SNOOP DOGG: AKA The Doggfather Local Leader Calls for Removal of Confederate | Monument ee seeapecerenirec ~ Local community leader, Reverend Ozie Hall, has ignited what could become a dividing issue for Pitt County Board of Commissioners and other area leaders, in his bid to have a confederate solider monument, adjacent to the entrance of the Pitt County Court House, removed. Reverend Hall maintains that he has received numerous complaints about the presence of the confederate monument from local African Americans and Whites alike, whose ancestors refused to participate in the rebellion against the United States. In an earlier release Hall is quoted as saying, “the presence of the monument sends the wrong message to the public, Furthermore, we recognize that some will say it is only history; without a doubt it, the monument should be removed from the entrance of the halls of Justice and sent to a museum where it can truly be admired and appreciated by confederacy followers The following is a draft of the proposed ordinance sent to the Pitt County Board of Commissioners PITT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Proposed Ordinance AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE REMOVAL OF THE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT LOCATED AT THE PITT COUNTY COURT HOUSE, WHEREAS, a monument was erected on the grounds of the Pitt County Court House in 1914 dedicated to the County's Confederate Dead: and WHEREAS, said monument is located on the grounds of the present Pitt County Court House and located on the of 3rd Street and Evans Greenville; and WHEREAS, the monument displays at statute of an armed Confederate Soldier: and comer Street in its top a cont. pageS LY / Oo 4 4 : ad Please Take One BIGGIE SMALLS: Launched the Vol XV February Issue BUSTA RHYMES: Keeping a vow of silence THE RAP SHEETS say it all. They’ ve got the body... count and the prison cred, the bootlicking posses and the adoring wanna-bes. They drive luxurious cars and flash wads of cash. story page5S Junior Mafia Kx-aide:I passed money to Campbell By JEFFRY SCOTT, BETH WARREN The Atlanta Journal Constitution Published on: 01/31/06 A trusted aide who lived in Bill Campbell's basement apartment testified Monday that he funneled money to the former Atlanta mayor to be used for gambling and taking girlfnends on trips Dewey Clark sobbed repeatedly as he described his relationship with Campbell and how he bonded with the ex-mayor’s family. He was the first witness in the federal corruption trial against Campbell to say that he saw a contractor pass money to him Clark's weeping started barely began testifying Monday afternoon. Later, he described his relationship with Campbell after being judge paused testimony after a male spectator said, ‘This is fexpletive}” and stalked from emotions and caused audible reactions from Campbell supporters, enough for U.S District Judge Richard Story to admonish the gallery, The ina wad of tissue. “He said, ‘1 want you to go wherever | go.” He said, ‘Just be loval Don’t embarrass me.’ ) cont. pgs (Clark's testimony fired 1O minutes after he hired when Campbell became mayor in 1994 Birthday Celebration . . .the brothers got togetere for an evening Of reminicsing on “I said, ‘Just trust me, we're fnends the slky-voiced { lark cad hurying hy Tace lawyer white.s birthday at the bachelor benedict. On hand was James Jimmy Streeter,Rufus Huggins, John B. Smith. Zack Reddick Ben Dudley and fommy Harris, Robert White. the birthday boy Garland Allen photo Jim Rouse a. ~~ Seemann teeta aediieieea: oil aan The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg2 Both Congress and President Bush have come up with their budget proposals and both sets of figures do the same thing fi cut domestic programs that would assist the poor while extending tax cuts to rich people who need them the least. In other words, they are pulling a reverse Robin Hood by taking from the needy and giving to the greedy. This is done under the guise that the federal government has gone on a spending spree and that domestic programs are the culprit. That might make for good propaganda, but it is far from the truth. JAMES CLINGMAN "EXXON'S EXCESSIVE EX- CESS", The Wilmington Journal Have you ever made so much money that you were embar- rassed about it? I didn’t think 80; and it’s very unlikely you ever will. But in case you do, it will probably be called excess profit, which means surplus, ad- ditional, or extra. 1 doubt if it will be called excessive profit, which means extreme, unwar- ranted, unnecessary, and disproportionate. Thatgs the kind of profit Bed by Exxon Mobil so far. 1 would add that the other big oi! companies, Dutch Shell ($25 billion}, ConocoPhillips, British Petroleum, Chevron, and the whole gang of outlaws are not so far behind Exxon They adroitly refused to appear before a Congressional commit- tee to explain their windfalls It must be nice for a company to make the most money ever in one quarter, $11 billion, with a total of $36 billion in one year. al! in the face of disaster, grief, oh yeah, and death along the Gulf Coast. That happens to be -where U.S. oi! is turned into gasoline and sent on its way t© @ pump near you. | wonder what it feels like to be able to announce such excessive profits and then thumb your nose at Congress (1 peeyen we should get nd of Congress) be cause of your disrespect for that august body, or because you are simply embarrassed to discuss the topic before the Pil cut right to the chase We have seen al! sorts of Gas Out days, Gas =elite)at-1 17,0) e)faltelats Overall funding for defense, homeland security, and international affairs (which includes funding for post-war operations and reconstruction in Iraq and Afghanistan) rose from 3.4 percent of the GDP [Gross Domestic Product] in 2001 to 4.2 of GDP in 2006, an analysis by the Center for Budget and Policy programs shrank during this period, declining from 3.4 percent of GDP in 2002 to 3.1 percent in 2006.1 Bush is taking from Pulling a “Reverse Robin Hood “* on the poor — GEORGE E. CURRY: heat, even from some moderate Republicans, for mismanaging the federal deficit. When he took office, Bush inherited a record $236 billion surplus. By 2000, a $158 billion deficit had developed and the White House estimates that this year, the figure will reach $400 billion. Some of the deficits can be attributed to Bush’s decision to wage war in [rag and Afghanistan. To a much lesser degree, there was also the unexpected federal expenditures associated with Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. But a large and avoidable reason the federal government is sinking deeper into the hole is because Congress and the Bush administration have enacted a series of tax cuts that favor the wealthy. The president defends the tax cuts, the first to be enacted by a U.S. president during wartime. Amenican families all across this country have benefited from the taxcutson dividends and capital gains, he said in a Jan, 6 speech to the Economic Club of Chicago. Half of American households that’s more than 50 million households fi now have some investment in the stock market. As 1s often the case with politicians, it’s what is not _— oil barons’ billion dollar “excessive excess” Out Weeks, and other cam- paigms to deal with these oil thieves, the ones who met with the “vice” president and wrote the nation’s energy policy, the ones who named an oil tanker after Condo- leezza Rice, and the ones who lie to us on their way to the bank. None of those tactics has worked. So what can we do besides complaining about the high prices at the pump and the excessive profits of the oil barons? Probably nothing that will cause them to hurt at all; so let's just have some fun. From this day forward, let's stop patronizing Exxon Mobil gas stations.Let's-stop patronizing all stations that purchase their gas from Exxon Mobil. I'm sure they'll get a kick out of our meager, insignificant, silly little Davidian plan to bring Goliath to his knees. They'll probably sit back a laugh their heads off at us, just like the Philistine did After all, we're just lowly consumers, millions of cus- tomers who need what they're selling. What could we do to possibly hurt them? Maybe the reality of the situation is that we cannot hurt them. But let's just keep our money away from them anyway, and spend it elsewhere Watch your gas tank and buy some gas, not when it's nearly empty, but when you see a gas station that is not ExxonMob il; buy a few dollars worth. I know the other gas compa- mies are nipping us off too, but we have to start somewhere Unless you are willing to give up your expeditin’ , escaladin’ , hummin’, and navigatin’ ways, and drive something a little smaller and easier on gas, you will be buying gas from one of these ~ just don’t let Exxon be your gas of choice It 1s sharneful that some compames; such as pharma- wheat) er ceutical, banking, tobacco, energy, health insurance, and others are so greedy, excessive, and dishonest in their business practices that it would lead their execu- tives to do some of the things we have witnessed in the recent past. A few have gone to jail, but many more are still walking the streets and sitting in the every cent we have. You know that too. So what are you willing to do about it? That's the question for those of us who suffer from their acts of piracy. That's my take on it. That will be my little insignificant way of fighting back. But you know what? It may be insig- nificant to them, but to me its said that you'd better examine. What this statistic ignores, . however, is that nearly two- fifths of this stock is held in retirement accounts, such as 401 (k)s and IRAs, the Center on Budget and Priorities points out. This distinction is ctucial, because capital gains _ and dividend income accruing inside these retirement accounts are not subject to taxation, and thus would not -receive a tax benefit from the reduction in the tax rates on capital gains and dividend income. So what's the real deal? More than half 54 percent fi of all capital gains and dividend income go to the 0.2 percent of households with annual incomes of more than $1 million. By contrast, only 4 percent of this income reaches the 64 percent of households that have annual incomes of less than $50,000, according to the Center. An analysis by the Urban Institute-Brookings Institution Tax Policy Center shows that tax legislation that has gone in effect since 200 I-has exacerbated the gap between rich and poor. The middle fifth of households received an average after-tax reduction of $742 or 2.6 percent. Households with annual incomes of more than $1 million received an average reduction of $103,000 or 5.4 percent, more than double the rate for middle-class families. Yet, Bush brags that tax cuts are working by reinvigorating the economy. The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office disagrees. It observes: increases [in the revenue projections] occur mainly because of a rise in projected GDP, which derives from higher prices in the economy, not real economic activity. Finally, the wealthiest sector of the U.S. population is being showered with favoritism. Some of the tax cuts that were enacted in 2001 are still being phased in, stated the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. These taxes are heavily tilted to those at the top of the income scale. These tax cuts include the elimination of the ~ tax on the nation’sargest estates, as well as two tax cuts that started to take effect on January 1, 2006 and will go almost entirely to high-income households. The Tax Policy Center reports that 97 percent of the tax cuts from these two measures will go to people with incomes above $200,000. As a result, the tax cuts ultimately will be even more skewed toward high-income households than they were in 2005.i As usual, that leaves poor and middle-class citizens out in the cold. DID YOU KNOW The Department of Veterans Affairs(VA) provides a variety of memorial benefits to eterans,including burial space. Presidential Memorial Certificates, A burial flag and a headstone or marker. VA operates a system of 122 cemetaries throughtout the country and also helps stateg build state cemeteries. tt arp millions of small stones at this giant will have the same effect that David's one small stone had on Goliath. The ball is in your court. Why would you stand still and do nothing when some- one is picking your pocket and you know it? That's what's going on with Exxon aac ee The ball is in your court. Why would you stand still and do nothing when someone is picking your pocket and you know it? ET a TES a TT I ea boardrooms not having paid a price for their mistreat- ment of their consumers at least. Remember: When oil execs did testify in 2005, the Senate Commerce Chair- man, Ted Stevens (The guy from Alaska with the bridge to nowhere. Don't they also have some oil up there under the frozen tundra too?), reyected calls by some Democrats to have the executives sworn in, saying the law already required them to tell the truth. Are you kidding me? Since when did the law have anything to do with these crooks and what they do”. But let's concentrate on Exxon for now. We cannot continue to complain about their billions in excessive profits without doing something, whatever we can do, to reflect our outrage. I know they. have no conssence; I know they have no © ssion; | know they are unethical: | know they are liars; | know they are gouging us for not yet, a tremendous step; it’s great for my psyche;it's more than just complaining. And if more of us take a similar action against this behemoth, our collective act of slinging and others, and they are doing it to you. Don’t stand still and act as though their picking your pocket is all nght. Do something! I know what I am going to do. No more Exxon Mobil fill-ups for me. I will give my few dollars to one of the other thieves. We do have choices you know. Try it; it should be a lot of fun, if nothing else. Use excessive restraint to decrease Exxon’s excessive profits. 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 Com- merce. He hosts the radio program, Blackonomics,” and has written several books. including Black-o-Know}- edge-Stuff. To book Clingman for 4 speech or purchase his books, go to his Website, www.blackonomics.com or call him at 513/ 489-4132. Coli Co) at-1 1-48) o)falleyats rs. Beatrice Maye Dear Editor: According to a study released Tuesday, May 11, 2004, based on a mail survey of 725 public middle and high school teachers and a telephone survey of 600 parents of public school students in grades 5 — 12, the way teachers see it, today’s classroom environment often deserves a D-as in disrespect, distracting and disheartening enough to drive many of them away. Most teachers in middle and high schools say misbehavior by a handful of children is such a disruptive, pervasive force that a majority of students suffer from it, according to this study which was financed by Common Good, a bipartisan legal reform coalition. “If you start totaling up the hours that teachers could be teaching and students could be learning, it’s just staggering,” said Public Agenda President Ruth Wooden. More than three in four teachers said they could do their job more effectively if not for discipline problems. More than eight in ten said most students suffer because of a few troublemakers. The challenge, the study found, is complicated. Education colleges don’t prepare teachers to deal with rowdy students. Schools back down from discipline when parents threaten lawsuits and children in special education are treated too lightly even when their misbehavior has nothing to do with their disabilities. The biggest cause of student behavior problems, according to teachers and parents, is that too may parents fail to teach their kids discipline. “Celebrating Community: A Tribute too Black Fraternal, Social, and Civic Institutions” To the Editor: February 2006 African American History Month is observed annually. The theme, “Celebrating Community: A Tribute to Black Fraternal, Social, and Civic Institutions,” is the 80" celebration. Dr. Carter G. Woodson, founder, is nationally known, “the Father of Black History Week.” Can we as a people be neatly packaged in one month of the year and that nonblacks are only interested in our culture for 28 (29, if it’s leap year) out of 365 days? We are the achievers, the dreamers, inventors, and wallbreakers, the movers, the shakers, and the bringers of the first successful heart transplant. We are the burden of motherhood and the dream of fathers, the bricklayers, the runners, and the flyers, the marchers, the dancers, and the scholars, — the preachers, teachers, and the doers. AL BAYYINAH THE CLEAR EVIDENCE ~ By Noria Namaz I was wandering, looking for a purpose for my life. At eighteen years old I voluntarily excommunicated myself from the church of my child hood and from Christianity all together. Now | walked towards a distant light hoping to relieve the restlessness in my soul The stirrings said I made a promise I had to keep. But | could not remember what the promise was. On my spiritual search | saw many doors, | remembered in the Gospel Jesus saying “Knock and it shall open up to you”, knocked and many doors opened. This journey was like riding on a magic carpet. | visited many religious so | viewpoints from atheism to the mystical religions of the Near and Far East. impressed with their I was similarities. In fact in Hinduism I found Krishna, a Hindu incarnation of god two hundred years older than Christ. The Hindus believe god incarnated many times From this | came to understand why Christianity emphasizes the one incarnation. | argued with my intellect the existence of a god. Amidst all this religious confusion, how could I know with certainty His true religion? Again from the Gospel of Jesus I knew I had to search this out, | was required to find the truth to have a chance at salvation. The Christian theology of my childhood taught that Jesus was an incarnation of god and as Jesus god died for my sins. I could not reconcile this theology with the stirrings of my soul. My soul asked if God is merciful and just, can he be unjust to his own self. If god is not created, how can he incarnate. What form of creation could hold him? In this form my spirit and my intellect wrangled. One wanted to deny God altogether and other wanting to nd itself of a persistent itch. We made a promise we mustkeep. Instinctively I knew the promise was spiritual and I knew the promise must be fulfilled before I die. I knew I would be very sorry if I did not keep this promise. My soul cried, we must search for the truth or we will be lost forever My search took me on a global spiritual journey. | followed the command Jesus gave, seeking, asking and knocking. Finally when the haze cleared, the distant light was closer and under it I could see a clear inscription that read, “There is no deity worthy of worship exoept Allah” Ailah, i had heard that name in my childhood. I recognized it as the God of the Islamic religion. The inscription spoke the“truth. It implied that in this world we have many deities. I was taught to worship Jesus, saints and holy people. Others worshipped other incarnations and the sun, moon and the stars as well. Yet Jesus in the Lords Prayer taught us to worship the God he worshiped. My soul did not like Christian theology, nor did it prefer any of the others. But upon reading this inscription I could feel a calmness covering my soul. Is Islam the religion of my search? oo At first this leg of my journey was also difficult. In this country Islam took many forms. However, my soul said, “We are close.” Finally | sat down to read a book. A book revealed over fourteen hundred years ago to a man named Muhammad, the Qur'an It is there I found the source of my promise. A promise to the Lord of Lords, my Creator and Sustainer, that Him and Him alone would I worship. | made that promise after the creation of Adam—when Allah pulled me along with all of Adam's descendants from his groin. Together would we stood before our Glorious Lord and bore witness that He is our God and He is Who we will worship. With this the restless stirrings of my soul rr ~ ended and it became at peace I said, “Rest my beloved soul” and declared, “There is no deity worthy of worship except Allah, and Muhammati is His Prophet and Last Messenger to the world” The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg3 Community Voice From the Desk of Mrs. Beatrice Maye Yes, we are unique. Our skin is the color of strength, sweetness, and earth. Our music makes us cry and shout. We are the beacon of style and expression. Whatever we touch moves. We do not just talk, we rap. We do not just run, we fake, double take. We're not just smart, we've got game! We do not put inventions to waste; we give them sound and vibration, harmony, and soul. Who can do it like we do it? Yes, every accomplishment, African American throughout American history, continue to _ enrich the lives of present and future generations. Hints that a Black woman will possibly make a Good Wife to the Blackman...... 1. She is attentive and a good listener. 2. She enjoys going partying but has an equally good time at home. 3. She will have a strong spiritual commitment that helps her distinguish between right and wrong. 4. She will be partially - modest in her style of dress. 5. She will like babies and children and include them in her life. 6. She enjoys cooking and preparing special meals or treats for the Blackman. 7. She will respect her parents, his parents, and older people. 8. She has good personal hygiene. 9. She does not wear a ton of make-up. 10. She is proud of her man and claims him no matter who is present. 11. She keeps her house at least half-way clean. 12. She is not a flagrant spender and almost manages her money. 13. She is truthful and freely expresses her sexuality and desires when in private with her man. America’s Return to the Wild’ 14. She shares voluntarily and offers help when she can. 15. She does not hold grudges too long and will apologize when wrong. 16. She will go out of her way to do special things for the Blackman. 17. She will speak well of him when he is not around. 18. She will defend him against verbal attacks from others. 19. She does not show out or curse loudly in public. 20. She smile when she meets him. 21. She controls her anger and does not go wild when angry. 22. She will take instructions on some things without being combative. 23. She is respectful of Black men in general. By: Susie Clemons A.M. talk radio Pontiff, televisions’ noted Hannity and Colmes other spin doctor, Ms. Laura Ingram, recently ranted that a certain people outside of America are trying to destroy what her great symbol stands for. Wonder how she came up with that one; moreover, who was she talking about? Clearly, she need look no further than the Clanton’s of the O.K. Corral reincar- nated cowboy boot, ten gallon hat, red bandana wearing bandit sons; in particular, gun slingin’ Cheney, bullet proof Bush, card shark Abramoff, lyin’ Kalifornia Cunnipgham, cattle rustling ofltiaw Delay and sneaky sneak Specter. They've not only seized the White House and 109” Congress, but they have single handedly returned America to the outrageous ride ‘em hard lore of the Wild’ Wild’ West. And to prove that they re serious, they’ ve blown up every covered wagon they've encountered, from health benefits for the elderly to student loans for college and Smart Start funding to name a few. Back in 2000, when the Republicans wrestled power from the Dems, who would have thought illegal wire tapping, congressional kick backs and money laundering, blatant thievery and abuse of power would become the norm for American politics Add to that Cheney's recent gun slinging battle Wild’ West Most everyone wants to know why 78 year old Whittington was playing cowboys and Indians with Mr. 65 year old - suppose to have a weak heart- Cheney while at republican lobbyist Katherine Armstrong's 50,000 acre Texan ranch, while she and her sister watched the sporting horror unfold? The question is who in the tarnation would want to watch Cheney shoot a gun? Is he that good? Of the near fatal accident, Cheney is quoted as saying “the image of him, Whitting- ton, falling is something I'll never be able to get out of my mind.” Cheney, admits he had a beer before the shooting incident— but no one bothered to ask him how many. Was he drunk when he shot his friend in the face? Furthermore, if Cheney could see that big burly guy going down for the count, as he is quoted as saying, how could he miss the girth of Whittington’s head before firing? Was this a failed attempt at euthanasia? If not, the rest of us don’t stand a chance. Besides, Cheney has never completely explained how he got priority status to make millions off Halliburton contracts not only in [rag but also New Orleans. Remember anything is possible with this bunch of cowboys. lronically, Whittington’s shooting happened on the eve of what sneaky sneak Senator Arlen Specter and others had know was about to become his “Earmark” spending coming out party Specter has, over the past four years, paid the firm of lobbyist Michael Herson, the husband of Specter’s long time legislative aide, Vicki Siegel Herson, 48.5 million dollars of Earmark money clearly a conflict of interest That's money Herson’s husband alleges not lobbying Specter for, and money that Specter says he did not know was being paid to Henson's Defense firm— which Herson in turn directed to six clients. Albeit, Specter is trying to come'across like the absent minded professor, and that may be the case considering that he has not been in the best health lately. He has since said he will ask all of his legislative aids if they have family members who are lobbyist. Okay so maybe Specter didn’t know, but Siegels husband, Michael Herson knew where the cash windfall originated. Sad to think however that Mr. Herson’s un- ethical business practices out-weighed his duty to protect his beloved from scandal, or himself for that matter Maybe it true that when one occupies a seat of hidden unregulated power for as long as Specter, and some of others in the 109° Congress, corruption, forgetfulness and looking the other way is a most jealous mistress. Arlene Specter, Delay, Abramoff, Cheney, Bush, Cunningham and a heap of others have made it quite clear they have no desire to play fair, or to be held as trust worthy agents for the people Therefore, they, having demosnstrated with regularity that their way is the “New American Wild, Wild West” - the vote is in on the real liberty destroy ing culprits On that note, let the real rush for Gold begin, cause land squatting is once again en’ vogue Send Comments to Susie Clemons at Opimonsandtalk @ yahoo com " Suejette’A. Jones They speak of sorrow, oppression and strength. They cry for freedom and faith, many of the words familiar even to the littlest ones: “He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands.” But beyond the simple melodies and easy -to-remember lyrics that helped make them staples of American popular music, Negro spirituals are an enduring legacy of the slaves who relied on them for both solace and hope. More than a century later, the message is no less powerful or inspiring. The founder of The Spirituals Project. a Denver- based nonprofit group whose mission is to preserve and promote spirituals like “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot “ and “Wade in the Water” remarked, “People all around the world can relate to it — — that’s one of the reasons the songs are still alive.” W.E.B. DuBois called spintuals “the articulate message of the slave to the world.” Negro spirituals link the suffering and hope of salvation of the slaves with the suffering and salvation of the Gospel universal elements that transcend race and culture. Many credit the Fisk Jubilee Singers, who toured the United States and Europe in the late 19° century with helping bring the Negro spiritual to a broader audience, (See Personal Note at the end of the aricle.) Over the years, the spiritual, which experienced a reawakening during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, has become more entwined with gospel music, a more formal style that arose in the urban North in the late 19” century and is characterized by arrangements and instrumentation. Originally accompanied only by hand- clapping and foot-stomping, SEABON sana Fer more wtermation, paves coatnet Camuneshondic Radtty Warren it 309-400 or 373-4080 Coukl you pinnes rin the unt May 31 2006 thank ya The Minority Voice. NewspaperPublished by I Minority Voice, Inc. Jim Rouse Publisher/Founder Michael Adams Copy Editor Staff Writers Beatrice Maye Suejette Jones Home Office 405 Evans Street P.O.Box 8361 Greenville,NC 27835 Phone: (252) 757-0365 Fax (252) 757-1793 Email: voicenews @ yahoo.com The Minority Voice is owned and operated by Jim Rouse Communications also WOOW Radio Greenville,NC Wm. Clark: Gen Mgr. The Minority Voice Newspaper F ebruary 14 - 28, 2006 pg4 Reflections, Expressions, & Views spirituals now often are composed and arranged, and sung in a concert environment A debate continues over the use of dialect, or traditional phrasing, in which words like heaven and children become “heb ‘n” and “chillum”. That brings authenticity to it, but it makes some people uncomfortable. Some say the reluctance by somee blacks to embrace spirituals may be attributable to the painful thoughts they can conjure. Blacks don’t like to remember Slavery, and there is a danger of appreciating spirituals simply for their entertainment value. They cannot be properly understood unless there is a powerful empathy with what it’s like to be a slave. You have to have the capacity to identify in order to understand. If our ancestors could get through two and a half centunes of chattel slavery, present-day black people ought to be able to cope with whatever they're going through in the inner city, according to James Cone Keeping the Tradition of the Negro Spiritual Alive who teaches black theology at Union Theological Seminary in New York. Extracted from the Associated Press Coda A Tribute to Walter Plemmer” The Tarboro Jubilee Singers was founded and organized in the Spring of the Bicentennial year, 1976, by the late Walter Plemmer of Tarboro, NC. Plemmer was an accomplished musician, having served as band director, choral director, as well as director of drama and cultural arts in the Tarboro Schools system. His great desire was to have acommunity musical group that would express themselves creatively, to sing songs of intellectual and aesthetic value, to perform monuments written by the world’s outstanding masters of composition and most of all to keep alive in the hearts of people the wealth of Black spirituals that represent a major segment of American music. The group presented many concerts since it was organized. One of its major Messiah during the Christmas season accompanied by the String Quartet of East Carolina University. It was performed at the 1982 World’s Fair at Knoxville, TN; a Goodwill performance in Nassau, Bahamas, (that was arranged by the then Representative L. H. Fountain of Tarboro); several concerts aired on WNCT-TV; appearances at Sycamore Hill Baptist Church, Jarvis Memorial Methodist Church, Tabernacle Center of Deliverance (Dr. George A. Hawkins — Pastor) and other presentations at churches throughout North Carolina and Virginia too numerous to mention. Plemmer'’s arrangements of Negro spirituals and his own compositions were beautifully rendered and kept the audiences spellbound. Many of the renditions were sung A Capella (that is, without instrumental accompaniment) and the blend of 4-part and sometime 8-part voices was melodies. The Tarboro Jubilee Singers is still in existence-today — but not of the magnitude and renown that it had under the late Walter Plemmer. Some of the Greenville natives who sand with the group were: Selena Davenport Forbes, Gracie Mebane Vines, Miriam Carraway, Rev. Anton Wesley and wife, and Suejette Jones. The memories of Walter Plemmer still alive on in our hearts. Respectfully submitted by: Suejette A. Jones Personal Note: Johnella Frazer, my piano teacher during my years at Virginia State University, had been a member of the Fisk Jubilee Singers. Heel/Sew Quik JACKIE ROBINSON BASEBALL ) U —< Full c~Half Soles Heel Replacemnet Rockport Shoe Care Keys Made Carouina East CENTER Baseball Award . Rufus Huggins and C lifton Hickman caught by the Minority Voice Newspaper as then Councilman Huggins presents one of the first checks of $25000 given to the Jackie Robinson Photo Jim Rouse . pictured above is Michael Jordan, Baseball League Tarbero, NC (252) 823-5129 Mutts Scotignd Neck, NC (252) 826-4406 BOOKSTORE Top 20 gospel/ praise & worship Music, Clergy/Choir Robes, Church Supplics, Books, Bibles, Greeting Cards, Gifts, Wedding & Social Invitations, Songbooks, Sunday School & Vacation Bible School Matcrials and much morci!! Sunday School Commentaries Now Available! Open Wednesday through Friday 12-Hpm Saturday 1Qam-4dpm (252) 749.3256 Floral Creations Scotland Neck, NC (252) 826-5094 Alexander Pick Up Your Copy OF THE M'VOICE NEWSPAPER AT Mo's A Bryan Detowion MEN’S HAIRCUT $10.00 TO $12.00 SHAVE $5.00 EYE BROW ARCH Rodney $5.00 = a NECKLINE TAPER & EDGE a | BOYSHAIRCUT $8.00 BEAUTICIAN’S PRICING VARIES ACCORDING TO HAIRSTYLE TWO LOCATIONS TOO SERVE YOU a eiry 58Q AWE FAMT 'OTM BT GaEEnvit ce SARBER SHOP: (282) 784-2400 BEAUTY SHOP: (252) 754 26406 CART) NA EAS Tureen Sure @s (2523) B53-iai7 Tradin Sonya Terrence Melinda Cedric Chester Johnny Kalvin fim ob = me, cont. from front page ¢ Gangstas hip to Mafia BY ADAM NICHOLS DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER The rap sheets say it all. They've got the body count and the prison cred, the bootlicking posses and the -adoring wanna-bes.,They drive luxurious cars and flash wads of cash. Gangsta rappers share a lot of similarities with La Cosa Nostra, and last Sunday the hip-hop hoodlums displayed yet another dreadful trait they share with the Mafia. After Busta Rhymes' body- guard was shot dead in Brooklyn just feet from some of the biggest names in hip hop - including 50 Cent, Junior Mafia and Lil' Kim recorded "La Belle Mafia." And all the big-shot rappers surround themselves with a family - huge gangs who supposedly pride themselves on their loyalty and toughness. A shooting last year outside the Hudson St. studio of the radio station Hot 97 was blamed on a dispute between the posses of rappers 50 Cent and The Game. "Certainly, if you look at African-Americans and Latinos, there's a loyalty to rap one community," Powell said. "T've interviewed Tupac, Biggie Smatts, Ice T, and they always had people they surrounded themselves with." But experts say the rappers' desire to pass themselves off as a modern-day Mafia falls short. "The simple thing is, the hip- hop community emulates what they believe organized crime is," said Murray Richman, an attorney who has represented members of all five of New York's major crime families as well as rappers, including Jay- Z and DMX. "It's wishful thinking on their — part. They are emulating what never really existed. It is life imitating art," Richman said. "I do see similarities. The poverty aspect, comihg up from an ethnically identifiable group. But in reality, that is armchair social work. "Their glamorization of the Mafia through names like Capone and Gotti is an emula- tion of a criminal culture, not an ethnic culture." Gerald Shargel, a lawyer who has defended both John Gotti and Irv Gotti (Lorenzo), agreed. "As far as the violence is / | Maya Angelou (1928-) Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave,I am the dream and the hope of the slaver” . I rise I rise I rise. “Still I rise,” And Still I Rise (1978) cont. from front page I passed money the courtroom. Clark testified that he funneled money from city contractor George Greene and strip club owner Michael Childs. Greene, the owner of Sable Communications, began kicking in more cash for Campbell’s second campaign in 1997 after Campbell chewed him out “for not being a loyal supporter” in his 1993 campaign, Clark said. Greene also wrote several checks to Clark totaling thousands of dollars, according to.large replica checks put on display for the jury. Clark said he used Greene’s payments as spending money and to fly Campbell’s mistresses to various locations and put them up in hotels. Clark said he even saw to it that champagne was in the rooms. Clark said he sometimes took room keys to Campbell, who then reimbursed him in cash. Later, when testifying about Childs, Clark said he was standing next to Campbell at a fund-raiser when Childs said he needed a liquor license for a new club, “Strawberries.” He said Campbell told Childs that “he would support him when the campaign was over.” After that, Clark testified, he was the bagman for cash from Childs to Campbell and met with Childs “10 to 12 times” in 1997 and 1998. Childs’ payments were “nothing smaller than $2,500” and “up to $10,000,” Clark told the jury. Childs has pleaded guilty to burning down competitors’ — nightclubs and is cooperating with authorities. Greene also is Cooperating. The first alleged bribe from Childs took place at.the Smokehouse restaurant, near Cheshire Bridge and Piedmont roads, Clark testified. It was _ $5,000, he said, adding that Childs “told me not to mess with the mayor’s money. He told me to come back and he would take care of me.” Clark also testified that Fred Prewitt, Campbell’s friend and chairman of the city’s Civil Service Board, passed cash to the former mayor. Prewitt “told me he was going to put a roll [of cash] in the mayor’s hand big enough to choke a goat.” Clark said he saw Prewitt pass money to Campbell while they were headed to the airport. He said Prewitt told him it was $10,000, then joked, “Watch him walk all the way to the airport with his hand in his pocket.” Clark, a Memphis native who worked on Campbell’s campaign before being hired as an assistant, said he answered the telephone and responded to constituent mail but also kept appointments for the mayor and did banking for him. He testified that he became almost a member of the Campbell family — taking out trash, cutting grass, playing basketball with his son and even eating Thanksgiving dinner with them. Havvthorne GETTY concerned, I don't see any similarity to traditional orga- nized crime," he said. "In the hip-hop world, it just doesn't seem to have a common plan. The violence that you read about is like something out of the Wild West, a dispute. It's action and retaliation." By contrast, the violence so idolized in Mafia movies was always considered "just business," a way to protect money-making interests - and power, said Powell. "That's the huge difference," he argued. "The Mafia had, and has immense power. The hip-hop community does not. "Look at the shooting last week, or any other hip-hop shooting. It's over an argu- ment. There's no trace of controlling a power base or any kind of territory. "One was real life, ultimately about power and control. The other is certainly real in terms of people getting killed and going to jail, but it's rooted in the entertainment industry." é ae i i st, a, die a NL - The Minority Voice Newspaper February 15, 2006 pg5 STH Annual College Round-up Day Judge Glenda Hatchett Special Guest Speaker Saturday, March 18, 2006 Edgecombe Technical College _ Tarboro, North Carolina 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Join us to see how college can begin your future! Attention sophomores, juniors, seniors and parents: Bring your transcripts and meet with representatives of more than twenty historically black colleges and universities. Financial aid information will be available as well as a question & answer session. Oye dam « Hon a {, 2 or 3 Beroom Housing Unit IT’S OUR PAST. IT’S OUR PRESE AND IT’S OUR FUTURE. ALS Since 1949 Mg o Rent A NC (252) 757.3101 | At Sprint, we believe in creating opportunities for success in our local communities. That's why we are proud to provide ongoing sponsorship support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Please join Sprint in celebrating Black History Month. Let's cherish our past. Let's make it useful to the present and the future. O@®O®O => Sprint. © 2006 Sprint. All rights reserved, Sprint and the diamond logo design are trademarks of Sprint Communications Company L.P SPR-4917 SS ee ee Die eg The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 Celebrating Black History Month — Booker Taliafero -Washin The Pitt County Branch NAACP Monthly Mass meeting held at York Memorrial AME Church featured keynote speaker 1st Congressional District Congreeman GK. Butter- field (D-NC) His remarks regarding the 2007 renewal of the Voting Rights act drew praise from many in attendance. Our camera shows Congreesman Buterfield, center, - along with Greenville city Council members Mildred Atkinson Council (1) and Rose Glover. The bottom photo shows other community leaders with Butterfield, from left to right, Mr. Robert Fitzhugh, Mr Les Cox, Winterville Town Alderman Bill Worthington, _ Pitt County NAACP President Calvin Henderson and Attorney Derrick Brown who is a candidate for the NC House 8th District. photo Jim Rouse To Buy, Rent, or Sl Real Bate, Call the, Call us if you need someone to collect your rent and manage your property. Several nice building lots.... We handle Conv., | HUD, VA, FHA Financing Realtor. Notary Public, Accounting 606 Albermarle Avenue mnt Greenville, NC 27834 (252) 757-1692 or (252) 757-1162 | _ Fax Number (252) 757-0018 NO CREDIT —auy.gei1-TRADE-LOCATOR SERVICE BAD CREDIT OR YOUNEEDTo “*'? JOHN DEAVER nena ” Sun ou" GEORGE RIGHTMYER GREENVILLE, NC FAX: (252) 321-126 {456 D, WORTHINGTON RD. PHONE: (252) 321-1236 w Booker T. Washington was born a slave in Hale’s Ford, Virginia, reportedly oh April 5, 1856. After emancipation, his family was so poverty stricken that he worked in salt ’ furnaces and coal mines beginning at age nine. Always an intelligent and curious child, he yearned for an education and was frustrated when he could not receive good schooling locally. When he was 16 his parents allowed him to quit work to go to school. They had no money to help him, so he walked 200 miles to attend the Hampton Institute in Virginia and paid his tuition and board there by working as the janitor. Dedicating himself to the idea that education would raise his people to equality in this country, Washington became a ___ teacher. He first taught in his home town, then at the Hampton Institute, and then in 1881, he founded the Tuskegee Normal and 3 Industrial Institute in Tuskegee, Alabama. As head of the Institute, he traveled the country unceasingly to raise funds from blacks and whites both; soon he became a well-known speaker. In 1895, Washington was asked to speak at the opening of the Cotton States Exposition, an unprecedented honor for an African American. His Atlanta Compromise speech explained his major thesis, that blacks could secure their constitutional rights through their own economic and moral advancement rather than through legal and political changes. Although his conciliatory stand angered some blacks who feared it would encourage the foes of equal rights, whites approved of his views. Thus his major achievement was to win over diverse elements among _ southern whites, without whose support the programs (1856-1915) Lecturer, Civil Rights/ Human Rights Activist, Educational Administrator, Professor, Organization Executive/Founder, Author/ Poet he envisioned and brought into beirig would have been impossible. | In addition to Tuskegee Institute, which still educates many today, Washington instituted a variety of programs for rural extension work, and helped to establish the National Negro Business League. Shortly after the election of President William McKinley in 1896, a movement was set in motion that Washington be named to a cabinet post, but he withdrew his name from consideration, preferring to work outside the political arena. He died on November 14, 1915. £ To learn What cou ped at any time without notice, Normal credit approval applies. id make our EquityLine even better? Current APR* as low as 6./5% Prime minus 1/2% ‘ Journal if required, Is the responsibility of f . Property the borrower. Limited time offer that may be withdrawn Certain restrictions may apply, A special low introductory rate. ¢ “FARST CITIZENSBANK - Nore, call or stop by your local branch today. 4 firstcitizens.com 1-888-FC DIRECT Member FDIC; Equal Housing Lender ta? tycles and is available for credit lines of $5,000 or more. % APR as of 1/16/06) and for EquityLines. Tus for APRs on credit linesoflessthan | rate published on the a beoee aoe bly insurance required. Flood insuragce _ “ = e = SF The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg7 . PITT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS Proposed Ordinance Commissioner Coulson: We can have the debate Dear sD APEME PITT COUNT WHEREAS, a monument was erected on the grounds of the Pitt County Court House in 1914 dedicated to the County’s Confederate Dead; and , WHEREAS, said monument is located on the grounds of the present Pitt County Court House and located on the comer of 3rd Street and Evans Street in‘Greenville; and ! , __ WHEREAS, the monument displays at its top a statute of an armed Confederate Soldier; and , WHEREAS, the monument bares the inscriptions “Our ' Confederate Dead,” “Erected by the people of Pitt County in grateful remembrance of the courage and fortitude of her Confederate Soldiers”, “Dedicated 1914,” and “To the Heroes of 1861-1865 Theirs not to make reply... Theirs not to reason why... Theirs but to do and die;” and The debate on Tuesday, February 21, 2006 at 7 :00 p.m. at _the C.M. Epps Recreation Center. Dave J ordan for WITN-7 , can be the moderator | WHEREAS, the Pitt County Court House presently houses the General Courts of Justice in Pitt County, the Office of the District Attorney, and the Pitt County Sheriff Department; and WHEREAS, the vast majority of criminal defendants appearing before the Pitt County Courts are African Americas and - descendants of former slaves held in bondage under the system of chattel slavery that the Confederacy sought to maintain by criminal acts of Treason against the United States of American as defined in the United States Constitution, Article III, Section 3; and WHEREAS, the United States government successfully prosecuted the Rebellion and Treason committed by the Confederacy; and Coulson Having said that, slavery is not in Pitt County to my knowledge. But single parent homes, disobediaent children Hall The removal of that monument would represent a great victory to unshackle the minds of black children, WHEREAS, slavery was abolished by the 13" Amendment to in schools, jails packed to the United States Constitution and African Americans were made youth, and adults who bursting wa ay other citizens of the United States via the 14° Amendment to the United ___ Presently suffer from social embarrassments and States Constitution and entitled to equal protection of the law; and inferiority complexes created bl i d well WHEREAS, the existence of the monument located at the — by white supremecy problems are alive and we Pitt County Court House is a reminder to African Americans of the here. Removing a monument days of injustice, lynching, burning at the stake, and other hideous will address not one of these. inhumane acts committed against them under the system of slavery and subsequently by those who sought to maintain segregation and an evil system that exploited fellow human beings because of the color of their skin; and . WHEREAS, the monument is offensive to the African American Community in Pitt County and the descendants of white citizens who choose the moral high ground and refused to support the Confederacy or participate in open criminal acts of Treason against the United States government; and WHEREAS, many loyal Americans lost their lives due to the @ criminal acts of the Confederacy; and WHEREAS, the Pitt County government seeks to promote diversity and the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination; and WHEREAS, this Pitt County Board of Commissioners denounces racism, bigotry, and crime; and WHEREAS, this Pitt County Board of Commissioners mythology, and who never strive for success in life because they know only pain and suffering from their life experiences. Seven Future Events That Will Shake The World Faith May recognizes that Confederate Soldiers are viewed by many Pitt County residents as criminals who. committed Treason against the sovereignty of the United States; and WHEREAS, this Pitt County Board of Commissioner ’ recognizes the need to not send the wrong message to the citizens of Pitt County and especially those who appear before the Pitt County Courts; and WHEREAS, at the time the monument was erected in 1914 Pitt County practiced legally enforced segregation; and WHEREAS, conditions have changed since the monument was erected and African American now have a right to not be placed in , fear and apprehension over the quality of justice administered in the | Pitt County Courts or about other services available to the general public at the Pitt County Court House; and WHEREAS, it is not the intention of this Pitt County Board of Commissioner to personally offend any person whose ancestors participated on the side of the Confederacy: Enactment: NOW THEREFORE, be it enacted by the Pitt County Board of Commissioners as follows: The Pitt County Manager is hereby directed to cause the The Book of Revelation calls this world ruler the “Beast” (13:1-10). It describes him controlling a global economy, a world government and a world religion in which he claims to be divine and insists that he be worshipped as God. ‘It portrays a “false Prophet” who assists the Beast in his global deception and world rule (Revelation 13:1 1-18). However, in the end, the anti-christ’s promise of peace will culminate in plunging the world into the most terrible wars the planet has ever known. . The world was shocked and stunned by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Tear-inducting, gut-wrenching images of human loss and suffering have filled the airways for several weeks. Virtually no one was left untouched by the impact of one of _ ''" the'worst naturaf disasters in American history. The outpouring has rekindled our pain and heartache, as in the days after 911. In many ways, the current catastrophe is but a microcosm of the real End Time disasters that are predicted in Scripture. Jesus did, in fact, warn that the days of Noah” when the “flood came and took \ them all away” (Matthew 24:37-II Thessalonians Me 2:1-12 indicates that the wicked one cannot come on the scene until after the removal of the _ Restrainer. A careful reading of this passage indicates that the antichrist will rise to power after the rapture of the Church. The next four future events that will shake the world will be printed in the next issue of the Minority Voice Newspaper; you will not want to miss it! Excerpted from The National Liberty Journal October 2005 Issue you to read this a st en ) re a woman will die Nene sART DISEASE removal of the monument presently located on the grounds of the Pitt County Court House at the corner of 3" Street and Evans Street in Greenville within 90 days of the effective date of this Ordinance. 2. The monument shall be removed and placed in storage at the Pitt County Public Works. 3. This Ordinance shall be effective on 1 May 2006. This the day of February, 2006. The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg8 | Freedom's Journal, the first black newspaper in the United States The Historic Black Press— An English-language section rights and supported black * _of the former slave states eee ae si ont boosie illctoned Overview Essay began appearing inL’Union candidates for office. hosted black newspapers . Party almost unanimously, a ‘ : luck of oroaressin By Tony Seybert soon after the first issue The end of the Civil War _ within a few years. Missouri situation that would change n ‘can vcial ee ia fie Journalist and Photo Editor appeared. After the demise of brought about a flowering of became the last of the former only gradually until the ead Party still seemed Daily Sundial L’Union, Roudanez published black newspapers in the slave states lacking a black 1920s. The former ‘me wtter sltemative Tees California State University the bilingual New Orleans _ South. By the end of 1865, paper when St. Louis’ The _ believed that the partyof abe | Nogthridge Tribune until 1870. Both black newspapers hadbeen | Negro World was founded in Abraham Lincoln von D an we cena 1827-1861: Origins of the newspapers supported the . established in Louisiana, 1875. | create anew world Ww me a south Black Press Republican Party and, after the Alabama, Tennessee, South The black press of the black economic, social, an orang war, strongly advocated voting Carolina, and Georgia. Most Reconstruction period _ political interests would be Freedom's Journal, the first black newspaper in the United States, started as a weekly abolitionist journal in 1827. It was the result of a meeting in New York City of black leaders, who realized that. such a publication was important to efforts towards uniting free blacks against Slavery. Editors Samuel Cornish and John Russwurm advocated education and stressed the importance of civil rights for free- blacks. However, Russwurm and Cornish disagreed on editorial : ‘policy, and the newspaper, after it changed its name to The Rights of All, only lasted until 1829. Other black newspapers, most of them similarly short-lived, appeared in New York City, Albany, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Columbus, Ohio. For example, Willis Hodges started his own newspaper, the Ram's Horn, in New York in 1847 in response to the New York Sun’s stance against black voting rights— the Sun’s famous motto “The Sun shines for all” did not include black men. The Ram’s Horn lasted about a year. Enjoying greater longevity, however, was Frederick Douglass’s newspaper the North Star, which appeared in Rochester the same year as _ the Ram’s Horn and lasted, despite financial troubles and a name change, until 1860. Typically, the early black newspapers rarely lasted more than a year or two for several reasons. First, the target audience, the base population of educated free blacks, was seldom large enough to financially support a weekly newspaper. Second, most of these newspapers ignored the many literate but uneducated free blacks that lived in the North. A third reason was that the publishers usually lacked adequate funds to weather the difficult early years. So, while more than 40 black newspapers were founded before the start of the Civil War, most of them lasted only a year or two, suffering from financial problems and a small readership. Nonetheless, the black press spread westward, as far as Kansas by 1855 with the start of the Kansas Herald of Freedom in Lawrence. The earliest black newspaper on the west coast, San Francisco’s Mirror of the Times, appeared the same year. All of them protested the lack of civil rights for blacks. in the North and protested against the inhumanity of southern slavery. 1861-1877: The Civil War and Reconstruction During the Civil War, the South’s first black newspaper appeared in New Orleans. Louis Roudanez, a free black immigrant from the Caribbean, published L’Union in French from 1862 to 1864. If you don’t know where you’ve been -You’ll never know where you’re going Marian Anderson 1902-1993 Known as the contralto of the century, Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia on February — 27, 1902. Young Marian displayed her gifted voice in her church choir. She sang all parts: _ Soprano, alto, tenor and bass. When she made her debut in New York on December 31, 1935, a reviewer described her performance as “music-making that was too deep for words.” In spite of her undeniable talent, certain groups were not willing to accept a black performer into their realm. In 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution banned her from singing in Washington’s Constitution Hall, which they owned. First lady Eleanor Roosevelt resigned from the group in response and sponsored an Easter morning concert at the Lincoln Memorial. | Marian Anderson gave one of her most memorable performances to a crowd of 75,000 people. The Metropolitan Opera in New York never had a black singer perform in any of its productions until January 17, 1955. Anderson made history with her performance in Verdi’s “A Masked Ball.” Benjamin O. Davis Jr. 1912-1969 Born in Washington, Benjamin O. Davis Jr. was an army brat whose father set him a challenging example. The elder Davis became a brigadier general in 1940, the U.S. Army’s first black general. . ; The younger Davis paralleled his father’s illustrious career. He graduated from West Point in 1936 and began his military career at Fort Benning in Georgia. In 1942, he joined the Army Air Corps and took command of the 99th Fighter Squadron, the famous “Tuskegee airmen,” as a lieutenant colonel. Davis, known for his dignified manner and eloquent speech, became the first black brigadier general in the history of the U.S. Air Force in 1954. In 1965, he rose to the rank of lieutenant general. Patrick Francis Healy 1834-1910 A younger brother of Bishop James Healy, Patrick was the nation’s first black to earn a Ph.D. He and the rest of his five siblings contributed greatly to the world through their service as religious and civic leaders. ; Throughout his lifetime Healy received numerous medals and commendations. He was the 29th president of the prestigeous Georgetown University from 1873-1882. As a tribute to his outstanding leadership during his tenure, Georgetown erected the Healy Building. It housed the administration center, a classrom and a dormitory. ae a iets he wih a ne “CORNERSTONE LOAN” NO CREDIT! POOR CREDIT! OR SLOW CREDIT! Many models to chose from $1000 Down and DRIVE AWAYIII ee 3004 Drive/P.O. Box 30745 Greenville, NC 27834 loffice: (282) 324- Falene Little tits, REALTOR® Cel (262) 258-0788 2116. Arington Biv, Business (252) 215-0015 Fax (252) 215-6800 Toll Free 1-877-215-0015 E-Mail fitle@century2 \eliteproperties.com Web Site www, century2' elteproperties. com | Bach Otoe ts ndopenctontly Crened And Operated’ fa? to teacher Alberta King and Baptist minister Michael Luther King. & Sprint f IT’S QUR PRESENT. AND IT'S OUR At Sprint, we believe in creating opportunities for success in our local communities. That's why we are proud to provide ongoing sponsorship support to Historically : Black Colleges and Universities. Please join Sprint in celebrating Black History Martin Luther King, Jr., was born in Atlanta Month. Let's cherish our past. Let's make it useful to the present and the future. Office: 252.2 1 5. 1019 , Fax: 252 218, 1008 , © 2006 Sprint. All rights reserved, Sprint and the diamond logo dasign are trademarks of Sprint Communications Company LP SPA-4917 Mobile: 252.916.6361 - E-mail: gbellor@earthiink net a The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg? i | ig Speak to your mountain ... Stopping for a moment for our camera is Evelyn Dove of Kinston,professional counselor from Pathchoice Ministries whose theme is to “Speak To Your Mountain” call her at (252) 527-3950 photo by Jim Rouse WOOW 1340 am Your total African American Station | se || Md ir's OUR O@®D® The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pg10 | | HISTORICAL PHOTO FROM THE ARCHIVES OF __ THE MINORITY VOICE HOW MANY PEOPLE CAN YOU NAME IN THIS PHOTO??? ALSO IN THIS PHOTO IS A SHOT OF ONE OF OUR NOTED OFFICIALS Lil’ Kim & Busta -goofed on security BY ADAM MATTHEWS . SPECIAL TO THE DAILY a NEWs When raunchy rapper Lil’ Kim was sent to prison for perjury last year, her biggest mistake may not have been lying - but trusting two felons to protect her. The diminutive diva paid longtime friends Suif Jackson and Damion Butler to be part of her entourage and then lied to a grand jury to protect them after a 2001 shootout outside Hot 97 studios in Manhattan. Her misplaced frust isa textbook example of the danger of using untrained associates, rather than professionals, as security, experts said. The slaying of Busta Rhymes’ bodyguard last Sunday once again spotlighted the questionable and dangerous ways hip hop stars protect themselves. “I’d rather play it stricter than end up in tragedy,” says Mike Zimet, a security expert who guarded both Sean (Diddy) Combs and Lil’ Kim at their trials. “Too many events in the hip hop world end up in trouble. Just about everything is preventable.” Asked about last week’s fatal shooting, Zimet said, “You had top talent like Busta Rhymes, Missy /£ Elliott, Mary J. Blige and you had DMX. Any of those people could have been killed. Why? ‘Cause a proper security plan wasn’t implemented.” Violence often erupts when rapper’s entourages outnumber paid security, according to former NYPD detective and security veteran Derrick Parker. “I can’t let in a guy with 20-30 guys,” he - You Have Read Volume One, Now The Secret Is Out! Volume Two Is Going To Allow You To , -Know The True Meaning Of Loving Ole School With A Blessing Of Under- standing! Are You Ready For This Volume? Do You Really Want To Turn The Pages Of This Book And Allow The Pages To Turn Once Again For You? Most Im- portantly Are You Ready To Let The Words Soak Into Your Heart And + Soul.The Content Of This BookIs _| Moving You To The Next Level OfWhat Is About To Take Place In The Spirit... Turn Now The Pages And Watch Them Bless You! Lets Go Right Down Memory Lane And Walk The Streets Of Lyrics And Stand Under The Street Lights And See Who Is Singing Encouragement And Inspiration To You.. COME GO WITH MeE...... said. “Who can control 20-30 guys?” It’s often easier to _ Just lock down a venue. For example, when 50 Cent is inside G-Unit Records’ Manhattan offices, the doors are sealed. No one enters or leaves until he has exited, experts said. Another proven tactic used by security experts is familiarizing themselves with a venue before bringing artists inside. “I actually case the joint,” said a longtime, hip hop bodyguard. “I make sure there is an extra door. I look back and forth for escape routes.” But the bodyguard said avoiding trouble is often as simple as traveling with a smaller posse. “Rappers should crack down on entourages, the less of an entourage you have, the better,” he said. “Choose your entourage carefully, because sometimes your entourage can be the ones to cause your career to go down.” GOSPEL ARTIST REVEALS CD AT LIBRARY Kinston, NC-A CD release celebration for Kinston gospel singer Shillena Parks will be held at the Kinston- Lenoir County Public Library on Saturday, February 25, 2006 at 4:00 p.m. in the Schechter Auditorium. Parks is an eastern North Carolina native and will speak about her journey to recording her new release, Still... For His Glory. She will also sing selections from the album and sign discs. Copies of the CD will be available to purchase at the event. _ “The Library is privileged to have the talented Mrs. Parks perform for our patrons. Her concerts are full of humor and heart,” said Agnes Ho, Director of Libraries for the Neuse Regional System. _ For more information about this program, call 252-527-7066, Ext. 120. 2020 state-sponsored 529 plan « tax-free earnings * investmentchoices * flexible contributions + virtually any college, anywhere CFNC.org/Savings. 800-600-3453 The class of 2018 2013 Will you be ready for college when they are? North Carolina's National College Savings Program 2021 2015 om at GREAT AFRICAN AMERICANS | IN HI The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pgll TORY established his reputation with his first novel, Go Tell It On The Mountain (1953), an autobiographical tale of growing up in Harlem. He became one of the leading African-American authors of his generation, known for novels and essays that tackled black-white and hetero- homosexual relationships. He JAMES B ALDWINe __ was particularly a noted Writer _ essayist during the Civil James Baldwin Rights movement of the $81,500 1960s. Baldwin turned to writing after being encouraged by Richard Wright, and, like Wright, left the U.S. after World War II and moved to France. His novels, including Giovanni's Room (1956), Another Country (1962) and Just Above My Head (1979), all deal with the struggle for individuality against intolerance. He also wrote several plays, including Blues For Mister Charlie (1964), and Evidence of Things Not Seen (1986), a book about racially-motivated child murders in Atlanta. rs James Baldwin established his reputation with his first novel, Go Tell It On The Mountain (1953), an autobiographical tale of growing up in Harlem. He became one of the leaditf®” African-American authors of his generation, known for novels and essays that tackled black-white and hetero- | homosexual relationships. He was particularly a noted essayist during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. Baldwin turned to writing after being encouraged by Richard Wright, and, like Wright, left the U.S. after World War II and moved to France. His novels, including Giovanni's Room (1956), Another Country (1962) and Just Above My Head (1979), all deal with the struggle for individuality against intolerance. He also wrote several plays, including Blues For Mister Charlie (1964), | and Evidence of Things Not Seen (1986), a book about racially-motivated child murders in Atlanta. Tired of renting?! Let me welcome you to the serene Country Squire Neighborhood. Make this affordable, completely renovated 3BR/2BA home yours. . You won't find a more quality home at this price anywhere in Pitt County. Noria Namaz What are you waiting for?? Call me now, I can show you how to finance this immaculate home. Coldwell Banker Landmark Properties 243 Commerce Street Greenville Pitt NC 27858 Phone: 252-321-5204 Fax: 252-756-7134 Cell: 252-341-3552 Email: noria.namaz@coldwellbanker.com Woodson | (1875 -,1990) The Coca-Oota Company te a proud sponsor of Altinan Amevioan Lives. Aitieg On PBS in Fetewnry 2008, ‘ ©2008 The Coce-Coln Comper “Coca-Cola clare” and ine Omame: Mitven are tredenartes of The Coce Cote Commons Carter Godwin Woodson was born on December 19, 1875 at New Canton, Va. | He was an American - historian who first opened the long-neglected field of black studies to scholars : and also popularized the ' field in the schools and colleges pf blacks, To focus attention on black contributions to civilization, he founded Negro History Week in 1926. This celebration and remembrance would later evolve into Black History Month. Carter was born of a poor family. He supported ee by eels) in the ops. coal mines of Kentucky and was thus unable to enroll in high school until he was 20. After graduating in less than two years, he taught high school, wrote articles, studied at home and abroad, and -received his Ph.D. from NY Harvard University (1912). In 1915 he founded the | Association for the ‘Study of Negro Life and History to encourage scholars to engage in: the intensive study of the past as it related to Africans and their Wisp thelieabis through pent eee. tp agate CC 7a Sette Pe PENA GE the world. Prior to this _ work, the field had been largely neglected or distorted in the hands of historians who accepted the traditionally biased picture of blacks in American and world affairs. In 1916 Woodson edited the first issue of the association’s principal scholarly publication, The Journal of Negro History, f which, under his direction, remained an important historical periodical for more than 30 years. Angela Davis: Angela Davis, radical black activist and philosopher, was arrested as a suspected conspirator in the abortive attempt to free George Jackson from a courtroom in Marin County, California, August 7, | 1970. The guns used were registered in her name. Angela Davis was eventually acquitted of all charges, but was briefly on the FBI’s most-wanted list as she fled from arrest. Angela Davis is often associated with the Black Panthers and with the black power politics of the late 1960s and early 1970s. She joined the Communist Party when Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. She was active with SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) before the Black Panthers. Angela Davis ran for U.S. Vice President on the © Communist Party ticket in 1980. Angela Davis has been an activist and writer promoting women’s rights and racial justice while pursuing her career as a philosopher and teacher at the University of Santa Cruz and San Francisco University — she achieved tenure at the University of California at Santa Cruz though former governer Ronald Reagan’swore she would never teach again in the University of California system. She studied with political philosopher Herbert Marcuse. She has published on race, Class, and gender ‘Elijah McCoy Elijah McCoy was born in Colchester, Ontario, Canada on May 2, 1844, the son of former slaves who had fled from Kentucky before the U.S. Civil War. Educated in Scotland as a mechanical engineer, Elijah McCoy returned to the United States and settled in Detroit, Michigan. He began experimenting with a cup that would regulate the flow of oil onto moving parts of industrial machines. His first invention was a lubricator for steam engines, U.S. 129,843, which issued on July 12, 1872. The invention allowed machines to remain in motion to be oiled; his new oiling device” revolutionized the industrial machine industry. Elijah McCoy established his own firm - and was responsible for a total of 57 patents. The term “real McCoy” refers to the oiling device used for industrial machinery. His contribution to the lubricating device became so popular that people inspecting new equipment would ask is the device contained the real McCoy. This helped popularize the American expression, meaning the real thing. His other inventions included an ironing board and lawn sprinkler. . The Minority Voice Newspaper February 14 - 28, 2006 pgi2 AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY MAKERS OF PITT COUNTY NC police take thousands of license plates from uninsured drivers WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — At least 5,300 cars across North Carolina have had their tags taken away by police and deputies empowered by a new law to confiscate the plates of uninsured vehicles. The law that took effect Dec. 1 gave local law enforcement the authority to confiscate plates that had _ been revoked for lack of insurance. Before then, the job was left to the Division of Motor Vehicles. Local officials didn’t always know when plates had been revoked, and if they did, all they could do was issue a ticket. “All they were doing was giving a $50 citation, and the person drives away and still doesn’t have insurance,” said state Rep. Dale Folwell, R-Forsyth, who introduced the legislation. ' | Now local officers can see on their computers when a vehicle’s license plate has been revoked because of lapsed insurance. Police department spokesman Capt. Bill Cobb said removing the plates takes only a few minutes. About 400,000 drivers in the state are thought to be uninsured. Officials estimate the number of plates confiscated since Dec. 1 at 5,300 but say the actual number could-be much higher. Cobb said that he didn’t know how many plates his’ department had collected. “Every week or two. weeks we’re taking them over to DMV,” he said. The changed law is part of an effort to force drivers to pay their insurance bills. Lawmakers and insurance companies hope that doing so will lead to lower insurance payments for everybody else. “The purpose is to reward people who are doing the right thing by following the insurance laws of North Carolina and to punish those who aren’t:” Polwell said. The state Department of Insurance estimates that insurance companies will get 16,000 claims involving uninsured drivers at a cost of $80 million this year. Officials hope that taking their plates will either keep them off the road or force them to become insured. “It ultimately will drive down the cost of uninsured- motorist coverage,” said Frank Folger, the legislative counsel for the insurance department. “And the more people who buy insurance, generally speaking, that has a tendency to have a positive impact on rates.”