WILL THE STATE SENATE PAY EUGENICS VICTIMS?
By Cash Michaels
Editor
The
ball is in the state senate’s court now to compensate the victims of North
Carolina’s 50-year eugenics forced sterilization program.
The
question is will the Republicans leaders there vote to pay, or just take the
ball and go home? They’ve already indicated that they intend to adjourn their
short session in two weeks.
And
unlike the Republican-majority NC House, which passed a $10 million measure
this week compensating sterilization victims $50,000 a piece buy a 86-31 vote,
the passion to do the same is reportedly not necessarily the same in the
GOP-led Senate.
Sources say that the state Senate has
every intention of adjourning on June 19, and instead of having the
House-passed eugenics measure debated as a stand-alone bill, Republican leaders
may change it, possibly lessening the $50,000 payout, and stuff into their
version of changes to the state budget.
That
tactic would force the House to either accept it, along with other Senate-approved
changes to the budget adopted last year, or strip it out, meaning that the
whole measure goes down to defeat.
If
that scenario plays out, it would be yet another crushing blow to survivors of
the state’s eugenics program, which ran from the mid-1930s to the mid-1970s.
Poor
young girls - mostly white and black - and in some cases boys as well, were
targeted by their local health departments as being “feebleminded” or
promiscuous. Then, with the sometimes coerced permission of their parents, those
children were sterilized so that they could never produce what authorities
thought would be defective offspring.
Even
though North Carolina had long since stopped performing the forced
sterilizations after the 1970s, it wouldn’t be until 2003, after the sordid
history was revealed in a Winston-Salem Chronicle special series, that then Gov. Mike Easley apologized, and the NC
General Assembly removed the law authorizing forced sterilizations from the
books.
In
the nine years since, state lawmakers have dragged their feet on compensating
survivors of the eugenics programs - which number approximately 1500 of the
over 7,600 operations performed.
Approximately
118 survivors have so far been identified.
It
was Gov. Beverly Perdue, however, keeping a promise made in her 2008 campaign,
who pushed to have a state agency, and commission created to delve into the
issue, find and confirm survivors, hold a hearing, and recommend to Perdue what
a proper compensation package should be.
House
Speaker Thom Tillis [R-Mecklenburg], also expressing interest in resolving the
eugenics issue, also held a hearing, and promised that House would take it up
in the short session, which it has.
Even
though Tillis led the charge for passage on the bill, saying it was a chance
for the state to make amends for the harm and pain it was responsible for, many
Republicans voted against the measure, saying that people today aren’t
responsible for the sins of the past.
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STATE NEWS BRIEFS
STATE ETHICS COMMISSION PROBES LOBBYISTS SEX SCANDAL
[RALEIGH] The State Ethics Commission is investigating the connection between two lobbyists caught in alleged sexual affairs with two of House Speaker Thom Tillis’ top aides, and who they were working for, published reports say. Of interest, were any state laws broken in terms of illegal gifts to the aides by the lobbyists. Tillis’ chief of staff Charles Thomas, and policy adviser Amy Hobbs, were forced to step down after it was revealed they were allegedly carrying on sexual trysts with lobbyists Jessica Hayes and Dean Plunkett respectively. If the commission determines that laws were broken, it could result criminal charges and fines.
STATE HOUSE LOOKING TO SOFTEN VOTER I.D. BILL
[RALEIGH] Try as they have, House Republicans admit that they won’t have enough votes to override Gov. Beverly Perdue’s veto of their voter I.D. bill. Perdue blocked the measure last year that would have required all North Carolina voters to show a government-issued photo identification at the polls on election day. By the GOP are still committed to the idea, so House Speaker Thom Tillis says a new, softer voter ID bill that would only require some form of official ID like bank statements or utility bills, will be offered as a compromise. House Democrats counter that the measure would still be an effort to suppress the black vote come November, especially since there is hardly any evidence of voter fraud.
[UPDATED] REPUBLICANS STILL LOOKING TO GUT RACIAL JUSTICE ACT
House Republicans are not giving up in their quest to override Gov. Perdue’s veto of their repeal last year of NC Racial Justice Act. The 2009 law, passed by a Democratic legislature, allows defendants in death penalty cases to challenge possible racial bias of prosecutors. District attorneys across the state oppose the law. GOP House leaders now want to restrict the use of statistics proving racial bias to the county where the crime was committed, instead of statewide as the law currently provides. A state House judiciary committee, by a 8-6 vote along party lines, approved that change Wednesday. The bill, which is likely to pass, is also likely to face another veto from Gov. Perdue.
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TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS
FORMER WAKE JUDGE, ATTORNEY AND TWO OTHERS TARGETED BY
GRAND JURY
A
Wake grand jury has issued presentments to prosecutors to further probe the
actions of a former judge, a practicing attorney and two legal assistants in
their handling of several DWI cases. Former Wake District Court Judge Kristin
Ruth, who stepped down from the bench several weeks ago after the SBI
interviewed her, has maintained that she was allegedly misled by attorney James
Crouch into changing the dates on at least a dozen of his DWI cases on appeal.
Ruth was not authorized to do so since none of the cases came before her.
Prosecutors will determine if indictments are warranted.
GOLDMAN NOMINATES TATA FOR STATE HONOR
Republican Wake School Board member Debra Goldman is
a strong supporter of Wake Supt. Anthony Tata. So strong, in fact, that she’s
nominated the retired US Army brigadier general for state superintendent of the
year. Despite problems with his new student assignment school choice plan and
growing tensions with Democratic board members, Goldman, who originally headed
up the search committee when Tata was hired in December 2010, says he has
earned the honor. Tata has only been on the job since January 2011. Goldman’s
fellow board GOP’ers Deborah Prickett and Chris Malone, agreed with her.
“IRON MAN 3” FILMING IN CARY
No sign of superstar actor Robert
Downey, Jr., but fans gathered near the Crossroads Office complex, and Weston
Parkway in Cary this week to sneak a peek at scenes being shot for “Iron Man 3.”
Officially, producers are calling the film “Caged Heat” and keeping details of
the plot secret. That didn't bother the 40-50 fans that gathered as close as
they could to see some action, and maybe luck up to see a famous actor. “Iron
Man 3” is scheduled for release in 2013.
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MEDIA
CASH IN THE APPLE
By Cash Michaels
BLACK
MUSIC MONTH - If you want to know what’s popular in music these days, just
drive around with your nine-year-old daughter one day, listening to the radio.
Lots
of pop hits featuring artists, quite frankly, who can’t sing.
But
they’re selling CDs.
One
to take note of, however. The days of the great black singers are over.
Gone
are the Michael Jacksons, the Luther Vandrosses and the Whitney Houstons.
And
the once great singers that are still around are too old to make new records.
So
exactly where is today’s great black music coming from?
That’s
easy…THERE ISN’T ANY!
Let’s
be serious, who can you name from today’s generation of black singers who can
hold a candle to treasured artists like Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin and
Marvin Gaye? Are there any James Browns or Smokey Robinsons out there? What
happened to the great girl groups? The LaBelles, Supremes and Three Degrees.
There’s
one thing our generation could count on during the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s, and
that’s that we knew that each musical generation was creating more great
artists, just by example.
So
when an Alicia Keyes or India Ari give all praise and honor to the masters like
Stevie and Smokey, it’s because as children, they listened to the greats with
amazement, and were inspired to learn their crafts.
Today,
what is there to learn from? There is very little, if any artistry out there
for young people to emulate.
It’s
sad.
It
is also sad that the songs today are pure crap, undeniable garbage. There is no
great songwriting. There aren’t any great, meaningful lyrics anymore.
What
passes for black music today is trashy rap. There is no advancement of the
black music culture.
What’s
more, the formula for making good black songs seems to be exploited by folks
like Disney and Nickelodeon, who are making a fortune creating teeny bopper TV
shows with songs that easily could have passed for black pop30 years ago.
And
what is really funny (but sad) is listening to some of the new music on pop
radio, and realizing that it really is old 80’s disco in terms of composition
and beat. The proof is when the station decides to go “old school,” playing a
song twenty or thirty years old.
You
really can’t tell the difference.
That’s
bad. That means that old music is definitely being recycled for today’s
audiences.
I
bring all of this up because this is supposed to be Black Music month. June is
supposed to be the time when we celebrate the rich history of black music, an
take time to remember, if not discover, if not rediscover, the greats like
Louis Armstrong, Dinah Washington and Count Basie.
We
should be sharing REAL music with our children. We should breaking out the old
Motown tunes by the Temptations and Tammie Terrell.
We
should be insisting that our children memorize Aretha’s, “To be Young, Gifted
and Black” as an anthem of cultural and educational excellence.
And
we should remind ourselves that the reason why the world embraces black gospel,
funk, soul, pop, classic rap and of course jazz, is because they are all music
of love. Some of the greatest black songs were written and produced by
extraordinarily gifted white writers and producers like Carole King (who wrote
Aretha’s classic “Natural Woman”) and the songwriting team of Burt Bacharach
and Hal David (who penned many of Dionne Warwick’s greatest hits like “Do You
Know the Way to San Jose?” and “There is Always Something There to Remind Me?”)
Instead,
we’re allowing our music to die on the vine.
So
I don’t know what we’re going to do this Black Music month. We’re losing one of
our greatest resources, and doing little to save it.
Trust
me, when our children hear and see our vintage music, it is like opening a
whole new world to them.
I
know. I spent time on YouTube with my youngest daughter, watching old video
clips of Gladys Knight and the Pips, Diana Ross, Wilson Pickett and others. It
was pure delight watching her get into the classics.
That
is the timeless, boundless power of black music.
Let’s
do all we can to preserve.
CONSERVATIVE
STARS - I’ll admit that it bothers me a lot when I see a celebrity or star who
I’ve enjoyed in past years, get involved in right-wing politics.
Take
Chuck Norris, for example.
I
loved his TV show, “Walker, Texas Ranger.” It had a lot of predictable action,
and Norris’ character seemed to support diversity (remember his partner was
black).
But
in recent years, Norris has been a strong supporter of conservative Republican
politics. And of late, he was campaign for Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker in the
recall election Tuesday.
Walker
has proven to be one of the dirtiest politicians in the nation, but apparently
that didn’t stop “Walker, Texas Ranger” from supporting him.
It’s
just disappointing, having a favorite star turn into a political jackass right
before your eyes.
Kelsey
Grammar of “Frazier” is another one, along with Robert Conrad of the old “Wild,
Wild West” TV show, which I simply loved.
After
a while, it’s hard to separate this actors from their political views, and you
don’t want to watch anything their in, knowing that they make money from it.
Maybe
I’m just too sensitive to the politics of the time. Maybe it’s a feeling of
some kind of weird betrayal, wanting to believe that these actors are just like
their beloved characters.
Either
way, I’ve just freed up several hours in my future, because darned if I’ll be
watching “Walker, Texas Ranger” anymore.
HERMAN
WINS - For all of his foolishness and double-dealing in the GOP presidential
primaries, former presidential candidate Herman Cain wins.
After
being forced from the presidential race in shame months ago after his alleged
past instances of sexual harassment came to the surface, the negro sellout
conservative is now being rewarded with his own national radio show. It has
been announced that libertarian Neal Boortz is retiring from his Atlanta-based
nationally syndicated show, and that Cain will take over the show on January 21st,
2013.
Why
that day? Because it is Inauguration Day, when the next president of the United
States is sworn-in.
So
unless his ratings hit the toilet (I hope), Cain, who hosted a local late night
radio talker previously, will now join the ranks of Rush Limbaugh and Sean
Hannity.
To
think that this man’s ignorance will be part of somebody’s daily radio diet is
sickening beyond belief.
At
least this gives Herman an opportunity to make a daily fool of himself, just
like Rush.
WILMINGTON
TEN PARDON PROJECT - The Wilmington Ten were nine young African-American males,
led by the Rev. Benjamin Chavis, and one white female community worker, who
stood up to racism in the New Hanover County Public School System in 1971 amid
racial violence in Wilmington, NC. The following year, all of them were
arrested and falsely charged, convicted and sentenced to a total of 282 years
in prison for conspiracy in connection to the firebombing of a white-owned
grocery store.
By 1977, the state's witnesses all confessed in court
that they lied, and were paid by prosecutors. CBS' "60 Minutes"
uncovered that most of the evidence used to convict the Wilmington Ten had been
fabricated.
And in Dec. 1980, the US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals
overturned all ten convictions.
But the state of North Carolina has never pardoned
the Wilmington Ten.
On May 17th, 2012, attorneys for the Ten filed papers for
pardons of innocence for the seven surviving members, and the three deceased,
with NC Gov. Beverly Perdue's office, asking her to grant them.
Please join the national campaign
to ask Gov. Perdue to grant justice, after forty years, to the Wilmington Ten.
Please go to the Wilmington Ten Pardons of Innocence Project page on Facebook
(https://www.facebook.com/TheWilmingtonTenPardonOfInnocenceProject) to learn
more, and please sign our petition at https://www.change.org/petitions/nc-governor-bev-perdue-pardon-the-wilmington-10
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 new 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.
Until next week, keep a
smile on your face, GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye,
bye.
-30-
When Blacks Stand Their Ground
by Charlene Muhammad
Special to the NNPA from The Final Call
Read more: http://www.nnpa.org/news/lead/when-blacks-stand-their-ground/#ixzz1wsl0GxJh
Former SCLC Chair Raleigh Trammell Convicted
By George E. Curry
Editor-in-Chief
NNPA News Service
Read more: http://www.nnpa.org/news/lead/former-sclc-chair-raleigh-trammell-convicted-by-george-e-curry/#ixzz1wskjt2wJ
100 Days and Counting for Democrats
Party Leaders Say Charlotte Convention on Track
By Herbert L. White
Special to the NNPA from the Charlotte Post
With President Barack Obama is 100 days away from making his acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention, organizers marked the occasion with a pep talk.
National and local party leaders held a press conference Tuesday at Bank of America Stadium to update the convention’s progress and tout its goal of inclusion for the Sept. 3-6 event.
“As someone who has been involved in the convention from the very beginning, it’s hard to believe we have 100 days to go,” DNC Committee CEO Steve Kerrigan said. “There’s been so much we’ve accomplished since we got here with a small little staff of 12 people that’s now grown to over 100 people.”
Kerrigan was joined by DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Mayor Anthony Foxx and Karen Baldwin of Durham, an Obama For America volunteer for the launch of the “I’m There” campaign to encourage people to join convention activities in person or online. From the Labor Day Festival at Charlotte Motor Speedway to President Barack Obama’s acceptance speech at Bank of America Stadium, party leaders are looking to engage everyday folks.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to help host this year’s convention,” said Baldwin, a longtime community organizer who volunteered for Obama’s 2008 campaign. “We’ll be able to stand together as Americans and re-nominate for president of the United States.”
Foxx expressed confidence that North Carolina – which Obama carried in 2008 by a little more than 14,000 votes – will be a showplace for the world during convention week.
“The convention will be an incredible opportunity for North Carolina to demonstrate that we are a dynamic, diverse and vibrant state that has historically looked beyond the present to ensure that its people are stronger in the future,” he said.
Fort the first time, the DNC isn’t taking cash from corporations or political action committees for convention funding, putting responsibility on grassroots donors to foot the $36.65 million bill. Party leaders said Tuesday the DNC is on target to meet its goal of expanding its donor base.
“Democrats are fired up across the country and ready to work hard to re-elect Barack Obama president of the United States,” Wasserman Schultz said. “They know this convention is going to be unlike any in history and they’re thrilled Democrats made the bold move of putting our convention right here in the South because it shows that we’re dedicated to expanding the map and competing in states all across the country.”
Final touches have yet to be made to the convention program, but Kerrigan is pleased with its progress as September approaches.
“I can tell with certainty our planning is right on track,” he said, “but we have plenty of other milestones to reach in the final 100 days.”
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