USPS 091-380
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA SATURDAY, JANUARY 22, 1994 TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913
PRICE;30 cents
[Kenneth Spaulding
Wins DCOABP Chair
I y
By Ray Trent
lie Durham Committee on the
fairs of Black People on January
elected a chairman and various
jcommittee chairs,
attorney William Marsh,
lirman of the political corn-
tee, chaired the meeting and en-
,ained the motion that only one
n would be on the agenda and
t would be the election,
he nominating committee’s can-
ate was F.V. "Pete" Allison,
3 had held the chairmanship
,;e 1991. Mark Simeon placed in
lination, the name of Kenneth
Spaulding, the 2nd vice chair,
► accepted the nomination with
ciusing speech on the needs of
iiyouth and our need to commit
lem as our future.
(?aulding lambasted local
/ia’s negative depiction of our
iren. Media representatives
: ejected from the meeting.
'Jdding received a rousing ap
se from the crowd of nearly
^who packed the White Rock
ch Hall, filled the aisles and
allway outside.
^'vas proposed that the election
‘^air be by secret ballot. Three
%s for each candidate were
ted to distribute and collect
‘ts. It was done in an orderly
ler. When votes were counted,
■^^Spaulding had garnered 269
%te Allison, 195.
' son was the first to congratu-
^^Ipaulding and pledge his sup-
^icommiltee chairs elected
1st vice president, Franklin
‘^rson; 2nd vice president,
Hester; 3rd vice president,
Atwater; recording secretary,
^ ^ Atwater; executive secretary
chairman emeritus, Ralph
subcommittee chairmen:
‘y Cora McFadden; economic,'
Norman; education, Lavonia
health, Howard Fitts;
^ng, Evangeline Ellison; legal,
im Marsh; political. Hazel
religion. Bishop Elroy Lewis;
, Tracey Lovett.
> large group appeared to put
^ any petty differences, social
IS, political leanings or any-
g that would prevent unity,
ent were Democrats, Repub-
is and Independents. There
i seniors and youth. Religions
previously involved were
2sented, the Nation of Islam,
Orthodox Islam communities,
the Nation of Yaweh.
■ chairman-elect, Spaulding
that we’ve got to protect our
Iren. They have been depicted
Dodlums, rogues and criminals
le media. Our children are vic-
of discrimination in education
employment. Society has
id undue stress upon them. The
mittee must take the uproad
eming youth. Politics are im-
int, but we must work on a dai-
Jsis to address the needs and
iwmakers
^visit Site
f Killings
By Adam Yeomans
LLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -
n state legislators meet next
h in regular session, they will
it a brutal episode in Florida’s
ry 70 years ago when a white
wiped out a prosperous black
:ment.
wmakers will decide how to
)ensate the victims and descen-
i of Rosewood, a small Gulf
[ hamlet that disappeared after
rderous, week long rampage in
left at least eight people dead,
perhaps more, and virtually
f house, church and building
ed down.
te were eradicated, killed, as-
ed. We had our livelihoods as
lates to our spiritual and eco-
3ontinued On Page 3)
SPAULDING
problems of the community. We
will continue to work with the
People’s Alliance and other groups
to resolve the problem. The stan
dard will be mutual respect. The
Friends of Durham can be an ally if
that mutual respect is present and it
is the requirement.
The committee is the community,
Spaulding said. They have to do it.
1 can’t do it myself. We can all do
so much together. My Concern is
not getting the committee together
but getting the community together
and getting everyone to participate.
We have so much talent in the
black community and we can do a
lot of things ourselves.
Preston X. Barnes, who has the
television program, "The Great
Communicator," said that Durham
has come to grips with itself. The
media were there hoping we would
fight and be unable to run our own
affairs. This is a new direction for
Durham. It is here now. We did it
in an orderly manner and we came
together as one people. We won’t
stand, by and let our children kill
each other.
Annual Meeting
The Durham Committee on the Affairs of Biack Peopie
wili hoid its Annual Meeting and Installation of Officers
Sunday, January 23, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at St. Mark
AME Zion Church, 531 S. Roxboro St. Rev. W Lloyd
Burton, Jr., is pastor.
For further information, call 489-4421.
Med gar Evers Trial
Beckwith On Trial As
States Comes To Grips
With Decades-Old Slaying
By Ron Harrist
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) * The assassin whose bullet cut down Medgar
Evers in the driveway of his home 30 years ago targeted not only the
fiery state NAACP leader but the growing struggle by Mississippi blacks
for racial justice.
The 1963 assassination, termed "barbaric" by President John F, Ken
nedy, made a civil rights martyr out of Evers and pricked the conscience
of the nation.
Three decades later,. Mississippi is again trying aging white supremacist
Byron De La Beckwith in a bid to come to grips with the slaying, one of
the unresolved traumatic events in the 1960s which led to sweeping
changes in the state and the South.
"I think the fact that the state has taken the initiative makes a great
statement about the progress Mississippi has made as a society," said
Charles Sallis, a Millsaps College professor whose 1974 history book
was once banned from Mississippi schools because it dealt too honestly
with the state’s racial past. "A lot still has to be done." The trial will he
the third for Beckwith, 73, a onetime fertilizer salesman whose finger
print authorities say was on the sight of the hunting rifle that killed Evers,
a black who championed voting rights and helped organize economic
boycotts of businesses that discriminated.
Beckwith has maintained that he was at his hometown of Greenwood
when Evers was killed in his Jackson carport. Inside, Myrlie Evers al
lowed her three children to remain awake to greet their father.
They recognized the sound of his car pulling into the driveway, then
the shot rang out,
"That’s 93 miles away. It would have had to have been a mighty pow
erful rifle for me to have done it," said Beckwith, who claims the rifle
was stolen from him. »
July selection began Tuesday in Panola County, a majority white north
Mississippi county where attorneys hope publicity about the case has not
tainted the 5(X) potential jurors. Once a jury is picked. Circuit Judge
Breland Hilburn will move the case back to Jackson for testimony. The
trial is expected to last several weeks.
Testimony will take place in the same Jackson courtroom where all-
white juries were unable to agree on a verdict.
Those trials were held in 1964 - a year marked by the murders of three
civil rights workers in Neshoba County and known as "Freedom Sum
mer" by hundreds of volunteers from the North and South who set up
programs designed to promote black voter registration.
"It’s imperative, not just important, that we go on with this trial," said
Myrlie Evers, widow of Medgar Evers. "Justice has not been done in this
case." Myrlie Evers, who campaigned for years to have the case
reopened, said a conviction would be important not only for Mississippi
and the nation but "for me and my family. That night is like a movie that
is on replay every day. I have not forgotten." Sallis said that while it
would be difficult for prosecutors to reconstruct what happened three
decades ago, "what we do know for a fact was that there was bias and
prejudice working in the state at that time. It was a closed society.
"Ihe ironic thing is that the younger generations really are very ig
norant of the civil rights movement as a whole. I have students in my
classes who know nothing about Medgar Evers or this case," he said. "I
think what is happening today will be a good lesson." Beckwith, who has
a history of high blood presrure and other health problems, was freed
after 10 months in jail after the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled in 1992
that he was unreasonably being held without bond.
He still preaches white supremacy and directs those interested in his
past to read his biography, "Glory in Conflict." The 284-page book
(Continued On Page 2)
HEBREW ISRAELITE ACADEMY STUDENTS AT HAYTI HERITAGE CENTER
DURING MLK CELEBRATIONS
Miss NCCU
Wins Title of
Miss Atlantic
City Klassix
In December, Miss Laurie Nicole
Robinson, Miss NCCU, won the
title of Miss'Atlantic City Holiday
Klassix in Atlantic City, N.J. Miss
Robinson is a senior public admin
istration major at NCCU from Fort
Washington, Md.
As Miss Atlantic City Klassix,
Miss Robinson won a $1500
kholarship and a four-day, three-
night trip to the Bahamas.
The pageant highlighted the
talent, personality and intellect of
female students attending black
colleges. It sought to encourage the
young women to communicate and
network with each other for the bet
terment of the institutions they at
tend and their fellow students.
Eleven Campus Queen
partieipants were judged in the cat
egories of oratory, talent, poise-
projection, and interview. During
the oratory portion of the pageant,
contestants spoke on issues from
strengthening the family to promot
ing pride and education. Miss
Robinson’s topic was "Black Col
leges: Roots of the Black Com
munity."
MISS ROBINSON
While in Atlantic City, the con
testants visited the Atlantic City
Hospital and distributed Christmas
toys to children. They visited At
lantic City High School to en
courage students to continue their
education.
Miss Robinson had previously
won fourth runner-up at the Nation
al Black Alumni Hall of Fame
Pageant and is now preparing for
the Miss Collegiate African-
American Pageant to be held at
Disney World in Orlando, Florida,:
Cold, Wet Weather Did Not
Dampen MLK Celebrations
By Ray Trent
Record low temperatures, freez
ing rain, bone-chilling winds and
heatless facilities did not stop
hundreds of Durhamites from par
ticipating in a weekend to remem
ber and reflect on the "Dream" of
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., the fal
len civil rights leader who changed
the course of history.
Many events were carried out
over the four-day weekend in com
memoration of Dr. King.
On Friday, at Duke University
Medical Center, the film "Living
the Dream" was shown. It was also
shown on Monday at Von Canon
Hall.
Friday night at the Duke Chapel,
a candlelight vigil was held for the
Duke and Durham communities.
Speakers on Friday night included
Duke’s new president. Dr. Nannerl
O. Keohane; vice president. Dr.
Leonard Beckum; Rev.vBrenda
Kirton and the music of j^ofessor
Paul H. Jeffrey, noted musician.
A large group assembled in freez
ing weather Saturday morning at
Duke Memorial United Methodist
Church for a City of Durham com
memorative breakfast co-sponso^
by Martin Luther King Steering
Committee, Duke Memorial Meth
odist Church, NAACP, Peoples Al
liance, Fisher Memorial United
Holy Church, Watts Street Baptist
Church, Concerned Citizens
United, Trinity United Methodist
Church, Masjid Ar Razaaq, and the
Human Relations Commission.
Sunday morning’s frigid tempera
tures greeted the thousands on their
way to places of worship for com
memorative services too numerous
to list.
It was back to Duke on Sunday
night for a special service with
speakers. Rev, Philip R. Cousin,
Jr., pastor, St. Joseph’s AME
Church, Durham; Rev. Debra K.
Brazzel, assistant dean of the
Chapel; Rev. Bruce Bavinger,
pastor. Holy Cross Catholic
Church; Honorable Sylvia
Kerckhoff, mayor of Durham, and
music from "the North Carolina
School of Science and Mathe
matics, "Colours" directed by E.
Leon Goldston, Jr. and the Mrxlem
Black Mass Choir, Eric T. Dozier,
director.
Early Monday morning hundreds
gathered at the Sheraton Imperial
Hotel for a breakfast that featured
speakers from Raleigh, Durham
and Chapel Hill. This was
sponsored by the Martin L. King
Steering Committee. Undaunted by
the freezing temperatures and threat
of rain, sleet and snow, this group
proceeded to the downtown civic '
center to march in commemoration
of King’s marches.
As they started, a drizzling rain
had started. Young people filled the
ranks of the marchers. A large
group from the West End Youth
Council and the Mt. Calvary youth
group marched proudly with heads
held high singing the freedom
songs of the sixties, led by Bishop
Elroy Lewis, Warren Herndon, Ike
Robinson, Paul Luebke, Floyd
McKissick, Jr. and many others
who had participated in marches m
the sixties. One of the m^hers
said the cold and rain was a breeze
compared to the fire hoses, dogs
and clubs at the sixties ranches. -
A short breather at the Shelter of
hope was really no relief. There
was no heat there. In welcoming
the marchers, Ms. Lee, Shelter
director, asked what Dr. King
^^^tinued On Page 1',