerce) ' brought an out- your home Many of us-will at some time find |: Ourselves motivated to sell our | home. Sometimes the decision to f- do is simply a part of our longterm J plan. At other times it may be a de- | cision that comes about because of f circumstances beyond our control. Regardless of what the reason, selling a home requires that we em- ploy the same planning, and care we exercised when the home was tion when we purchased the home must be considered when the home is to be sold. Of course, the primary considera- tion will probably be is “how much can the house sell for?” If you will notice, | am no longer referring to anyone else. By Dr. Reginald M. Peyton purchased initially. In fact, many of F- the things we took into considera- the house as your “home.” The reason is that if you continue to view it as such, you will likely have great difficulty in being comfortable with a realistic selling Price. Our home is worth more to us than it will be to Aside from that, you as a seller will want to be sure you put the house in the best shape possible. be sure to make needed repairs. A new and free of rubbish, debris and un- . ‘sightly growth. “your roof 4 you might be willing to leave with ' - drapes and other window treatment — equal, it all boils down to Price. and a willing seller and a willing buyer can usually come to agreement (Dr. Peyton is owner and founder of one of Mem- Phis* most successful real estate firms, The Peyton Co. Inc., Realtors and a professrin the Business School at Christian Brothers University.) Paint coat both inside and out is a must. Be sure the grounds are neat ° § expensive as it might be, if . needs repair or replace-_ ment don’t hesitate to do so. Most lenders will require it anyway. Be- | sides that, it’s better to do this be- ; fore potential buyers see the house . than after. Decide what items or appliances — the house as an added incentive to | buyers particularly first-time buy- ers. If you think you'd prefer a new ' or ‘different refrigerator and range — in your new home by all means let your agent know that you're will- ” ing to let your old ones stay with — the house. You can also leave your — they probably won’t fit at your © new home anyway. ‘Most important! Get an appraisal. ven if it’s an informal one. An Overpriced house won't sell! In ad- dition, the longer a house stays on the market the more people will be- lieve something is wrong with it. Finally, be willing to negotiate. Remember, all other things being The Minority Voice Newspaper Wishes Everyone A Ver Thanksgiving More Blacks Are Enrolling In College The number of black students attending college has increased by 56 Percent since 1981, but still trails the rate of whites, a new study says. A report by the American Council on Education (ACE) found that although black enrollment increased to 1.5 million students over that period, only 40 percent of college-age African American high school graduates go to college, compared to 46 percent of whites. The most dramatic increase in attendance occurred among black women. In 1980, only 28 percent of African American women attended college. Now, that figure has increased to 42 percent. Meanwhile, the participation rate by black male high school graduates increased at only half the rate of African American women, from 30 percent to 37 percent. The ACE Study, the annual “Minorities in Higher Education Status Report,” observes that although progress has been made in the percentage of African Black Men Are Smoking Less The smoking rate for black men has fallen close to the level of white men for the first time in history, a federal study says. Black women stil smoke less than their white counterparts The Centers for Disease Contro| and Prevention in Atlanta reports that 27.7 percent of African American men smoked in 2001, compared to 25.4 percent of white men, A decade earlier, the black male rate was 35 Percent and the rate for white men Was 27 percent, . In 2001, less than 18 percent of women ican men and women had a Smoking rate above 30 percent, which Happy H4 ryhead y rf Hard workers are part of our electric CO-op. Work doesn’t seem to fit into North Carolina's electric cooperatives to ee ——— Touchstone Energy’ ———___ eee a 40-hour week any longer, That's why you can count on us 24/7, for all kinds of powerful connections. . November, 2003: Che Mri Doe fi L cUSpOe Ves Yo apy Chars Letter to the Editor Dear Editor, . Asa student and now gradu- ate student of the university, ' T think it would behoove our administration to bring in people ‘who embody characteristics that | the university holds dear. In short, we need good ol’ ‘honest people, who like to call a ‘spade a spade, and do not muid .doing things by the book-the ‘Good Book or answering to some- one else about their decisions. Our university is’ sorely in need of a purification, and unfortunately if our top level of administration has suffered such catastrophic events, surely this is only the obvious macro- cosm of the numerous hidden microcosms occurring in other ‘departments. The corruption that we have ‘seen in the head of our univer- ‘Sity is only indicative of deficien- ;cies within the systems of our ‘body. In a few short months ‘we said goodbye to our athletic ‘director, and reassigned our ‘chancellor, and provost. | I hope that much time, effort, and money if necessary ‘has been allotted to delve fur- ‘ther into the chain of events ‘that caused these necessary ‘transitions to take place. | have ‘always been taught that the best ‘way Not to repeat a mistake is to ‘learn from the last one. I pray that this is the aim of -your search committee. In a world that is bent on ‘microwaveable success, it would ‘be helpful to us as a university ‘to remember the qualities that made ECU special in thg first place. We must stop the cosmetic Surgery on our university to look more like our other state institutions and recognize the value in our own backyard. We as students are unique. Our faculty and staff our unique and we need an administration that can recognize and foster this uniqueness. I believe the best way to fill the voids left in our administra- tion is to recruit people who do not wave diversity flags only in the front of video cameras, microphones, and picture day. We must seriously take into consideration the role of women and minorities in the future of ECU, and create an environment of exchange that is welcoming and wholesome to the university at large. The 21st century is blending rapidly into shades of brown, yellow, and white, and our uni- versity must take huge strides to make up for lost ground. There is still a pulse of excellence reverberating throughout our university, but in order to hear it, | suggest we stop looking to outsiders, and listen to those within. Our new ECU brochures and literature boast the new university slogan, “Tomorrow Starts Here”. Indeed it does. Let us keep this at the forefront of our minds in choosing our new chancellor and adminis- tration. Danielle D. Melvin ECU Student Letter to the Dear Fuitor, lam writing to tell the Students of ECU that Mrs. Nel] Lewis is probably not returning to the Ledonia Wright Cultural Center as its Director, because she has become the victim of what we in the African Ameri- , can community call the “Crab effect.” This is the act of another African Ameri- can holding a fellow African American down to keep their ,position. I speak harshly, because 41am a student who is fed up With the lies that the Office of ‘Student Life, mainly its leader ‘the Vice Chancellor has given for the removal of Mrs. Lewis Jrom the Cultural Center. ~ Mrs. Lewis’ only fault may “have been to do more than what her job required her to do; to excel and transform the Cultural Center into a’ Mecca for diversity, even when her job description did not call for it. Dr. Garrie Moore person- ally told me that he spoke up for Mrs. Lewis when she was removed from her job. So now that he is in position fo put her back, why won’t he do so? . He will not do so, because he is probably responsible for her remoyal himself. You —— Editor ay ; wee see people like him do not like people like Mrs. Lewis because they perform higher than their job calls for, in turn overshadowing their boss. As an African American male, | am also ashamed of the lack of support Mrs. Lewis received from her fellow faculty and staff members of color, they were sO scared of the backlash they were-going to get from “Master,” they went back to the work in the fields as if nothing happened. This is the kind of Black “folk” that hurt our community the most, They are the ones that wanted to stay in slavery or wanted to keep sitting on the back of the bus. Thank God for Martin Luther King, Fredrick Douglas and thank God for Mrs. Nell Lewis. If it was not for Mrs. Lewis, | would not be the man that | am and the outspoken Congressman | shall be. It is my sincerest hope that when I am ina posi- tion to uplift people that do g00d job like Mrs. Lewis | ~ will do so. Dennis Mitchell ECU Student 2 Phone: Careenville Fin 3LOL SS, x Inc. 257-493-0110 FAX: 252-193-0115 Cia) Greenville Financial Services LOANS mera. AUTOMOTIVE PERSONAL PAYCHECK HECK CASHING SERVICES « Acknowledgments We, the family wish to ex- press our ___ sincere appreciation to all who were So kind during the passing of our loved ones. Without your individual and corporate acts of love toward us shown in nu-| merous ways, we could not have endured this mo- ment of intense bereave- ment. With God's help, we ask your continued prayers and may God con- tinue to bless us all. The Bullock & Chadwick Families BY CHARLES WALKER SR. In Augusta, Georgia , the African American communi- ty has been violated. Our civil liberties were trampled, our freedom of speech threat- ened. ' How else can one describe an FBI raid into a Black news. paper office? Wielding guns and wearing bulletproof vests, agents stormed the offices of the Augusta Focus, where the only weapons bran- dished by the workers were pens and notebooks. Of course, the media was tipped off to the events on August 18th, so the escapade was filmed for the nightly news, just as if it were another episode of COPs. But this was not a made for TV movie. Sadly, this is America in the year 2003. Suddenly, we are a changed _ Society. Freedom is in retreat. The Patriot Act has estab- lished an atmosphere in discarding | Constitutional rights. J. Edgar Hoover meet John Ashcroft; and in Georgia, meet Richard Thompson, the staunch Republican, Savannah-based US Attorney, who has quickly built a reputation for what appear to be politically moti- vated investigations of Democrats. These so-called authorities are a threat to the treasured American way of life. At the core of our judicial Process is fairness. That's what separates our democra- ancial Services, Memorial Drive Greenville, N.C. 27834 ae Fat of the land @ George Daniels, a 400-pound, 61 -year- old man, told the manager of a trailer park in Pasco County who found him that he had been trapped in his mobile home for two days after falling through the floor. Eight rescue workers were needed to lift him out - of the hole and onto a stretcher. Neighbor Warren Conklin, 80, said he’d checked on Daniels earlier that day. “I didn’t know he was stuck in there. It looked like he was Just sitting there,” he recalled, saying that fie asked Daniels if: he needed help. “He. said, ‘No, no, I'll get up myself.’ ’ @ The rising number of obese patients has prompted the makers of medical equip- ment to reinforce stretchers to carry the ad- ditional weight, adding thicker aluminum frames, bulkier connectors and extra spine supports. The Associated Press reported that the new stretchers could handle 650 pounds instead of the standard 350 to 500 pounds. Ambulance crews are switching to the heavy-duty models to avoid injuries to themselves and patients. Southwest Ambu- lance, which serves Phoenix and Tucson, Ariz., has also added wider ambulances that have special hydraulic lifts and shock ab- sorbers specifically to carry the obese. Foiled again When someone robbed an 88-year-old man of 18,000 pennies and a few hundred quarters in Elkhart, Ind., Detective Fred Mock headed for the nearest grocery store, where he found David Headrick, 19, dump- ing the change into a coin-counting ma- chine. “I got to thinking, ‘If I was a person who did this, I’d want to convert this to currency as quickly as possible,’ ” Mock said after he'd arrested the suspect. Way to go After a 20-year-old man jumped out of a car going 40 mph and died, authorities in Jefferson County, Colo., reported that friends told them he had heen saying for the past month “that he needed to jump froma moving car so he could have a traumatic in- cident in his life so he could get a tattoo.’ r cy from the oppressive regimes abroad. There is . nothing fair, however, about what Mr. Thompson has done. In the aftermath of the raid on a newspaper office, neither Mr. Thompson nor the FBI have given the slightest hint as to why they raided the Augusta Focus. What federal crime are they investigating? They never answered that question. Without answers from the authorities, it leaves us to Piece the puzzle together. All which federal authorities are- Focus raid as another “seg- ment in Mr. Thompson’s effort to ruin my political career and discredit my busi- nesses. Over the course of the last 18 months, Mr. Thompson has been on a mis- sion to seek and destroy, and I have been the target, with my family and business associ- -ates. I was also the first vic- tim. For 20 years, I served as a State Senator, including six years as the Majority Leader : of the Senate, one of the most influential public Officials in the state. Asa public servant, I brought jobs and economic development to Augusta. Last year, after Mr. Thompson’s high profile, no-results inves. tigation began, I was defeated in my re-election bid by 236 votes. Needless to say, I’m used to political fights, and will likely run for office again. Mr. Thompson, howev- er, has elevated the partisan battleground to a dangerous level. Our justice System is not a political toy. But he made it one. During an 18-month inves- tigation, which has yielded no hint of an allegea crime or even a charge, Mr. Thompson has harassed my family and customers, Authorities have arrived at my children’s offices, demanding personal records, such as pay stubs. He has subpoenaed m re than 300 of my advertisers, clients and business associates. This behavior is not isolated. Other prominent Democrats, such as former Gov, Roy Barnes, House Speaker Terry Coleman and State Sen. Van Streats suffered similar harassment. This time, however, he has miscalculated. The raid on the Augusta Focus is as much an attack on this community, as it is on my business, And, it is an attack on the Fourth Estate. The media’s role in our society is that of an inde- pendent voice; Mr Thompson crossed the line with his boor- ish act of intimidation. At home, our community is Sith Page 11 FBI raid on black newspaper raises freedom of speech questions newspaper as a rallying cry., Our Constitution guarantees freedom of speech. Just as we _Marched together for the right to vote four decades ago, the Black community is com. ing together to send a power- ful message back to Mr Thompson. “Our community will not stand around and allow our rights to be trampled upon for Partisan _ politics,” _ said Quincy Robinson, a retired college educator. “The Augusta Focus is the informa- tion provider for our commu- nity. Mr. Thompson _ is attempting to silence our newspaper. The community won't let him. We stand as one in support of Mr Walker and our newspaper.” Rev. Leonard Smalls, a political _activist from Savannah agreed, saying, “The US Attorney is abusing his power and discrediting his office. There is no expla- nation that can justify why the FBI raided a newspaper Office. This is a blemish on our Justice System, and a scar on our society. Mr. Thompson should be repri- manded by his superiors in Washington.” Moreover, our journalism brethren are asking, how can this be? There would be an outcry if the FBI raided the New York Times or Washington Post? The Fourth Estate will also demand that Mr. Thompson answer for his actions. We will shine a spotlight on Augusta, Georgia. Our com- munity will send a message that reverberates all the way back to Mr. Ashcroft’s Justice Department in Washington, and up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House. Our rights will not be trampled; our voices will be heard. The Augusta Focus wil] publish. (Charles Walker Sr. is pub- lisher of the Augusta Focus and a former State Senator) Seas d otha VlOU in Fathers and daughters are part of our electric co-op. Whether the day is beginning or drawing to We're there with the powe North Carolina's electric cooperatives omit. — Touchstone Energy’ a close, our story is the same. r you need. The end. anh November, 2003 Page 12 Devastating effects of Jim Crow continu ¥ . | he effects of an abusive and degrad- ing system of legal segregation and Jim Crowism were devastating. In many situations those effects, both socio- economic and emo- tional, remain until ; ® this day. For those Arthur L. Webb = who never experi- enced that system first hand, one has only to take a look at the current mind set of some Black citizens in Richmond, Va. to gain an appreciation of such a system's long-term negative effects. Richmond has a population that is 60 percent Black, yet some of that city’s Black residents appear to think that if a White mayor were to be elected there rather than appointed by the City Council, adequate and proper representation of their interest would be diminished. What prompted this current concern was a referendum on last Tuesday's ballot to have Richmond's mayor chosen in a city- wide election. Currently, Richmond oper- ates under a city council/city manager sys- tem of government. Under such a system, the city council is the elected body that handles the legislative affairs of a city. To handle the day-to-day operations, the coun- cil hires a city manager. Some Blacks in Richmond including the _ Virginia NAACP chapter claim such a change would violate the 1965 Voting Rights Act that helped Blacks get political representation. Two things are disturbing about this type of concern. The first is that Blacks in Rich- mond feel in the year 2000 that the only way to receive parity from elected officials is that those officials must be Black. The second disturbing thing is that if the elected official(s) must be Black why, with a 60 percent population majority, are Rich- mond’s Blacks afraid a Black mayor might not be elected. One answer could be that Richmond’s NAACP doesn’t believe its Black elec- torate will respond positively to a quali- | fied Black candidate. This in itself should be taken by the Black population of that city as an insult. Reports say they Why Gary Coleman isn’t governor Tall people are paid about $789 an inch more than shorter co-workers, according to a study by college professors Timothy Judge and Daniel Cable. who analyzed four large- scale British and American studies detailing the working and personal lives of thousands of participants from childhood to adulthood. “These findings are troubling in that, with a few exceptions such as professional basket- ball, no one could argue that height is an es- sential ability required for job performance nor a bona fide occupational qualification,” said Judge, a University of Florida manage- ment professor who noted that over a 30- year Career, “we're talking about literally hundreds of thousands of dollars of earning advantage that a tall person enjoys. é to linger (the NAACP) fear a well financed White candidate would likely win a mayoral election. ; Above all, however, the mind set seen here could easily be viewed as bigotry by Blacks in Richmond that parallels the kind of bigotry we fought so hard to eliminate. On the other hand, the treatment of Blacks by White politicians in the past could very well have been so devastating that modern- day Blacks would rather be labeled bigots themselves than tb take a chance on being subjected to discrimination similar to that experienced in the past. There are both advantages and disadvan- tages to having a-City Manager appointed by a city council versus an elected mayor. Generally, city managers are chosen based on their professional qualifications and ex- perience. The areas of governmental man- agement and financial management are two categories of expertise that quickly come tc mind relative to those qualifications and ex perience. On the other hand, the presence o an elected mayor brings a check and bal- ance factor to the governing table that is at sent in the case of an appointed city manag er who operates at the pleasure of the body | that hired him or her. In any event, the best way to guard against someone assuming office (includin; city council members) not inclined to act ir the best interest of a significant population segment is to defeat that candidate at the polls. No inferior candidate, regardless of how well-heeled he or she might be, can reasonably expect success against a good candidate whose appeal is to an educated and informed electorate. What the NAACP in Richmond would d: well to initiate is an ongoing voter educa- tion program that is issue oriented and in- clusive of instruction on how government works, how to make government work for citizens and what it can and cannot do. Th not only should but must out of necessity be combined with an ongoing voter regis- tration program. By doing so, the citizens of Richmond — all of them, both Black and White — will be much better served. (Noted for his perceptive commentary, Webb is a journalist and internationally recognized scholar and lecturer on the sub- ject of American and African American his- tory and socio-economic affairs.) Week’s inevitability A German evangelical charity opened Eu- rope’s first school to treat teenagers who are addicted to television and computers. “We had one girl here who arrived weighing 130 kilograms [286 pounds] and had never had a single friend in her life,” said Ute Gar- new, director of Boltenhagen summer camp on the Baltic coast. “Here, she lost a lot of weight and made three new friends.” Gar- new noted demand for the 60 places in the 28-day sessions has been so high since the government-funded, charity-run camp opened in February that parents “really have to fight to get a place.” Kead |! ‘The Newspaper Publisher's Association's study revealed that people would consis- tently pay more for and go out of their way to find a local newspaper aimed spe- cifically at their ethnic group. What's even more at- tractive to our readers is that each biweekly edition of the Minority Voice con- tains news and com- | mentary of nationally respected journalists. There are numerous popular _locations throughout the area where —_- consumers regularly pick up their copy at no charge. Annual events & cele- brations sponsored by THE JIM ROUSE COMMUNICATIO- NS GROUP and THE MINORITY VOICE NEWSPAPER: Call the Minority Voice Advertising and Sales Department National underdogs, the Bush admin- istration has made it clear that it stands with the “haves [: the world of top dogs and “and have mores” that the presi- dent called “my base.” So we have “trickle down” tax cuts - with millionaires pocketing tens of thousands of dollars every year while most taxpayers get less than $100. . That was, perhaps, to be expected. But amazingly, that same lack of concern about workaday people is on display in Iraq - and the young men and women whose lives are on the line are paying the price. Item: The White House wants to paint the picture in Iraq as. rosy, so the Pentagon has banned photos of coffins and body bags leaving Iraq or arriv- ing in the United States. Worse, the president hasn't attended funerals or memorials for the soldiers who have lost their lives, breaking with tradi- tion. President Bush apparently doesn’t want to draw attention to the US. casualties. Item: Reservists and National Guard members were called up for three months, and then told their tour would be a year. Many are now being told they won't want to learn more about financial aid? So Lighting up has gotten much harder for youngsters in North Carolina, this according to this year's sur- vey of more than 800 retail tobacco stores. Results of the survey shows more than a three percent reduction in the overall rate of illegal youth tobacco sales’ in the past 12 months - down from 18 per- ‘ cent in 2002 down to 14.8 per- ti _ and ' Services, ' machine cent in 2003. According to Margaret Brake, state coordinator for the Prevention of Underage Tobacco Use with the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities Substance Abuse the reduction oecurred for both vending and _ over-the- counter sales, which puts the state ahead of this year’s goal of reducing tobacco sales to 20 percent or less. ' “While reducing sales to minors cannot guarantee that teens do not have access to tobacco, it makes access more difficult, which is one of the factors that can ultimately reduce teens’ risk of becom- ing life-long smokers, and ultimately dying of tobacco- related illness,” Brake said. State Chief for Substance Abuse Services Flo Stein credits ever-increasing coop- eration and coordination between state regulators, local prevention programs and the retail merchants for the success. “North. Carolina has made great progress in reducing youth access to tobacco, Much of our success is due to the efforts of the Department of Crime Control and Public Safety's Division of Alcohol Law Enforcement in provid- ing retailer training, active enforcement of the Youth Access Law and raising awareness of this issue in communities across the state.” she said. “I also credit strong partnerships with local law enforcement agen- cies, retailers. state as well as Annual survey shows success in reducing youth access to tobacco local substance abuse and public health programs, local’ coalitions, youth groups, vol: untary agencies and parerit- groups such as North Carolina Parent Corps as a: . contributing factor to thié: year’s success.” Ge Reducing youth access is one Component of the state's: plan to prevent and reduce: tobacco use among young” people. The Annual Synar: Survey, named for . Congressman Michael Synar, | is required by federal law to ° ensure that all states are - showing progress in reducing :‘ tobacco sales to minors. The ° survey has been done since ‘ 1996. and sales rates in North ° Carolina have fallen from 50 : percent in 1996 to its current : rate. Brake also credits a: grant from the NC Health and ° Wellness Trust Fund Commission's Teen Tobacco - Use Prevention and Cessation Initiative for enhancing this year’s effort. Kead. Learn Become [_mpowered | American troops suffer while Bush cronies prosper | ef BY JESSE L. JACKSON, SR. return until 2005. Across the country, traditional, pro-mili- tary families are now petition- ing the Pentagon to honor a one- year tour of duty and bring the troops home. Item: If and when the soldiers make it home, this administra- tion isn't exactly on their side either. The president promised that we would “provide the best care for anybody who is willing to put their life in harm's way.” But on the samie day, his adimin- istration announced it was cut- ting off access to its health care system for 164,000 veterans. When I reported on the wounded and sick Reserves and Guards on “medical hold” at. Fort Stewart, Ga., I was flooded with letters describing similar conditions elsewhere. At Fort Knox, Ky, UPI reports on wounded soldiers spending eight weeks in dilapidated World War II barracks with no air-conditioning, leaky roofs and primitive facilities while waiting to see a doctor. Item: Speaking to the National Guard and Reserves, the president thanked them and their families for being “willing to sacrifice for our country.” But less than two weeks later, the administration opposed giving National Guard and Reserve members access to the Pentagon’s health insurance system. This despite a recent General Accounting Office report that estimated one in every five Guard members has no health insurance. Item: Bush promised to make certain “that our soldiers have the best possible pay.” But the “Army Times” reports that the administration wants to roll. back recent increases in month- ly imminent danger pay and family separation allowances for troops getting shot at in com- bat zones. Given the soaring cost of the war and the record budget deficits, some might argue that Bush has no choice but to make these tough calls on resources. But apparently the tough choic- we can help. es apply to the troops but not the top dogs. The Center for Public | Integrity reports that the “stench of political favoritism and cronyism surround the con- | tracting process in both Iraq and Afghanistan.” Politically - wired companies with few or no ° credentials have landed multi- million-dollar contracts. Kellogg, Brown and Root, a subsidiary of Dick Cheney’s old - company, Halliburton. is the top recipient of contracts, with more than $2.3 billion. This is the same subsidiary that - “Newsweek” reports just paid $2 million to séttle a criminal charge for overbilling the gov- ernment. Then we learn that Halliburton is charging $1.59 a ‘ gallon to import fuel that the Iraqi oil company says it can | import for less than a dollar. Top floor or shop floor, yacht club or kitchen table, the cronies or the troops -- one thing about this administration is clear: We know where it stands. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. is founder and president of the Chicago- based Rainbow/Push Coalition. Some companies offer “free” financial aid, presentations and then ask you to pay a fee or buy a product. College Foundation of North Carolina provides all the information you need at no cost! CFNC can help you: » Understand the college financial aid process » Find information on scholarships and grants » Find low-interest student and parent loans with benefits to save you money » And our services and help are free & financial aid specialist. Visit our website or call our toll-free number today to speak with www.CFNC.org 866-866-CFNC (toll-free) College 7. Foundation of North Carolina Helping You Plan, Apply, and Pay for College Se Habla Espajiol A service of the State of North Carolina © College Foundation, Inc. 2003