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WILMINGTON TEN DOCUMENTARY POSTPONED TENTATIVELY UNTIL APRIL
[WILMINGTON] The Feb. 15th world premiere of the Wilmington Ten documentary, “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten,” has been postponed tentatively until April, promoters said. The two-hour film traces the case of eight black New Hanover County students, a white community organizer, and civil rights activist Rev. Ben Chavis, when they are falsely tried and convicted of burning down a grocery store amid 1971 school protests, and how the Black Press led the way in 2012 to clear their names. A new date will shortly be announced.
NCNAACP “MORAL MARCH”
SATURDAY
EXPECTS THOUSANDS
FROM ACROSS STATE
By Cash Michaels
Editor
On the eve
of perhaps the largest Historic Thousands on Jones Street (HK on J) gathering
in its over seven years of existence, hundreds are expected to gather this
Friday evening at Abundant Life Christian Center (7 p.m. at 4400 Old Poole Road
in Raleigh) to take part in a “pre-Moral March” mass meeting and worship
service.
The mission
– to spiritually prepare to march on the NC Legislative Building, demanding
that the Republican-led General Assembly, and GOP Gov. Pat McCrory, stop what
the NCNAACP has called their “repressive” public policies that have hurt the
poor of North Carolina, and have “turned the clock back” on civil rights
achievements.
“Traditionally during the Civil
Rights Movement, mass meetings and worship services were held every evening
during a struggle and especially on the nights before marches,” says Rev. Dr.
William Barber, president of the NCNAACP, and convener of the HK on J/Moral
March on Raleigh Saturday. “The mass meetings served to inspire the
participants, undergird the moral center of the Movement and give marchers the courage
to continue the struggle.”
“The Pre-Moral March Mass Meeting
and Worship Service is open to people of all faiths and people not of faith,”
Rev. Barber continued. “This service is designed to prepare us for the Moral
March on Raleigh by spiritually invoking enthusiasm, fellowship, confidence,
strength, unity, love, peace, and a source of power beyond what can be seen
with our eyes or calculated with our minds. This is a call for humility,
prayer, redemption, solidarity, endurance, and spiritual connectivity as part
of the moral civil/human rights tradition, and prophetic journey toward
justice.”
On Saturday, Feb. 8th,
thousands from across the state are expected to gather in front of Shaw
University on Wilmington Street between South Street and Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd at 9 a.m. in downtown Raleigh. After gathering, they will march through
downtown to the State Capitol.
Since 2006 when the HK on J Peoples’
Assemblies began, over 150 coalition partners have joined in coalition with the
NC NAACP to demand legislative justice, regardless of which party was in power
at the time, and push its 14-point agenda.
According to the HK on J website, “This year's annual
people's assembly will be held in the wake of a powerful push back to the
immoral and unconstitutional policies supported and passed by Governor Pat
McCrory, Speaker Thom Tillis, Senate Leader Phil Berger, Budget Director Art
Pope and other extremists in the NC General Assembly during the 2013
Session. After 13 Moral Mondays in Raleigh leading to almost 1,000 arrests
for civil disobedience and 24 local Moral Mondays spanning the entire state,
the Forward Together Moral Movement and the HKonJ coalition will join together
once again for the Moral March on Raleigh HKonJ People's Assembly.
“Rev. Barber says, “If you believe
that an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere, if you understand
that what happens in North Carolina has implications for the future of the
nation, if you believe that we can build a moral movement together to save the
soul of our state and country, then join us as we tell Governor McCrory and the
North Carolina General Assembly, "Forward Together, Not One Step
Back!" We are calling on all people of conscience and concern to join us
as we stand against the extreme and regressive agenda being pushed in North
Carolina. This agenda is a reflection of what is happening across the United
States.”
For more information about the HK on
J/Moral March and Rally this Saturday, go to http://www.hkonj.com/moral_march_on_raleigh
for more information.
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TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS FOR 2-6-2014
WAKE SCHOOL BOARD
PROPOSES 20 SCHOOLS TO BE CAPPED
Citing
growing student populations, the Wake School Board Tuesday released a list of
20 schools proposed to be enrollment capped in the 2014-15 school year. Most
are elementary schools, including Leesville Road, Walnut Creek and Holly Grove.
The board is expected to vote on the caps Feb. 18th.
DURHAM MAYOR SAYS
CITY MUST FOCUS ON POVERTY
Durham
Mayor Bill Bell says in order to reduce crime and increase opportunity in the
Bull City, poverty must be addressed.
And that means building trust between local government and the
community. Bell, however, did not address how the suicide of 17-year-old Jesus
Huerta in the back of Durham patrol car has fractured that trust thus far. The Durham District Attorney’s Office has now
reopened the case after determining that there was no criminality when the
handcuffed Huerta allegedly produced a gun to kill himself.
APEX OFFICIAL RETIRES
AFTER DWI CHARGE
The
assistant town manager for Apex has retired after 35 years, after he was
arrested last Saturday and charged with driving while impaired. Michael Wilson,
59, has a March 11th court date for the charge. Town Manager Bruce
Raeford says Wilson, “…has
been instrumental in guiding and directing the positive growth and prosperity
of Apex. His commitment to the Town is unparalleled, and Apex is a better place
today because of his many contributions. He has been the epitome of a dedicated
public servant.” Wilson retirement was effective immediately.
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STATE NEWS BRIEF FOR 2-06-14
K9 OFFICER INVOLVED
IN ATTACK RETURNS TO PATROL DUTY
[WILMINGTON] A Wilmington police officer who last November
shoved a K-9 attack dog through a suspect’s car window after the suspect
surrendered with his hands up, was cleared by a grand jury of any criminal
charges, but has been relieved of his K-9 unit duty and returned to standard
patrol. Police Chief Ralph Evangelous announced that WPD Officer Stafford
Brister. The suspect, Johnnie Williams, says the dog bit him in the face and
arm while he was in the driver’s seat after a brief police chase. Williams
allegedly ran a police checkpoint. The K-9 dog has been suspended.
VSU REPORT ALLEGES
WSSU QB TRASH TALK STARTED FIGHT
[WINSTON-SALEM]
A report by Virginia State University into the fracas involving several of
their football players and a Winston-Salem State University football player on
the eve of their CIAA championship, says that the WSSU player, quarterback Rudy
Johnson started trash-talking, leading to a one-on-one fight with VSU running
back Lamont Britt. Both teams were at a luncheon together at WSSU the day
before the game when the fight in the bathroom broke out. Johnson was injured,
and police arrested Britt. Eight VSU football players were there. Two WSSU
players were also present. The report says the VSU player struck Johnson in the
face first, according to witnesses, amid “lighthearted bantering.”
SINGER CLAY AIKEN OFFICIALLY ENTERS CONGRESSIONAL RACE
[RALEIGH] As has been rumored for weeks, singer Clay Aiken has announced that he will run in the Democratic primary for the Second Congressional District to ultimately challenge incumbent Republican Congresswoman Renee Elmers in November. Most remembered as a finalist in "American Idol," Aikens has spoken out on a variety of public policy issues throughout the years, particularly in education, being a former teacher. Aiken says he's not a politician, but wants to be "voice for the powerless." he will face former state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco, and Toni Morris of Fayetteville, a licensed counselor.
SINGER CLAY AIKEN OFFICIALLY ENTERS CONGRESSIONAL RACE
[RALEIGH] As has been rumored for weeks, singer Clay Aiken has announced that he will run in the Democratic primary for the Second Congressional District to ultimately challenge incumbent Republican Congresswoman Renee Elmers in November. Most remembered as a finalist in "American Idol," Aikens has spoken out on a variety of public policy issues throughout the years, particularly in education, being a former teacher. Aiken says he's not a politician, but wants to be "voice for the powerless." he will face former state Commerce Secretary Keith Crisco, and Toni Morris of Fayetteville, a licensed counselor.
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CASH IN THE APPLE FOR 2-6-14
By Cash Michaels
POSTPONEMENT
– Due to unforeseen circumstances, we must announce that the Saturday, Feb. 15th
activities surrounding the world premiere of the NNPA – CashWorks HD Productions documentary, “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten” have been postponed. A tentative
date for April is being identified, but we’re awaiting confirmation from
various participants before officially announcing, which we hope will be soon.
We
apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused with the postponement, thank
our many supporters across the state who intended to be in Wilmington next week
with us, and invite them to stay tuned for when we announce the confirmed date
for sometime in April.
We promise
you the delay will be worth it.
And no, I’m
not happy about having to delay the premiere of this film we’ve worked so hard
for all of you to see, but I promise, when you finally do see it, the wait will
have been worth it!
Promise!
RUSSELL
WILSON – Last Sunday, during the most watched television program in history, a
young man who once played quarterback for NC
State University showed us what true greatness and leadership is. We mean
no disrespect to Denver Broncos
quarterback Peyton Manning, who is perhaps one of the greatest ever to play
the game, but Seattle Seahawks
quarterback Russell Wilson was simply outstanding, as he has been all
season.
Wilson is
only the second African-American QB to win a Super Bowl in history, but look at
the extraordinary way he did it, with a 43 – 8 score. The Seattle Seahawk
defense proved to indeed be the best, as it was all season long.
Wilson, a
former standout quarterback for the NC
State Wolfpack, and the Seahawks, taught us all a simple lesson – believe
in yourself, and trust in GOD, to take on all obstacles in life. Trust me, it
won’t be as easy as the lopsided blowout victory the Seahawks obviously had,
but it works.
And as for
Russell Wilson, well what can we say, except that we are so proud of this
intelligent, gracious young man and leader. His skills are among the best in
the game, and his name will always be spoken among the greatest in football,
especially if he returns for another Super Bowl Sunday.
Yes, the
last Super Bowl Sunday was a proud one, indeed.
O’REILLY VS
OBAMA - Did you see that foolish
bullying match between Fox News Channel blowhard Bill O’Reilly and President
Obama right before the Super Bowl Game Sunday?
Keep in
mind that it’s important to rabid right-wing elements like Fox News to be seen
as punishing the black Democratic “socialist…militant…Muslim” president who is
allegedly “changing” the very foundation of this nation through healthcare
reform, equal pay for women, and …just being black.
So
O’Reilly, the biggest mouth this side of Chris
Christie, deems it his duty to march into the White House Sunday afternoon,
lean forward into Pres. Obama’s face, rhetorically point a finger into the
Commander-in-chief’s face, and give him what for.
And given
that behavior, O’Reilly considers himself a ‘journalist.”
No, Bill
O’Reilly is a clown.
A true
journalist, with legitimately tough questions for the president of the United
States, would have done what a Peter
Jennings of ABC News, or Tim Russert of NBC News, or even Mike Wallace of CBS
News’ “60 Minutes” would have done – craft their tough questions properly,
put them to the president in a firm, but absolutely respectful manner, and then
shut up until the opportunity to either follow-up or move on appeared.
O’Reilly’s
manner is to show that HE is the boss, and everybody else bows down to him.
That’s not journalism, and anyone pulling that kind of nonsense with that kind
of attitude can’t help but to be disrespectful
Now I’m
sure that many of Fox’s conservative audience liked the way O’Reilly tried to
handle the president. They liked it so much, they probably didn’t notice that
Pres. Obama was very well prepared, and quite frankly, handled the darn fool
back.
At one point the president even chided “Billo,” telling him, ”Well if you’d listen, Bill, I’m trying to explain.”
At one point the president even chided “Billo,” telling him, ”Well if you’d listen, Bill, I’m trying to explain.”
Obama even
told O’Reilly that the main reason why controversies like Benghazi, the
Obamacare rollout and the IRS monitoring conservative groups scandal made so
much noise is because Fox News kept milking them for all they were worth, even
though each one had extensive Congressional hearings with no smoking guns of
deliberate wrongdoing.
“I know you
think [Fox News] treats you unfairly,” a supposedly chastened Bill O’Reilly
says to Obama afterwards.
Well
DUHHHHH, Bill!
You know,
it took the election, and the re-election of Barack Obama as president, for the
true feelings of a certain group of people in this country to come out from
under the sheets. These people are supremacists, the kind who get insulted when
Coca Cola airs a Super Bowl commercial celebrating the diversity of America, or
when Cheerios dares to show an American family comprised of a Black father, a
white mother, and a mixed-race child who loves them both.
This group
is using every means necessary to hold onto power. They are in the minority, but
they’ve already proven that they are willing to even bring this nation down to
its knees, with millions suffering, just to get their way, and impose their
will.
I, for one,
am glad that we have a strong president who is willing to stand up to the likes
of a Bill O’Reilly. And that should be a signal to the rest of us that we, too,
should stand strong against those who are actively, and quite frankly
successfully, working hard to deny the rest of us the equal rights our
forefathers and foremothers fought and died for us to have.
Maybe one
day, bullies like Bill O’Reilly, will wake up and realize this. I think he did
when the president of the United States refused to lick his shoes.
ZIMMERMAN WANTS TO FIGHT - If it
wasn’t for my poor health, I would sign up right now to climb into the ring to
do the beatdown on George Zimmerman,
the person (I refuse to use the term “man”) who killed unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin, and got away with it in
court. But instead, a promoter who promises to donate the proceeds to charity
is fronting a supposed match between Zimmerman and a still-to-be-chosen
opponent.
Published reports say Zimmerman
wants to fight rapper Kanye West
because he gets into fights with “defenseless people.” Not quite sure what that
means. Yes, West has had some altercations with a press photographer, an a
teenager who allegedly used the n-word towards West’s wife, Kim Kardashian, but that’s far from
picking on anybody since, in both cases, the rapper’s privacy was being
invaded.
It has been widely reported that
Zimmerman has a disdain for certain black people, so I, for one, would like to
see his ultimate opponent (if this bizarre ‘fight’ ever takes place) represent,
if you know what I mean.
And whoever it is, I hope they have
junkyard attitude about the match. Don’t end it too fast, but DO end it. Make
sure, when George stumbles up off the mat, that he realizes that he has just
gotten only a taste of what most of right-minded America truly thinks of him.
Like I said…if only I were in good
health…I’d pay them for the chance!
JOHNSON’S HYPOCRISY – The issue
isn’t whether Bob Johnson’s daughter
married a white man. In my opinion, if you truly love someone, and they are not
only good to you, but good for you, then it’s nobody’s business what color they
or you are.
The issue is that Bob Johnson, the
black father of Black Entertainment
Television, was more than willing to push “poison” by way of nasty, filthy
and disgusting music videos featuring black youth as thugs, and young black
girls his daughter’s age and younger, as “b’s” and “hoes”, but never allowed
his precious daughter to watch any of that.
I find that to be a disgrace, and I
find it even more troubling that we allowed Bob Johnson to get away it. And
don’t forget, this is the man who tried to destroy Barack Obama’s chances to
become president in 2008 by suggesting that Obama had a drug habit beyond what
Obama had already revealed in his book.
This kind of hypocrisy sickens me,
especially when it involves our community. I wish his daughter no ill will, to
be clear. I just wish her daddy didn’t see the black community solely as a
moneymaking machine to which you could peddle poison you wouldn’t touch
yourself.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH – Take your
child to a library this month (it should be every month), and discover the
riches of your history together. It’s fun, and rewarding!
Make sure you tune in every Thursday
afternoon at 4 p.m. for my talk radio show, ''Make It Happen'' on Power 750
WAUG-AM, or online at www.myWAUG.com.
And read more about my thoughts and opinions exclusively at my blog, ‘The Cash
Roc” (http://thecashroc.blogspot.com/2011/01/cash-roc-begins.html).
I promise it will be interesting.
Cash in the Apple - honored as the Best
Column Writing of 2006 by the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Columnist Cash Michaels was also honored by the NNPA for Best Feature Story
Journalist of 2009, and was the recipient of the Raleigh-Apex NAACP’s
President’s Award for Media Excellence in Sept. 2011.
And coming on February 15, 2014, the
NNPA-CashWorks HD Productions documentary presentation of, “Pardons of
Innocence: The Wilmington Ten.”
Until next week, keep a smile on your face,
GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye, bye.
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