THE CASH STUFF FOR 5-1-14

NNPA STORIES -
http://nnpa.org/sidebar-to-clippers-react/
http://nnpa.org/racist-la-clippers-owner-banned-from-nba-and-fined-2-5-million-by-george-e-curry/
http://nnpa.org/activists-say-blacks-cant-afford-to-become-complacent-by-freddie-allen/

EXCLUSIVE

CHAVIS PUSHING FOR ELECTION

YEAR YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

By Cash Michaels

Editor

            The Rev. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. says he’s coming back “home” to North Carolina to help jumpstart a voter empowerment movement for young people during this election year. And according to Chavis, the activist community of Durham is best suited to lead the charge.

            Dr. Chavis made his remarks Sunday during a “Get Out To Vote Rally, sponsored by the Durham Committee on the Affairs of Black People at Covenant Presbyterian Church, where activist Rev. Jimmy Hawkins is the pastor.

            Chavis said it was crucial that the power of young voters be harnessed in order to combat the Republican drive to build on their iron grip on state government, and the “negative” policies, like voter ID that have ultimately resulted.

            “These are some rough times,” Chavis told those gathered Sunday.  “[But] I’m here today to remind us that we’ve had rough times before.”

            “What’s going in the state Legislature, what’s going on in the Governor’s Mansion represents not just those Republicans? It represents a larger reality…somebody voted to put them in power. All of these bad things they have done to hurt people [in North Carolina]…just didn’t happen by themselves,” Dr. Chavis continued.

            In the face of Republican domination, the “challenge” is to reach out to the hundreds of thousands of blacks, Latinos and youth people who currently are not registered to vote, or are orientated to understand what freedoms they have lost since the GOP takeover in North Carolina, and what more could they lose.

            After saying that he would “love to see” the Democrats take back the NC General Assembly in the 2014 midterms, or the Governor’s Mansion in 2016, Chavis added, “…and I don’t think that’s an impossible dream.”

            “We not only have to pray for what is right, but allow ourselves to be GOD’s instruments for further change,” Chavis said, adding that all right-thing people of good will, no matter what their color, must come together to work for change.

            “If you work to make life better for black people in America, you work to make life better for all people in America,” the former leader of the Wilmington Ten said. “But we have to keep pushin’.”

            Chavis pointed to how One Stop – Early Voting numbers for the May 6^th primary are slack, and how something must be done to improve those numbers by Election Day.

            “Driving up here I saw a lot of students…a lot of young people on the street. And I’m not so sure how conscious they are that not only can they early vote, but what’s at stake in this election.”

            Dr. Chavis, who was recently nominated to be interim executive director of the NC Democratic Party before moderate Democrats led a smear campaign to kill the effort, called Election Day “payback day,” saying that it is the day that voters kick elected officials out of office who have not served in the public interest.

            “I think the people in the Legislature and the Governor’s Mansion need to be paid back for what they’ve done,” Chavis said to applause. “So who is going to pay them back? I’m not so sure if the people of North Carolina are fighting ready.”

            Chavis said he is willing to come back, at his own expense, to help take part in “turning North Carolina around,” but it has to happen county-by-county. He suggested that Durham County lead the way in that effort because historically it produced “intellectual giants and forward thinking.”

Young people, Dr. Chavis said, are essential to that turnaround.

            “Young people voted in record numbers in 2008 because they got inspired. So what is it on the short term, between now and May 6^th, that we can do in North Carolina to inspire and make our young people vote again?’

            Chavis said there must be outreach to the youth, using social media and the modern communications vehicles.

            “There are one million more Democrats than there are Republicans in North Carolina,” Dr. Chavis said. “What kind of calculus is that? How is that mathematically possible? You have one million more Democrats than Republicans, but the Republicans win the elections. That’s a mathematical impossibility, unless we and our allies have let go of not only our enthusiasm, but our sense of calling every day.”

            “There’s no better feeling when you go to sleep at night than knowing that when you wake up, you’re going to help somebody, because when you do, you also help yourself,” Chavis said.

            “Sometimes you have to hit rock bottom before you can get right back up, he continued. “We’ve hit rock bottom. I don’t think it’s possible to go lower.”

            The former executive director of the NAACP called for a “democracy revival” in North Carolina, saying that the people’s spirituality, politics and economic outlook must all come together to move forward.

            “We have to reassert ourselves. We’ve made so much progress politically, but I think we have to make more progress economically, because one of the reasons why we’re politically weak today is because we’re also weak economically.”

            Dr. Chavis says the African-American community needs to start an economic  “war chest” so that it no longer has to take money from figures like disgraced

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who was banned from the NBA this week after a recording of his racist rantings was made public last weekend. Sterling had received a “life achievement award” from the Los Angeles NAACP chapter in 2009 despite reports of his being a racist slumlord, and was set to receive another on May 15^th at the L.A. NAACP’s Freedom Fund banquet.

            That award, which published reports say was the result of Sterling contributing thousands of dollars to that branch, has since been withdrawn.

            Chavis said with the US Supreme Court rollback on voting rights and affirmative action, in addition to the North Carolina Republican rollback on voting rights, social programming and their assault on the poor and unemployed, are more than enough reasons for people across the state to band together, and vote not just in the May 6^th primaries next Tuesday, but November midterm elections in the fall.

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 TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS 5-1-14

TRESPASSING CHARGE DROPPED AGAINST SHAW STUDENT

            A Shaw University who was arrested and charged with trespassing because he allegedly refused to leave the campus library when asked, has had the misdemeanor charge dropped by the Wake County District Attorney’s Office. Authorities say the student, Na'Eem Shaemey Wilkins, 21, was arrested and charged Sunday evening after being asked twice to leave the library at closing. Wilkins alleged countered that he still needed to student for exams. The Shaw University library has since announced that it is extending its library hours.

DURHAM OFFICERS PUNISHED FOR KEEPING GUN PARTS

         Several Durham police officers and department employees are being punished by Chief Jose Lopez for allegedly keeping confiscated gun parts for use with their official or personal weapons. A court order requires that all confiscated weapons be destroyed. Lopez says violators were apparently unaware of the court order. Seven in all now face disciplinary actions.

NCCU FACING $6 MILLION IN BUDGET CUTS

            Expect the elimination of 55 jobs as North Carolina Central University faces upwards of $6 million in budget cuts. The Board of Trustees last week also voted not to fill 38 open positions, and to lay off 17 employees during the first week in May. School officials say the cuts are necessary to keep NCCU moving forward.

DISTRICT C TOWN HALL MEETING MAY 8
            Raleigh residents in City Council District C are invited to a town hall meeting on Thursday, May 8, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at John Chavis Community Center, 505 Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard. District C City Council Member Eugene Weeks will host the town hall meeting to discuss issues of importance to both the district and the city overall. District C covers the south and east quadrants of Raleigh. City Manager Ruffin Hall and some City department heads will be attending to respond to any questions submitted by citizens.

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STATE NEWS BRIEFS 5-1-14

ONE STOP EARLY VOTING PERIOD ENDS MAY 3^RD

            [GREENSBORO] With the May 6^th primaries scheduled statewide for next Tuesday, the One Stop – Early Voting period ends on Saturday, May 3^rd. Republicans and Democrats  have primaries for the US Senate, most of the Congressional, state House and state Senate Districts, among other positions. Polls open at 6;30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m.

MORAL MONDAY MOVEMENT RESUMES MAY 19^TH

            [RALEIGH] On April 29^th, the NCNAACP commemorated the first anniversary of its Forward Together coalition effort, the Moral Monday Movement, which brought tens of thousands of protesters to demonstrate the policies of the Republican-led  NC General Assembly last Spring. With the legislative Short Session scheduled to begin on May 19^th, those demonstrations are scheduled to return as well, says Rev. William Barber, NCNAACP president.

NORTH CAROLINA VOTER I.D. OPPONENTS HAIL WISCONSIN RULING

            [MILWAUKEE, WIS.] Those who have filed suit against North Carolina’s photo voter I.D. law are gaining hope from this week’s ruling by a federal judge in Wisconsin finding that that state’s voter I.D. law was unconstitutional. The court found that the law imposed a “unfair burden” on the state’s poor citizens of color, and violated the Constitution’s equal protection law. The ruling hasn’t been appealed yet.

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CASH IN THE APPLE – 05-01-14

By Cash Michaels

            BEING REAL – Earlier this week, Adam Silver, rookie commissioner of the National Basketball Association, made history when he announced the banning for life of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling from his team and the league, along with a $2.5 million fine.

            In addition, Commissioner Silver announced that it will take three-fourth’s of the current 30-member governing board of NBA directors, otherwise known as the other 29 members, to vote to force Sterling to sell his team.

            So yes, I certainly join with players and coaches – past and present – in applauding the commissioner’s actions.

            But I also agree that this whole controversy, which started last Saturday morning when the celebrity website TMZ released secret tapes of who has now been confirmed as Sterling going on a racial rant with his alleged mistress about her putting pictures of she and black people, like basketball legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson, online, is not over.

            As of this writing, it’s not clear exactly what the timetable for the NBA owners to vote to sell Sterling’s stake in the L.A. Clippers will be. And what role will Sterling’s wife and family play in this. Could they end up with the club, thus keeping it in the family?

            Those are just some of the issues that lie ahead, and their good questions.

            But there are other questions, not just about Donald Sterling’s past, but the NBA’s past, that are also still outstanding. For instance, if everyone in the NBA’s hierarchy knew about Sterling’s racist past (it is well documented that he is a slumlord, that he’s expressed views about black people “smelling” and attracting “vermin”, and that legendary basketball great Elgin Baylor sued Sterling for racial and age discrimination when he as fired as Clippers general manager years ago, saying that the Sterling wanted “a plantation” of “poor black kids”, run by a “white coach”), then why is it only now, when the guy is set up by his alleged mistress and the world hears his racist views, that the NBA decides it needs to get rid of him pronto?

            That’s simple. Because Sterling’s previous racist actions apparently weren’t embarrassing enough. Let me explain.

            Even though Sterling’s previous racial controversies involved lawsuits and extraordinary accusations, apparently they weren’t “sexy” or clear cut enough for the Los Angeles media to make big noise about, so folks in LA weren’t that exercised (though they should have been), and the rest of the county knew little about Sterling and how he conducted business.

            Fast forward to now. Sterling’s racist views, as mean as ever, were served up on a silver platter by a sexy woman who was alleged to be the rich man’s ex-mistress on tape. And as a bonus, the rich white guy is not only railing to her not to take pictures with blacks, but not to bring any to his games.

            Then, to add the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake, the rich racist white guy then attacks one of the most beloved figures in the history of professional sports – Magic Johnson.

            That combination bust through all of the clutter, especially when the rich racist white guy’s voice can be heard clear as a bell. The presentation left few questions. We all knew what we heard, and were pretty darn sure who we heard, even if we had never heard him before. All that was needed  was public reaction from some of our cultural icons like Magic, like Lebron James, and like…gasp…MICHAEL JORDAN commenting on racism (didn’t know homeboy knew how to spell the word)…and it was a led pipe cinch that the fuse had been lit, and one way or another, something big was going to explode.

            National reaction to the fast moving story, especially from the NBA, President Obama and major advertisers, guaranteed that the only thing that would move it from the top headline would be the discovery of missing plane Flight 370.

            Finally, on Tuesday, the NBA announced its punishment against Sterling.

            As of press time, at least 25 of the 30 NBA owners had  issued statements applauding Commissioner Silver, and calling for Donald Sterling’s head.

            For his part, Sterling has made it clear that he won’t be selling the Clippers to anyone.

            Either way, the players of the NBA are hailing Com. Silver for his bold and decisive action. It was bold and decisive, but it’s not over.

            THE NBA AND RACISM – I have a friend in Arizona who used to be one of the best players in both the NBA and ABA back in the 1960’s and early 70s. Indeed, he used to play for the Atlanta Hawks and the Carolina Cougars.

            His name is “Pogo” Joe Caldwell.

            Joe led the 1964 US Olympic Men’s Basketball team along with Bill Bradley, Larry Brown and Walt Hazzard. When he got to professional basketball, Joe, called “Pogo Joe” or “Jumpin’ Joe” because of his leaping ability and speed, was an all-star in both the NBA and ABA.

            I bring Joe up because when I interviewed him two years ago for a short film I did on him, he talked about all of the racism he faced in both leagues at the time.

            The most striking story was when he, Lou Hudson and Walt Bellamy played for the Atlanta Hawks. It was the last 1960’s, and the Hawks was the team to contend with in the NBA. But the owner decided he wanted to shake things up, so he signed a young white player from Raleigh, NC named “Pistol” Pete Maravich.

            Maravich was a brilliant player from Louisiana State University known for his extraordinary ball handling and passing, not to mention his prolific scoring. The Hawks owner wanted Pete bad, and signed the young man for $1.9 million, a huge amount of money no pro athlete earned back in the late 1960s.

            When Joe and the black players on the Hawks heard about this, they balked. The average NBA ball player back in the 1960s earned around $45,000, if that much, and their contracts were not long-term, but year-to-year that automatically renewed at the same rate. Raises were given only if the owners were willing, which wasn’t very often.

Joe demanded to meet with the Hawks owner. He was invited to meet at an expensive steakhouse, where they could dine and chat. Finally, Joe decided to chuck the small talk and get right down to the butter – why is this new kid with no professional experience getting paid much. Much more than your veteran black players who have worked hard to win for the team, and put people in the seats?

The owner was shockingly matter-of-fact.

“Because Joe,” the owner told Caldwell,  “one white boy is worth more than six niggers.”

A shocked Pogo Joe Caldwell decided right then and there that he would never again play for that racist Hawks owner, and he didn’t.  The Hawks had to take Joe to court, but he refused, instead jumping to the ABA and the Carolina Cougars, where he played for several years before the Cougars were sold when the ABA and NBA merged..

Soon after that sale, Joe was indefinitely suspended from the NBA.

Caldwell has told me other stories of how racism permeated the early days of professional basketball. So when he saw NBA Commissioner Adam Silver lower the boom on Clipper owner Donald Sterling, he was surprised.

Very surprised.

TONIGHT – We’re bringing a free screening of the NNPA – CashWorks HD Production of “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten” to the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, tonight. Thursday, May 1^st, at 6:30 p.m. Again, this event is free and open to the public.

As we said last week, Raleigh and Durham are two very different markets, and we’re extremely interested in hearing the varying views and perspectives of each one, especially young people. We’re still tweaking this film, which did very well with a 500+ audience in Wilmington on April 5^th, and before we go further with it, we want to be sure that we’ve produced something which will positively add to our understanding of history as a people and society.

So Durham, we’ll see you TONIGHT, Thursday, May 1^st, 6:30 p.m. at Hayti Heritage Center.

Raleigh, we’ll see you next week on Friday, May 9^th, 6:30 p.m. at Martin Street Baptist Church (Family Life Center).

Both events are, again, free and open to the public, because we want to hear from you. On behalf of CashWorks HD Productions and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, thank you for supporting our film.

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.

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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THE CASH STUFF FOR 4-24-14

NNPA STORIES -
http://nnpa.org/schools-separate-and-unequal-60-years-after-brown-by-freddie-allen/
http://nnpa.org/megacommunities-bridge-minority-stem-gap-by-freddie-allen/

DR. WARD NAMED INTERIM PRES. OF ST. AUGUSTINE'S UNIVERSITY - On Wednesday, the St. Augustine's Board of Trustees named Dr. Everett Blair Ward as interim president of the historically black institution, succeeding Dr. Dianne Boardley Suber, who left St. Aug's two weeks ago. Dr. Ward is well known and respected as an alumnus of St. Aug, in addition to being a former executive director of the NC Democratic Party. He is currently a member of the Democratic National Committee.

STATE NEWS BRIEFS 4-24-14

MORE PEOPLE SEARCHED FOR AND FOUND JOBS IN MARCH

            [RALEIGH] Contrary to a previous trend, at least 8,000 out-of-work North Carolinians in March looked for and found jobs, thus helping to lower the state’s unemployment rate, says the NC Commerce Dept. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, North Carolina’s jobless rate in March was 6.3 percent, dropping from 6.4 percent in February, and tracking lower than the national unemployment rate of 6.7 percent. Analysts say there is evidence that many of the unemployed had given up looking for work previously, and took themselves out of labor market, thus lowering the unemployment rate.

DURHAM BOY SCOUT LEADER CHARGED WITH CHILD SEX CRIMES

            [DURHAM] A fifty-year old Boy Scout leader is charged with taking explicit photos of a four-year-old female child, says the Durham Sheriff’s Office. The suspect, John Herbert Adams of Bahama, allegedly contributed to the delinquency of a juvenile, committed indecent liberties with a child, second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and third-degree sexual exploitation of minor between 2010 and April 2014. Adams was leader of the Boy Scout troop in Bahama for the past three years, officials confirm.

WAKE’S LOSS OF 600 TEACHERS INDICATIVE OF THE STATE

            [RALEIGH] Last week’s alarming announcement that Wake County Public School System has lost upwards of 600 teachers from its 9,000 is alarming not only because the bleed is expected to continue unless issues surrounding teacher pay and job security are addressed, but because the same thing has been happening in other school districts across the state. Educators are leaving North Carolina schools in droves, finding jobs in the private sector which pay at least twice as much, with better benefits. Administrators are challenging state lawmakers to rethink policies that eliminate tenure and deny teachers long overdue pay raises.

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TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS 4-24-14

WAKE SCHOOL BOARD PASSES $1.3 BILLION BUDGET PLAN

            Drawing a line in the sand, the Wake School Board Tuesday unanimously approved Supt. Jim Merrill’s $1.3 billion budget request, which includes $39 million more from the Wake County Commissioners to provide pay raises for teachers. Board members say if Wake citizens want an outstanding school system, then they have to invest in it. County commission members say the budget request may be DOA on arrival, given that the county has other pressing needs.

NATIONAL BEST HIGH SCHOOLS LIST INCLUDES SIX FROM THE TRIANGLE

            Welcome to Raleigh – Durham- Chapel, which according to US News and World Report, is home to six of the best high schools out of 2,000 in the nation. The top Triangle high school on the newsmagazine’s list is Green Hope High in Cary, which received  “gold medal” at #304. The five other high schools noted were  Panther Creek High in Cary at #686, Cary High at #1,116, Holly Springs High at #1,202, Kestrel Heights School in Durham at #1,744 and Hillside New Tech High in Durham at #1,997. US News and World Reports  measures a set of criteria which includes the scores of low-income children of color.

NEW WAKE REGIONAL LIBRARY TO OPEN NEXT YEAR

            Northeast Raleigh will be the home next year to a new regional county library. The 20,000-square foot Northeast Regional Library, scheduled for opening in late 2015 or early 2016 at the intersection of Green Elm Lane and Forest Pines Drive, will serve the Wake Forest area. The facility will include both adult and youth wings. It is paid for with funding from the 2003 bond referendum.

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DOES THE HIGH COURT RULING AFFECT

UNC’S AFFIRMATIVE ACTION POLICY?

Cash Michaels

Editor

            Will North Carolina’s Republican-led Legislature take a cue from the US Supreme Court’s approval of Michigan’s ban against affirmative active in that state’s colleges and universities, and sponsor a similar statewide voter referendum prohibiting the policy in the UNC System?

            Most legal experts agree that the High Court’s Tuesday ruling in Schutte v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action certainly opens the door for other states, including North Carolina, to ask their voters to endorse a similar racial preference ban. It is not far-fetched, given that the UNC System is on bad ground with the McCrory Administration and the GOP-led state Legislature over budget matters.

            In years past, the Supreme Court has ruled that “…achieving a diverse student body is a compelling interest for universities, and therefore race can be used as one of multiple factors in college admissions,” according to the Daily Tar Heel student newspaper, meaning that at UNC System schools, “ … admissions offices must be able to justify their use of race as a factor in the future.”

            But that’s in the courts if a legal challenged is raised. If lawmakers put the question to the voters via a ballot initiative, as was done in Michigan, and they vote UNC affirmative action policy down, then unless the GOP-led General Assembly comes to the rescue with an unlikely fix, the policy is doomed.

            Challenging the UNC System’s well-known student affirmative action policy would be a moral victory for North Carolina conservatives who are in vehement opposition. The challenge may not come as soon as the upcoming May short session, which is usually reserved to tighten up budget matters, but it could be a sure bet when the 2015 long session convenes next year.

            By a 6-2 vote, the High court upheld a Michigan ballot initiative banning affirmative action in public education, stating that a 2006 constitutional amendment did not “…impose burdens on racial minorities in violation of the US Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

            As a result, enrollment of African-American students at the University of Michigan and its law school is down by 30 percent since the ban was put in place, according to published reports.

            Reaction from the left was swift.

            “[Tuesday’s] Supreme Court decision is a step backward for racial inclusion by allowing voters to overrule the decision of Michigan university officials to consider race in admissions to achieve diversity,” stated Jon Greenbaum, chief counsel for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.  “The Court has disregarded long-standing precedent which prevents the majority from passing legislation that reconfigures the political process in ways that burden only a racial minority.” 

            Greenbaum’s argument is that if majority white voters wee allowed to decide by referendum many of the previous civil rights issues, they all would have been voted down.

            Richard D. Kahlenburg, Senior Fellow at The Century Foundation, warned colleges to prepare for other voter referendum challenges to come their way if they currently have affirmative action policies in place.

            “The Supreme Court has given voters the green light to eliminate the use of racial preferences in college admissions, which is discouraging for racial diversity. The good news, however, is that there are alternative ways to achieve diversity that can also deal with economic inequalities,” said Kahlenberg.

            “This presents a new challenge for colleges, committed to enrolling diverse student populations and reinforces the court’s decision in Fisher v University of Texas that universities have ‘the ultimate burden of demonstrating, before turning to racial classifications, that available, workable, race-neutral alternatives do not suffice.’

“Together, these rulings are a call to action for college leaders and administrators to more aggressively pursue race-neutral policies that give all disadvantaged students equal opportunities.

“Fortunately, there are proven race-neutral policies that universities can, and have already adopted to deliver more opportunities for minority students to enroll in, and succeed at college.

“A recent study I conducted with my colleague Halley Potter, found that seven out of 10 leading public universities were able to maintain, or even increase the proportion of African American and Latino students among their ranks, by replacing race-based preferences with strategies that target socio-economic inequality.

“Giving a leg up in admissions to economically disadvantaged students of all races, eliminating legacy preferences, increasing financial aid, assisting students to transfer from community colleges to four year degrees and admitting students at the top of every high school in the state, are just some of the ways that colleges have delivered racial and socio-economic diversity without race-based affirmative action.

“In the wake of [Tuesday’s] decision it is imperative that college communities get educated about the alternatives to class-based affirmative action, in order to maintain diversity in the US higher education system,” Kahlenburg concluded.

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NCNAACP SEEKS MEETING

WITH GOP LEADERS

By Cash Michaels

Editor

            With the signatures of thirty-five other clergy members in support, Rev. William Barber, president of the NC NAACP, has written Gov. Pat McCrory and the Republican leaders of the NC General Assembly, seeking a meeting prior to the May 14^th start of the short session, hoping that they will reverse “the constitutionally inconsistent, morally indefensible and economically insane nature of the public policy agenda pushed in the 2013 session…” and urging “…a new and moral direction to be forged in the upcoming months.” 

            “Over the course of the last year, you and your colleagues made several unpopular policy decisions,” wrote Rev. Barber in his April 18^th letter to the governor, House Speaker Thom Tillis, and Senate Pres. Pro Tempore Sen. Phillip Berger. “These decisions cut resources from an already overstretched K-12 budget; they rejected health insurance for more than a half million of our poorest; and they rejected insurance payments that would have sustained out-of-work North Carolinians who had paid into the unemployment insurance program.  Your decisions allow fracking to go forward while Duke Energy's coal ash spills are permitted at the expense of our state's water supply. Your decisions cut off women's rights; undermined incarcerated people's rights; and underfunded our state universities.”

            “Moreover,” Barber’s letter continued, “ you passed egregious policies that undermine our democracy by impeding the voting rights of elderly, poor and minority citizens. There are a host of other negative decisions your leadership group made last year.”

            Rev. Barber, speaking on behalf of the NCNAACP-led coalition known as the Forward Together Movement, continued that, “…the policy positions we listed above are not only unpopular -- they are constitutionally inconsistent, morally indefensible and economically insane.  They are immoral because they negatively impact the lives and livelihoods of millions of North Carolinians.  They strip people of their hard-earned rights to federal support.  They strip others of access to resources they could receive in most other states. When your leadership group rejected the federal Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act, for example, experts say nearly 3,000 North Carolinians will die prematurely because of your decision. These are people you swore to provide equal protection to, and to govern in their interest.  Instead, they will die unnecessary deaths because of what appears to be an ideological desire to inflict political harm on the President by a refusing to participate in a beneficial and free federal health insurance program.” 

            Citing the Moral Monday movement efforts to spotlight the “regressive” policies of the GOP-led state Legislature, Rev. Barber told the legislative leaders,

“…it is time to move in a different direction, a new direction, a moral direction. We believe this is an appropriate time to come together to discuss issues of justice in our state.”

            “We propose a meeting before the short session begins to discuss key matters about the governance of our state with you and your leadership team,” Rev. Barber wrote.  “We represent people from across our diverse North Carolina; from all different racial, economic, religious, social and political constituencies.  We wish to share our concerns with you in search of ways to renew our state and to make our government responsive to the needs of all our people.  We believe we can find some common ground on key issues to move forward together.”

    Rev. Barber concluded, “We look forward with great anticipation to forging a new relationship with you and the other members of your leadership team to plot a new direction for our state.”

At press time there was no word on a formal response from Gov. McCrory, Sen. Berger or Speaker Thom Tillis. They have not been welcoming of Rev. Barber’s previous missives in the past.

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[RALEIGH ONLY] CASH IN THE APPLE

By Cash Michaels

DURHAM DATE – Last week, we told you about our May 9^th date for a free screening of the NNPA – CashWorks HD Productions documentary “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten” at Martin Street Baptist Church, 1001 East Martin Street in Raleigh, 6:30 p.m. Again it’s free and open to the public.

And we had promised our readers in or near Durham that we would have a free screening date for you shortly.

Well “shortly” is here.

One week from today, we’re bringing a free screening of the film to the Hayti Heritage Center, 804 Old Fayetteville Street, on Thursday, May 1^st, at 6:30 p.m. Again, this event is free and open to the public.

As we said last week, Raleigh and Durham are two very different markets, and we’re extremely interested in hearing the varying views and perspectives of each one, especially young people. We’re still tweaking this film, which did very well with a 500+ audience in Wilmington on April 5^th, and before we go further with it, we want to be sure that we’ve produced something which will positively add to our understanding of history as a people and society.

So Durham, we’ll see you Thursday, May 1^st, 6:30 p.m. at Hayti Heritage Center.

Raleigh, we’ll see you one week later on Friday, May 9^th, 6:30 p.m. at Martin Street Baptist Church (Family Life Center).

Both events are, again, free and open to the public, because we want to hear from you. On behalf of CashWorks HD Productions and the National Newspaper Publishers Association, thank you for supporting our film.

RUBIN “HURRICANE” CARTER – Though he never won a championship title in the ring, there is little question that Rubin Carter was a great man among men. He had a tender, compassionate heart, and worked diligently on behalf of those falsely convicted of crimes they didn’t commit, because he knew firsthand what that injustice felt like.

Carter, better known by his boxing moniker of “Hurricane’ because of his ferocious fighting style in the ring in the 1960’s, had been falsely convicted twice for a 1966 triple murder in New Jersey, based largely on the false testimony, and imprisoned for 19 years until a federal judge overturned the conviction.

It was when Denzel Washing not portrayed Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in the 1999 classic film, “The Hurricane,” but indeed won an Oscar nomination for the role, that the world truly discovered his story.

So when word came in recent days that Carter, 76, died in his sleep at his home in Canada, there was sadness, but also pride.

In a statement, Denzel Washington said of Rubin Carter that he waged “a tireless fight to ensure justice for all.”

Amen.

HEY, CNN, GET REAL? – It’s bad enough that CNN gave us weeks of “Where is Flight 370?” without one shred of evidence to answer the question.

Now the Cable News Network, apparently hungry for any and every angle with which to beat arch-nemesis Fox News Network with, is asking a deplorably stupid question in the aftermath of the fatal Jewish Center shootings by white supremacist F. Glenn Miller.

The question? Can the Ku Klux Klan rebrand itself?

“Rebrand” as in refashion its legendary racial hatred and death.

Funny, but would CNN ever, in its wildest dreams, even ask such a question of, say, al Qaeda, the foreign terrorist organization that specializes in blowing up people to make its sick and sad political point? I mean, I’m all for freedom of speech. Heck, that’s how I make my living. But there’s also such a thing as common sense. No one in their right might would if ask if the Nazis ever need to rebrand. You certainly wouldn’t catch any Jewish journalists who know their history posing such a ridiculous question out loud. So why do such an outlandish thing about the Klan?

You know, the more TV networks strive for ratings, the stupider their “please watch us” stunts get. To ask such an inane and ignorant question out loud, makes it seem as if the Ku Klux Klan have some meaningful service to render to so society, and just can’t find the proper, socially acceptable way to get their otherwise important message across.

That message… “Kill anyone and everyone who isn’t white.”

Please enlighten the rest of us, CNN, as to exactly how anyone goes about “rebranding” their message to spread that croc of racism.

And CNN wants to know why folks aren’t watching them like they used to?

Gee, I wonder why?

SHARPTON – The media bashing of Rev. Al Sharpton recently with news that he was once an informant for the FBI back in the 1980s was shameless and shameful. With the exception of the blow-by-blow details provided by newly released documents, the story had been well out there for years. Indeed Sharpton had written about it in his latest book, “The Rejected Stone.”

            And yet you’d think Sharpton had just committed a crime. In fact, he served as a wire man to help bag members of organized crime, and that’s exactly what happened. Critics say Sharpton was “flipped” by the FBI because he was allegedly selling drugs himself. Well if that were true, then the feds still could have charged Sharpton with something, and then tell the judge that because he cooperated, he deserved leniency.

            But that didn’t New York tabloids with blazing headlines calling Sharpton a “snitch” and a “rat.” And it was all timed to coincide with the three-day last week featuring President Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder.

            So yes, folks, there is no question about media bias, especially when it comes to black leadership. It can be vicious, cruel, and certain wrong. We’ve seen it against Pres. Obama. But last week, it was a field day against. Rev. Al Sharpton. Despicable!

            VICTORY – You have to hand it to President Obama. After the disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Act last October, the failure of which Republicans loudly applauded, the president buckled down, got his team back in gear, and they successfully moved the ball down field to goal with over 7 million ACA applicants by the March 31^st deadline. Folks thought the president was politically dead in the water, but he refused to accept that, and pushed on.

            The number has now surpassed 8 million.

            Folks criticized the president for going on comedy shows to promote the ACA, but actually, that says more about us than him. Obama was trying to reach Americans who aren’t paying attention to Fox or CNN or their local newspaper, because they are the ones who need affordable health insurance the most.

            The president did his job, and we’re proud of him for doing so.

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.

Until next week, keep a smile on your face, GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye, bye.

                                                                -30-

[WILMINGTON ONLY]

CASH IN THE APPLE 4-24-14

By Cash Michaels

RUBIN “HURRICANE” CARTER – Though he never won a championship title in the ring, there is little question that Rubin Carter was a great man among men. He had a tender, compassionate heart, and worked diligently on behalf of those falsely convicted of crimes they didn’t commit, because he knew firsthand what that injustice felt like.

Carter, better known by his boxing moniker of “Hurricane’ because of his ferocious fighting style in the ring in the 1960’s, had been falsely convicted twice for a 1966 triple murder in New Jersey, based largely on the false testimony, and imprisoned for 19 years until a federal judge overturned the conviction.

It was when Denzel Washing not portrayed Rubin “Hurricane” Carter in the 1999 classic film, “The Hurricane,” but indeed won an Oscar nomination for the role, that the world truly discovered his story.

So when word came in recent days that Carter, 76, died in his sleep at his home in Canada, there was sadness, but also pride.

In a statement, Denzel Washington said of Rubin Carter that he waged “a tireless fight to ensure justice for all.”

Amen.

HEY, CNN, GET REAL? – It’s bad enough that CNN gave us weeks of “Where is Flight 370?” without one shred of evidence to answer the question.

Now the Cable News Network, apparently hungry for any and every angle with which to beat arch-nemesis Fox News Network with, is asking a deplorably stupid question in the aftermath of the fatal Jewish Center shootings by white supremacist F. Glenn Miller.

The question? Can the Ku Klux Klan rebrand itself?

“Rebrand” as in refashion its legendary racial hatred and death.

Funny, but would CNN ever, in its wildest dreams, even ask such a question of, say, al Qaeda, the foreign terrorist organization that specializes in blowing up people to make its sick and sad political point? I mean, I’m all for freedom of speech. Heck, that’s how I make my living. But there’s also such a thing as common sense. No one in their right might would if ask if the Nazis ever need to rebrand. You certainly wouldn’t catch any Jewish journalists who know their history posing such a ridiculous question out loud. So why do such an outlandish thing about the Klan?

You know, the more TV networks strive for ratings, the stupider their “please watch us” stunts get. To ask such an inane and ignorant question out loud, makes it seem as if the Ku Klux Klan have some meaningful service to render to so society, and just can’t find the proper, socially acceptable way to get their otherwise important message across.

That message… “Kill anyone and everyone who isn’t white.”

Please enlighten the rest of us, CNN, as to exactly how anyone goes about “rebranding” their message to spread that croc of racism.

And CNN wants to know why folks aren’t watching them like they used to?

Gee, I wonder why?

SHARPTON – The media bashing of Rev. Al Sharpton recently with news that he was once an informant for the FBI back in the 1980s was shameless and shameful. With the exception of the blow-by-blow details provided by newly released documents, the story had been well out there for years. Indeed Sharpton had written about it in his latest book, “The Rejected Stone.”

            And yet you’d think Sharpton had just committed a crime. In fact, he served as a wire man to help bag members of organized crime, and that’s exactly what happened. Critics say Sharpton was “flipped” by the FBI because he was allegedly selling drugs himself. Well if that were true, then the feds still could have charged Sharpton with something, and then tell the judge that because he cooperated, he deserved leniency.

            But that didn’t New York tabloids with blazing headlines calling Sharpton a “snitch” and a “rat.” And it was all timed to coincide with the three-day last week featuring President Obama and US Attorney General Eric Holder.

            So yes, folks, there is no question about media bias, especially when it comes to black leadership. It can be vicious, cruel, and certain wrong. We’ve seen it against Pres. Obama. But last week, it was a field day against. Rev. Al Sharpton. Despicable!

            VICTORY – You have to hand it to President Obama. After the disastrous rollout of the Affordable Care Act last October, the failure of which Republicans loudly applauded, the president buckled down, got his team back in gear, and they successfully moved the ball down field to goal with over 7 million ACA applicants by the March 31^st deadline. Folks thought the president was politically dead in the water, but he refused to accept that, and pushed on.

            The number has now surpassed 8 million.

            Folks criticized the president for going on comedy shows to promote the ACA, but actually, that says more about us than him. Obama was trying to reach Americans who aren’t paying attention to Fox or CNN or their local newspaper, because they are the ones who need affordable health insurance the most.

            The president did his job, and we’re proud of him for doing so.

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.

Until next week, keep a smile on your face, GOD in your heart, and The Carolinian in your life. Bye, bye.

                                                                -30-