http://nnpa.org/nnpa_newswire/black-unemployment-rises-by-freddie-allen/?_sft_category=lead
http://nnpa.org/nnpa_newswire/community-efforts-urged-to-curb-mass-incarceration-by-jazelle-hunt/?_sft_category=lead
http://nnpa.org/nnpa_newswire/385-killed-by-cops-in-2015/?_sft_category=national
CASH IN THE APPLE FOR 6-11-15
By Cash Michaels
NBA FINALS
– Wow! No matter what team you’re rooting for, you have to agree that the NBA Finals are shaping up to be some of
the great games of all time. LeBron
James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Stephen
Curry of the Golden State Warriors have been leading their teams gallantly,
giving us, for the first time in history, two back-to-back overtime games in
the finals.
Both teams
are rendering solid defenses, and we’re watching the best of the NBA claw and
fight, and play their hearts out. Certainly, whichever team wins, it won ‘t be
easy. There’s tremendous determination on both sides.
The TV
ratings are proving it…these NBA Finals are ones for the books.
NORTH
CAROLINA’S ROLE IN “BIRTH OF FUNK” – For lovers of popular music, have you ever
wondered who created the funky sounds of James
Brown, Wilson Pickett and Parliament Funkadelic? And what was
North Carolina’s role in creating the funk?
All of that
and more can be answered at the NC
Museum of History’s new exhibit, Hey
America: Eastern North Carolina and the Birth of Funk, which runs now
through Sunday, Feb. 28th, 2016. It’s free and open to the public. The eastern NC tie-in is musical
artists like Nathaniel “Nat” Jones, Sam
Lathan, Dick Knight and others who joined James Brown’s Famous Flames in 1962. Some of Brown’s best
musicians, like Maceo Parker, Melvin
Parker, Levi Rasbury and Dick Knight
came from Kinston, NC.
The exhibit
case features:
● A green jumpsuit, ca. 1970,
and Pierre Cardin dress shoes, ca. 1965-1970, that Brown wore during his
unforgettable live performances. Both objects are on loan from the Estate of
James Brown.
● The saxophone
that Maceo Parker played with James Brown in the 1970s.
● The set of drums that Melvin Parker performed
with in the 1970s.
● The original 1962
album “Pure Dynamite.”
●
A saxophone played by Nat Jones.
●
A poster featuring a performance by the Nat Jones Orchestra on Aug. 4, 1967.
(Jones led this orchestra, as well as the James Brown Orchestra.)
In
addition, you can hear eight songs that Brown recorded, such as “It’s A
Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World;” “Superbad, Superslick;” and “Make It Funky.”
Certainly a
great exhibit that reminds us all what Black
Music History Month is all . So go by the NC Museum of History near the
State Capital in downtown Raleigh to see this outstanding exhibit case. Go to http://ncmuseumofhistory.org
for more information.
JURRASIC WORLD
– Looking forward to taking my daughter to see “Jurassic World,” the sequel to
the sequel to the sequel to the sequel of the original 1993 Steven Spielberg dinosaur classic, “
Jurassic Park.” KaLa and I both love
superhero/adventure stuff on TV and the movies, so these father-daughter movie
outings are great! Last two movies we saw were “San Andreas” with Dwayne
Johnson and “The Avengers: Age of Ultron.” We saw the first Avengers movie
together two years ago as well.
I know, I
know…in a few years KaLa will have a boyfriend to take her to the movies, so I
better enjoy it while I can. By the way boyfriend, my daughter likes extra,
extra butter on her popcorn.
It’s been
seven months since my debilitating stroke with temporarily disabled my left leg
and impacted my left arm. My neurologist told me that it will most likely be a
year before my leg gets back anywhere near normal. My arm is virtually one
hundred percent (in fact I favor driving
with my left arm, and do so with confidence).
I write
this because the past seven months have been a battle to keep weight off, build
muscle and develop coordination. Even though I hobble a little because my left
leg, though very strong, still has to rebuild its connection with my brain
(that’s what the stroke badly damaged), I’ve been able to drive to and work by
myself in Winston-Salem, Wilmington (when I’m in Raleigh), Fayetteville. I’ve
also been able to do five-camera on-site video production for three films, and
go on multiple location shoots for a new product commercials as well, again all
by myself.
So it
certainly took me long enough, but after a stroke and two heart procedures I’ve
definitely finally learned at the ripe old age of 59 that your health is the
most important aspect of living. Yes being a good and godly person is as well,
but how can you go on so-called “serving GOD,” but take pity-poor care of the
body that He gave you to serve him in?
GOD got my
attention last November. Be smarter than me. Don’t wait for the Lord to lay you
out on your back before you realize that your blood pressure and blood sugar
are too high, and that you’re eating too much fatty food and your cholesterol
is probably through the roof. Don’t be hardheaded like I was. Trust me, it will
catch up with you.
And when it
does, it will change your life. The question is will you be able to recover
when it does? Don’t wait to find out. Make those changes NOW!
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.waug-network.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).
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.
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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STATE NEWS BRIEFS FOR 6-11-15
STATE NEWS BRIEFS FOR 6-11-15
MOORE COUNTY
REINSTATES SUPT. AFTER FIRING
[CAMERON]
It’s a strange story that continues to get stranger. Days after the Moore
County Board of Education fired a tearful School Supt. Robert Grimesey for
reasons unknown, followed then by three members who voted for the termination resigning afterwards, the five remaining board
members on Monday voted 4-1 to rehire Grimesey amid angry teachers and parents.
Following that vote, yet a fourth member of the school board resigned, saying
that the original termination was justified. The Moore County School Board is
now seeking four new members.
US FOURTH CIRCUIT
RELEASES PITT COUNTY FROM DESEGREGATION ORDER
[GREENVILLE]
After over 40 years of federal government oversight, the US Fourth Circuit
Court of Appeals has released the Pitt County Public School System from a 1965 desegregation
order. By a 2-1 decision, the appellate court was satisfied that Pitt County
had successfully integrated its schools. Judge James Wynn, the dissenting
opinion, wrote that he was not as satisfied with what progress Pitt County has
made, and felt that it needed more time. 170,000 residents, 34 percent of whom
are black, live in Pitt County. 24 percent live at, or below the poverty level,
higher than the state average. 48 percent of school students there are black,
and 60 percent of the school population is at free and reduced lunch.
OVER 30 POSITIONS CUT
AT ELIZABETH CITY STATE UNIVERSITY
[ELIZABETH
CITY] By order of the UNC Board of Governors, Elizabeth City State University
has cut $2.8 million from its budget for the coming year, effectively
eliminating 34 positions at the 124-year-old historically black UNC System
campus. Some of those positions affected were already vacant, university
officials note. Enrollment continues to
drop at ECSU, falling below 1,900 for the fall. The school, which has cut $5
million from its budget over the past three years, will further save money with
less technology maintenance and better energy usage.
-30-
TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS
6-11-15
CARY NOW ACCEPTING
911 TEXTS
As of this month, the town of
Cary is accepting 911 texts. Customers with AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and
T-Mobile can text in emergency by entering 911 as the recipient. Photos and
other images cannot be transmitted, and officials ask that exact addresses and
locations be used. Officials add that the 911 texts should be used only when
making 911 calls by telephone is not possible. Situations may arise where using
one’s voice is not possible, and thus, the 911 text. Cary is the only
municipality in Wake County with the program. Durham also has it.
CARY POLICE CHIEF
RETIRING IN JULY
After 29
years, Cary Police Pat Bazemore, the first woman ever to serve in that
capacity, is retiring as of July 31st. Bazemore’s career is marked
by a series of first in the department, being the first female lieutenant,
captain, major and deputy police chief. She joined the Cary force in 1986, when
there were only 31 staff members. Today, 230 employees report to the Cary Police
Dept. to watch over a community of 153,000 residents. In a statement, Chief
Bazemore, 53, said she was proud to have served the citizens of Cary.
TOWN HALL ON RACE
PROVIDES DIALOGUE
In the
aftermath of civil unrest in Ferguson, Mo. and Baltimore, Md., citizens and
public officials gathered at Martin Street Baptist Church last week to discuss
the state of race and police relations in Raleigh, and to identify areas of
improvement where needed. Participants said it was important for communities to
be proactive, instead of reactive, and that law enforcement must establish
strong bonds of trust with the communities they serve.
-30-
NEW FUNK MUSIC EXHIBIT AT HISTORY MUSEUM - Want to know more about the birth of funk music, and it's connection to North Carolina? Then visit "Hey America: Eastern North Carolina and the Birth of Funk Music." Learn more reading Cash in the Apple on page *** [photo courtesy NC Museum of History]
[BOX] GOVERNOR
PARDONS BROWN AND MCCOLLUM
Nine months after a Superior Court
judge declared then innocent of 1983 rape and murder charges that sent them to
prison over thirty years ago, Gov. Pat McCrory pardoned Leon Brown and his
half-brother, Henry McCollum. The pair had been released last September, but
were legally unable to apply for state compensation until the governor issued
pardons of innocence. They had been falsely convicted of the rape and murder of
an 11-year-old girl in Red Springs. Prior to his release, McCollum was the
longest serving inmate on death row. A reinvestigation of the case revealed DNA
that belonged to a known rapist who lived close to the murder scene.
-30-
NC GOP CHAIR HASAN HARNETT
NC GOP ELECTS FIRST
BLACK CHAIRMAN
By Cash Michaels
An analysis
The new
chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, Hasan Harnett, is blunt as to why he feels he is the right
leader for right now.
“We have a
lot of work to do going into 2016,” the Cabarrus County native stated on his
website. “We can crush the Democrats next year if we have a plan, and proper
leadership to fulfill that plan.”
Indeed to
read many of Harnett’s writings online, or listen to his many speeches, one has
to be impressed with his aspirational vision.
“Success is
never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence,
planning, and focused effort,” Harnett once wrote. It is hard to believe, after
seeing, hearing and reading the 39-year-old small business owner, former
All-American track star, and former campaign manager for failed 12th
District Congressional candidate and black conservative Vince Coakley, that the
Republican elected power structure – Gov. McCrory, senators Burr and Tillis,
and even GOP leadership in the state Legislature – were all against his
election as party chairman, instead endorsing establishment party loyalist
Craig Collins of Gastonia.
Delegates,
like blogger John Gjertsen, resented the idea of party leaders handpicking
their choice, and charging them $75.00-a-head to just ratify it. So they took a
closer look at Harnett.
“His outspoken Christian
values are good for the party, offering a much-needed perspective on the
empty promises of excessive government,” wrote Gjertsen.
Last Saturday
during the annual NC Republican Party Convention in Raleigh, Harnett attracted
an impressive base of delegate supporters who, once a third candidate dropped
out, swung his way, giving him a 700 to 562 victory over Collins that was not
supposed to happen.
In that
moment, history was made, and Hasan Harnett, who also served at the state GOP’s
minority outreach director, was elected the first black chairman of the NC
Republican Party for the next two years.
“Congratulations
to Hasan Harnett for his election as the new chairman of the North Carolina
Republican Party,” said outgoing NC GOP Chair Claude Pope, who did not run for
re-election. “As a former campaign manager and outreach director, Hasan has the
right experience to raise the funds necessary to grow our grassroots army and
lead our party to even greater electoral victories.”
Even national GOP presidential
candidates like Sen. Rand Paul [R-Kentucky] sent regards.
“Congratulations to
@HasanHarnett on his victory! I look forward to working with him and the @NCGOP
in the near future,” tweeted Sen. Paul.
Published
reports say that Harnett, who had been campaigning for leadership slot since
January and made over 4,000 personal telephone calls soliciting support,
attracted much of the Tea Party and Libertarian vote to his side, which means
that party leaders may have a problem dictating terms to the new party leader.
If some of
the posts on local conservative websites are any indication, grassroots
conservatives are hailing Harnett’s election as a definitive break from “the
establishment” of McCrory, Burr and Tillis, and the lobbyists that
conservatives allege control them.
“The Republican establishment already has the
short knives out for him,” wrote one poster named “Cotton” at the “jonesand
blount.com” blogsite. “He is being warned that he had better lay hands on the
GOP treasury quickly, before it is looted by the establishment. Likewise, they
are planning quick rule changes that will forbid him from firing their cronies that
are on the NCGOP staff.”
“The icing on the cake is that they are also
appealing to their corrupt, big money donors to send their money to
establishment PACs instead of the party. These clowns are real villains and
need to be purged.”
Another poster named “Republican
Wildcast” called Harnett “a Tea Party favorite.” Others have urged him to
immediately conduct an audit before state party funds are secretly moved.
Clearly, party unity going into an
important election year will be one of Harnett’s tasks.
As state
Republican Party chairman, Harnett’s job boils down to raising as much money as
possible for GOP candidates, and then getting those candidates elected.
During his
campaign for the post, Harnett, who once called himself a “servant-leader” and “constitutional
conservative,” cited the need for the Republican Party in North Carolina to be
“re-invigorated,” even though the party dominates both houses of the NC General
Assembly, occupies the Governor’s Office, and dominates the Congressional
delegation and owns both US Senate seats.
He also
called for the party to “listen to the grassroots” and hold itself
“accountable.”
During the
candidates forum sponsored by the Lee County Republican Party last month,
Harnett told attendees that even though Republicans hold the majority in state
government, they shouldn’t stop there.
Harnett
said that the Democrats have a “well-oiled machine” and he accused them of
“swooping in an stealing votes” in various neighborhoods, according to a video
of his remarks on Youtube.
He also
that across the nation, “…the liberal agenda” has people “turning their backs
to God.” During an April online interview on the program “The Recap,” Harnett
urged Republicans to “…fight to stand up against evil,” though he didn’t go
further in defining exactly what “evil” he was referring to.
In his
campaign videos, Harnett espouses traditional Republican values of low taxes,
limited government, free markets and Second Amendment gun rights. Married with
three children, Harnett also espouses the importance of God to the Republican
Party, again suggesting that Republican values are closer to biblical teachings
that Democratic Party policies.
Clearly, as
chairman, Harnett’s top priority is fortifying North Carolina’s GOP for the
2016 gubernatorial and presidential elections. With a Republican Gov. Pat
McCrory vulnerable and a public increasingly unhappy with the direction the
Republican-led General Assembly is going, Harnett’s work will be cut out for
him.
But his
biggest challenge may be the one thing his very election symbolizes, namely
broadening the base of the North Carolina Republican Party.
Even one of
his interviewers stated that the GOP was known to be a party dominated by “old
white men,” and that persona needed to be changed in order for more people of
color and women to join. Harnett has made it clear during his campaign for
chairman that he sees broadening the party as one of his priorities beyond
raising money and electing candidates.
The problem
is where Harnett’s party is on issues like voting rights, Medicaid, health care
and criminal justice. More times than not, the Republican Party is seen as an
adversary to policies that were born out of the 60’s civil rights movement, and
have helped bring about a degree of equality in areas where African-Americans
were previously locked out.
The Carolinian left word at the NC Republican Party and Harnett's campaign for comment, but did not hear back from him by press time Wednesday.
The Carolinian left word at the NC Republican Party and Harnett's campaign for comment, but did not hear back from him by press time Wednesday.
How Harnett
convinces the black community that the Republican Party has its best interests
at heart, all the while supporting GOP efforts to restrict voting rights,
eliminate Medicaid and Obamacare, and clear the way for more guns to be on the
streets, will perhaps be his ultimate challenge.
Pointing to
his election as a “good start,” Harnett added, “…there’s much more work to be
done.”
“Our focus is to defeat the
Democrats and the Clinton machine in 2016,” Harnett wrote in a letter of thanks
to his supporters after his victory. “As I said in my speech, teamwork makes the
dream work. The Republican Party is the only party to keep the American dream
alive.”
-30-
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