http://nnpa.org/black-press-critic-clint-wilson-needs-a-reality-check-by-george-e-curry/
http://nnpa.org/the-aca-deadline-has-passed-now-what/
WILMINGTON COMMUNITY
APPLAUDS “PARDONS”
FILM
Special to The
Carolinian Newspaper
[WILMINGTON, NC] Over 500 people stood to their feet
Saturday at UNC – Wilmington’s Kenan Auditorium to applaud a new documentary
about the Black Press’ struggle to gain justice for the Wilmington Ten.
With
members of the Wilmington Ten and their families, Wilmington Ten leader Dr.
Benjamin Chavis, and NCNAACP Pres. Rev. Dr. William Barber in attendance,
“Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten,” a documentary produced by the
National Newspaper Publishers Association and CashWorks HD Productions, was
warmly received by those of the
Wilmington community in attendance.
Many remembered the tense times in
the port city over 40 years ago portrayed in the film when black students,
angered by the 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the closing
of the beloved all-black Williston Senior High School, and the racist treatment
they endured in predominately-white high schools, staged a boycott of the
school system in February 1971.
The Rev. Ben Chavis assisted the
students, angering the white power structure, igniting a week of citywide
violence neither Chavis nor the students had anything to do with. In the end,
two people were fatally shot, and a white-owned grocery store was firebombed.
The film depicts how Chavis and
nine others who took part in the student boycott were eventually false charged
with the firebombing, convicted and sent to prison. Over forty years later,
through the work of The Wilmington
Journal, the NNPA, the NCNAACP, attorneys Irv Joyner and James Ferguson,
and others, Gov. Beverly Perdue granted pardons of innocence to the Wilmington
Ten, based on newly uncovered evidence of prosecutorial misconduct.
During the world premiere
screening, which was sponsored by the NNPA, the audience repeatedly applauded
throughout. During the question and answer period after the film ended, many
said the documentary brought tears to their eyes. Many said it filled them
with pride, and that others must see it.
One young black female student,
with tears in her eyes, asked sincerely that the film be made available so that
other young people witness history they never knew, and get a better understanding of the civil
rights struggle.
NCNAACP Pres. Rev. William Barber
praised the film, saying that a bill should be introduced in the NC General
Assembly to authorize that “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten” be shown
throughout North Carolina’s classrooms.
Dr. Chavis called the film “powerful,”
and agreed that all efforts must be made to ensure that young people see it,
and learn from it.
Cloves Campbell, Jr., the chairman
of the National Newspaper Publishers Association, promised that NNPA would do
all it can to promote the film nationwide, and even sponsor a college tour with
it.
Later that evening at the Hilton –
Riverside Hotel in Wilmington, both former Gov. Beverly Perdue and NC NAACP
Pres. William Barber were honored for their work in the Wilmington Ten case.
NC Supreme Court Justice Cheri
Beasley stood in for the governor, who was away in Cuba.
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CASH IN THE APPLE FOR
APRIL 10, 2014
By Cash Michaels
GLORIOUS
PREMIERE DAY – All of us involved and who worked hard to make the world
premiere weekend of the NNPA – CashWorks HD Productions documentary, “Pardons
of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten”, and then the black tie gala later that day,
can only thank Almighty GOD for all of the blessings we experienced.
First,
at least 600 people woke up on the morning of April 5th to come to
Kenan Auditorium on the campus of UNC – Wilmington to be part of history with
the documentary’s premiere.
But
that wasn’t the first miracle. We had to working quickly, and closely with the
projection room technician to solve a screening problem that had it not been
dealt with, threatened to disrupt the premiere, and we couldn’t let that
happen. By the grace of GOD (and my having the film on the hard drive of my
computer which I had with me luckily). everything went off without a hitch.
The
second miracle of the day was our audience, many of whom were lifelong
Wilmingtonians who grew up during the 1960’s and 70’s. They knew the history
being portrayed on the screen well, and applauded repeatedly when they saw
something they knew was the truth.
Of
that group, those who either attended or remembered the beloved all-black
Williston Senior High School. The film pays special tribute to what believe to
this day was the best high school there ever was. Williston was closed suddenly
by the New Hanover Board of Education in June 1968, and to many in Wilmington’s
black community, it was a direct slap in the face to them. Having one of
Williston’s finest alums, Joseph McNeil of the Greensboro Four, do the honors
of talking about the high standards that made Williston so unique, helped to
rekindle that pride.
And
then, of course, the film’s depiction of the struggles of black students who
had been transferred to two predominately-white high schools in the aftermath
of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and how they were
mistreated, and forced to boycott New Hanover County Public Schools in order to
demand justice. How a fiery young leader named Rev. Benjamin Chavis was called
to help the students, and how the white power structure reacted angrily, all of
this resulting in violence Chavis and the students had nothing to do with, and destruction.
Our
marvelous audience studiously followed the frame-up of what would become the
Wilmington Ten, as the film laid out their legal and personal struggles over a
forty-year period. And they also followed how the Black Press, gallantly led by
Thomas C. Jervay, Sr., founder/publisher of the Wilmington Journal,
stayed with the boycotting students and the Wilmington Ten, advocating for them
when no one else would.
At
the end of the film, when, through the hard work of the Wilmington Journal,
the National Newspaper Publishers Association, the Wilmington Ten Pardons of
Innocence Project and the NC NAACP among
others, Gov. Beverly Perdue issued the long awaited pardons of innocence under
tremendous pressure not to, the audience exploded in applause and joy.
That
reaction (among the many separate applauses during the film), plus the spoken
reaction during the question and answer period afterwards, told us that we had
an important film that our community needed to see.
That
point was never made more relevant than when a young woman, wearing a
“Brooklyn” blue and white shirt, came to the microphone, and with tears in her
eyes, almost begged us to make sure that other young people like herself see
this film.
We
got her message.
At
the black tie gala that evening at the Hilton – Riverside, we were all moved by
a fiery keynote from Rev. Benjamin Chavis, followed by honors to former Gov.
Beverly Perdue, and NC NAACP Pres. Rev. Dr. William Barber for their
extraordinary work during the pardon process.
And
thank you NC Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley for standing in to accept Gov.
Perdue’s award.
Mary
Alice Thatch, publisher of the Wilmington Journal, called it a
“celebration,” and not a commemoration. When folks hit the dance floor, they
certainly took that direction to heart.
It
will be a few months before DVDs of “Pardons of Innocence: The Wilmington Ten”
will be released. In the meantime, we will be doing more to promote the film,
to make sure that all of North Carolina, and all of America, see this awesome
film.
Personally,
I want to thank Journal publisher Mary Alice Thatch for her leadership and
trust during the entire Pardons of Innocence Project. I know it wasn’t easy. I
also want to thank the National Newspaper Publishers Association for its trust
in investing in the production of the film, and leadership during the Pardon
Project.
Certainly
I also thank GOD for the strength and vision He afforded me throughout; my
family for being extraordinarily supportive and patient with me during that
past two years of this project; and finally, all of the people who helped this
cause in any way possible along the way.
Thank
you.
More
to come
PROF.
CHUCK STONE – One day after our triumphant world premiere day came news that a
great man and journalist of history, Chuck Stone, has died in Chapel Hill at
the age of 89.
Stone
was one of the cofounders of the National Association of Black Journalists. He
was a Tuskegee Airman, and a legislative assistant to Congressman Adam Clayton
Powell of Harlem. He once reported for the New York Age in Harlem, and the
Chicago Defender. Stone was one of the first black members of the White House
Press Corps, and made history when Pres. John F. Kennedy called on him to ask a
question in the early 1960s.
Stone
went on to become a longtime columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, using
his perch to blast police brutality and other injustices against black people.
Stone
left the Daily News in 1991 and joined the faculty at UNC – Chapel Hill, where
he taught journalism for many years before retirement. Stone was known fro
riding to work on his bicycle (don’t blame him – parking in Chapel Hill is
horrible).
He
died in his sleep at an assisted living facility on Sunday.
All
of us who respect great journalism mourn the loss of such a great man and professional.
Goodbye,
Chuck Stone.
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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TRIANGLE NEWS BRIEFS 4-10-14
RWCA CANDIDATES FORUM
APRIL 15TH
Candidates
in the May primaries will take part in Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association
Candidates Forum Tuesday, April 15th, starting at 6 p.m. at Martin
Street Baptist Church in Raleigh. The Forum will provide the
community an opportunity to receive valued information from persons seeking
elective offices. This event is free and open to the public.
WAKE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES
TEACHER SIGNING BONUSES
If you’re a highly qualified math,
science or health occupation teacher, the Wake County Public School System has
good news for you. Sign up to teach in Wake County schools, and you could get a
$1500 bonus just for your signature alone. The Wake School Board approved the
bonus incentive at its last meeting, saying that in order to attract and retain
the best teachers anywhere, the system has to be competitive in terms of salary
and benefits. The bonuses are being reinstated after being originally cut from
the budget.
MAGIC JOHNSON VISITS DURHAM SCHOOL
Students at Durham’s Magic Johnson
Bridgescape Academy got to meet their school’s namesake in person this week,
when former NBA superstar Earvin “Magic” Johnson dropped by to say hello, and
talk with them about doing their best in school, and in life. Bridgescape
Academy is a free alternative school for students who have dropped out of high
school.
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STATE NEWS BRIEFS 4-10-14
SEN. CLODFELTER CHOSEN
AS NEW CHARLOTTE MAYOR
[CHARLOTTE]
State Sen. Dan Clodfelter has been chosen as the new mayor of Charlotte by the
Charlotte City Council. Clodfelter, a former City Council member, will finish
out the two-year term of former Charlotte Mayor Patrick Cannon, who resigned
two weeks ago after the FBI arrested him on federal charges of corruption.
Cannon had just been elected last November. Saying that “We will move on from
this,” Clodfelter told reporters he didn’t have “long-term plans” beyond
finishing out Cannon’s term.
GAS PRICES UP 15
CENTS IN PAST MONTH
[GREENSBORO]
When it comes to gasoline prices in North Carolina, it’s been like a roller
coaster these past few months. But according to AAA of the Carolinas, the price
of a gallon of regular unleaded gas has risen just 15 cents in the past month
alone, to an average of $3.52 a gallon.
The good news is at this time last year, the price per gallon was $3.80, and
analysts don’t see it going that high now that spring is here, and the summer
driving season should mean greater consumption, and lower prices.
CAMPBELL LAW SCHOOL
SPEAKER DEFENDS TRAYVON MARTIN SHOOTING
[RALEIGH] A
controversial Massachusetts attorney who specializes in guns and self-defense
told Campbell Law School students Tuesday that George Zimmerman had every right
to fatally shoot Trayvon Martin, an unarmed black teenager going home from the
store two years ago in Florida, when Zimmerman stalked, and then killed him in
a violent struggle. Zimmerman was later acquitted of the act by a Florida jury.
Attorney Andrew Branca, who spoke to Campbell Law School students this week,
has been blasted by critics who point to his Twitter feed for “evidence” of his
insensitivity to the Trayvon Martin case. “Only person responsible for the death of Trayvon, is Trayvon. Oh, and maybe
his father,” is just one of Branca’s infamous tweets. “To handle Trayvon, a
KelTec and one 9mm round would be fine," is another. Officials at Campbell
Law say they want to expose their students to all legal opinions, no matter how
controversial.
-30-
ST. AUG MOVES ON
WITHOUT DR. SUBER
By Cash Michaels
Editor
Last
Friday, in the midst of withering headlines about budget shortfalls, a dramatic
drop in student enrollment and escalating administration unrest, Dr. Dianne
Boardley Suber, the president of St. Augustine’s University, issued a letter
announcing her retirement after 14 years.
“I trust that my legacy will affirm that I
“left it better than I found it,” wrote Dr. Suber. “The Class of 2014
will be the last class to hear my lectures as they exit the University to
move forward towards the next step of their journey.”
“I trust that the next
president of this 147 year old institution of historical value with a
strong present and promising future will bring the wisdom, experience and
tenacity to enable Saint Augustine’s University to stay the course in
spite of troubled waters,” Suber added.
But on Monday, St. Aug’s Board of
Trustees made it known that it had no intention of waiting until May for it’s
embattled president to leave. Board Chairman Rodney Gaddy told reporters, staff
and students that contrary to Suber’s May retirement announcement Friday, she
had been informed on Saturday that she was being terminated immediately.
The chairman said given the
challenges that St. Aug was facing, the board felt the process of turning the
institution around had to start immediately, amid low student and staff morale,
and growing confusion.
And those challenges are many.
Per published reports, the
university has had to swallow a 200-student drop in enrollment, resulting in a
$3 million budget shortfall. The contractor who built the school’s new football
stadium placed a lien for over $675,000 on the facility, which is still
unfinished. The financial woes have now caught the attention of the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools, which is responsible for St. Aug’s
accreditation.
As has happened with other small,
financially strapped historically black colleges and universities, a loss of
academic accreditation would severely cripple St. Aug’s ability to attract good
students, faculty or funding, effectively closing the school if that happened.
But the problem that may have broken
the camel’s back for Dr. Suber was a published report last week alleging that
the school committed fraud by submitting false information on a federal grant
proposal. That has reportedly spurred a federal investigation now underway.
Wrapped around those headaches was
an administrative civil war that saw Dr. Suber fire Angela Haynes, St. Aug’s
vice president of business and finance; and place school Provost Connie Allen
on leave last month.
Both were brought back literally
hours after Gaddy’s announcement about Suber’s termination.
There are also claims of some St.
Aug employees still waiting to get paid this semester. Weeks ago, a weeklong
furlough of all nonessential employees on campus was supposed to have been
imposed in order to address the severe budget shortfall, but those furloughs
were cancelled by Dr. Suber. At least a dozen positions on campus, however,
were eliminated.
An interim president is expected to
be announced within days, and the board will commence a national search for the
next permanent president of St. Augustine’s University. Meanwhile, Ronald
Brown, St. Aug’s vice president of strategic initiatives, has been tapped to
serve as the school’s acting executive director until an interim president takes
over.
Chairman Gaddy maintained that St.
Augustine’s University remains “strong” in its mission to provide a quality
education.
-30-
NCNAACP JOINS NCLBC
TO
PROTEST PROPOSED VRA
CHANGE
Special to The
Carolinian
The North Carolina NAACP's president, Rev. Dr. William J.
Barber II, state conference vice presidents and coalition partners joined the
NC Legislative Black Caucus Wednesday in Washington, D.C. to voice concerns to
North Carolina’s congressional delegation about the ability of some provisions
in the Voting Rights Act Amendment Bill of 2014 to protect all voters from
discrimination at the polls, specifically in NC.
The
NC NAACP and the Forward Together Moral Movement - in conjunction with the
National NAACP – and the NCLBC, called upon the North Carolina congressional
delegation to act swiftly and decisively to strengthen and amend S. 1945/H.R.
3899, the Voting Rights Amendment Act of 2014, to better protect voting
rights in North Carolina.
“While the NC NAACP is glad to see the bipartisan effort from
lawmakers who have introduced a bill to restore Section IV of the Act, their
measure leaves out a devastating number of Southern states from the automatic
preclearance requirement - including Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia
and perhaps South Carolina,” Rev. Barber said. “The proposed bill only
partially counts discriminatory photo ID requirements as markers of whether or
not a state is to be added to preclearance coverage for pushing discriminatory
voting practices.”
“We
appreciate all the work that has gone into the voting rights legislation and
making it a legislative priority,” said Rep. Garland Pierce, NCLBC Chairman.
“We are [in] Washington to urge Congress to strengthen the Amended Voting
Rights Act of 2014.”
It was June of 2013 when the US
Supreme Court, in a decision that jolted the civil rights community, struck
down Section 4 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which, according to the
Washington Post, “ …creates a formula that determines what states should be subject
to Section 5, which requires states to submit any changes to election or voting
laws, or alterations of state legislative or congressional district lines, to
the Justice Department for approval. (That process is commonly known as
pre-clearance.) That formula was -- until [last year] based on states that had
used some sort of ballot test (literacy being the main one) to determine
whether people can vote and secondly, whether less than 50 percent of eligible
voters were registered to vote by November 1964. In essence, states and
counties with a history of racial discrimination were required to seek pre-clearance.”
The High Court directed Congress to
adopt a new formula so that Section 5 preclearance could continue, but per that
new formula currently being discussed, North Carolina would not qualify, and groups
like the NC NAACP and NC Legislative Black Caucus are concerned.
The
proposed Voting Rights Act Amendment relies on a “rolling trigger” formula that
would apply Section 5 preclearance requirements to an entire state, including
all of its subdivisions, only if there were at least five “voting rights
violations” in the state within the previous 15 years and at least one of those
violations was committed by the state itself. The period of time
for coverage is 10 years. The bill’s definition of “voting rights
violations” that count towards the trigger is limited to Section 2 and Section
5 court decisions (excluding even consent decrees), as well as U.S. Attorney
General objections under Section 5 but Attorney General objections based on
voter ID are excluded. Also, violations must be a “final judgment (which
has not been reversed on appeal).
"The
recent changes made by the Republican majority in the NC Legislature are proof
that now is the time that we need to strengthen and enforce the Voting Rights
Act, not weaken it,” said Rep. Nathan Baskerville, House District 32. “Although
I am encouraged by the dialogue and the effort in Washington, we understand
back home here in North Carolina, that we still have a long road to travel to
protect all North Carolinians' voting rights," said Baskerville.
"If Section IV was in place as
it was before Shelby, the current voter suppression bill would have
to be cleared by the Department of Justice before it could be
implemented," Rev. Barber said. "Democrats and Republicans should all
be concerned about legislation that removes North Carolina from preclearance
because it means whoever is in power can pass voting changes and tactics that
would not have to be precleared, thereby shifting the burden onto litigants to
prove discrimination."
Rev. Barber, who serves as the Political Action and
Legislative Chair for the National NAACP, affirmed the resolution adopted by
the National NAACP Board on the proposed bill to repair the Voting Rights Act.
The resolution welcomes the bipartisan work that launched S. 1945/H.R. 3899,
but it stresses that more voter protections will need to be added to the bill
before the organization and its members can feel confident that every
American's voting rights will be secure.
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