Fisher makes history with
N.C. GOP chairwomanship
CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT
in terms of racial diversity,
the Republican National
Committee has little to show
case. The party 's recent conven
tion in St. Paul was its whitest
ever, with less than two percent
of Afncan-Amencans serv ing as
delegates
The state party is making an
effort to promote diversity. Dr.
Ada Fisher, a Salisbury physi
cian and frequent candidate for
office, is now officially the
Republican , National
Committees oman for North
Carolina.
The state's GOP committee
has some say in the agenda and
affairs of the National
Republican Party and works to
elect GOP candidates and raise
funds for various races.
The 150 people of the N.C
committee also includes Party
Chair Linda Daves and Rep
Mohammed
from page C
traditional Islam won him
many "friends" at home and
abroad, particularly in the
Muslim World.
He was the first Muslim to
give an invocation in f the
United States Senate and in
1993. the Imam gave the
prayer during the
first Inaugural
Interfaith Prayer
Service for
President Bill
Clinton
Imam Abdul
Kanm Hasan, the
resident Imam of
Los Angeles'
Masjid Felix Bilal.
had known
Mohammed for
decades, personally, socially
and as a religious leader.
"He was a great inspira
tional leader, and he. with the
help of God. was responsible
for turning us in the direction
of mainstreun Islam.'' Hasan
said. "Because of his efforts,
we were able to make great
strides and progress in every
city because of the decentral
ization of the community,
making each Imam responsi
ble for his own growth and
development there."
Lee
( fi* """a
Dr. Ada Fisher lives in Salisbury.
David Lewis, the N.C. National
Committeeman.
Fisher has unsucessfully run
for the I'.S. Senate and the U.S.
House of Representatives. She
As the minister responsi
ble for the Nation's business
es in Mosque No. 27, Hasan
was keenly aware of the fun
damental difference between
the past and the present, as
espoused by Mohammed.
Hasan continued, "He was
directing business activities
and also encouraging
Muslims to forget about their
past injustices and
start ? looking
towards the future.
He was a member of
the World Council
of Mosques, which
is headquartered in
Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, and through
that office, he was
able to introduce to
them the vastness of
the American com-'
munity of Muslims.
Malik Saleem, who
labored for the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad and then as
a follower of the Imam, had
some pleasant memories.
"What impressed me the
most is that he said if Black
people take care of their fami
ly and let your family be your
number one priority, he. as a
leader will be a happy man!
He told us. those of us who
labored for the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad and gave
is currently running for the N.C.
House of Representatives in
District 77.
Fisher believes she is the
first known black woman in the
up our college careers, go
back to college and get those
college degrees; that this is
our country and in order to
benefit from it, we should be
able to give a minimum to the
military service of our coun
try. which 1 had already been
in the Air Force, but these are
the things that inspired me."
The Rev. Eric Lee. presi
dent of SCLC said, "Anyone
who embarks on a course fo
lift humanity to a higher level
is a noble calling. The loss of
Warith D. Mohammed will be
a loss to all of our community
and all of mankind."
Davis
from page XT
for a long time, that's exactly what it was, eventually
becoming the oldest black-owned resort in the United States.
By the 1990s, however, business began to slip. And it fell to
their son to keep the Hillside afloat.
?Deconstructing Sammy" follows Murray as he struggles to
save the Hillside - and the Sammy Davis Jr. brand
Murray, now 59. never thought much of Davis. Like many
other blacks who came of age during the tumultuous 1960s, he
saw Davis as little more than a minstrel, an Uncle Tom. a play
thing of the white establish
ment.
But he felt sorry for
Davis's widow. Altovise
Davis, who was virtually pen
niless. in the grips of a life
threatening alcohol addiction,
and. as it happened . living in
a private bo me on the grounds
of the Hillside And the more
Murra> dug into Davis'* life,
the more he came to appreci
ate his contributions to
American culture and civil
rights
"He *as much more than
tbe Stepm Fetchit that be
appeared to be." Minra> taad
in a recent interne* at the
Hillside "He went through
struggles as a black ? he
went through struggles with his own identity, he ?ew tfarocgto
all of the things that we go through as minorities A3 the wane
time, he gave of himself as an entertainer And yet. f ifee cad
of his life, there was nothing to show for it." C
Murray worked hard to rectify that. He struck a deal witib
the IRS in 1997, and with the tax debt finally settled, offers
began pouring in. A four-CD retrospective was released 10 1999
and Murray helped secure for Davis a lifetime achievement
award at the 2001 Grammy. s
Yet the story continues to unfold, and both legacies face an
uncertain future.
Murray and Altovise parted ways in 2001, and the Davis
estate has once again fallen into disrepair, "mired in failure and
controversy," as Birkbeck writes. Altovise Davis has sued two
former business partners in federal court, claiming they tricked
her into signing away the rights to her husband's estate. The
suit is pending.
Murray, meanwhile, has put the Hillside up for sale.
His parents are deceased and the 33-room resort, he says, is
a dinosaur. Blacks have long been able to stay at any public
accommodation they want, and increasingly, they're choosing
to stay somewhere else. And whites may be reluctant to go to a
resort whose clientele is primarily black.
Murray hopes it is bought by a nonprofit, perhaps a shelter.
Which would be a fitting way to honor the Hillside's history.
nation to serve as a Republican
National Committeiwoman
She insists that the state GOP is
making progress in showcasing
diversity. Other prominent
African- Americans Republicans
in the state include Buncombe
County District Chairman,
Joseph Avery; County Chairman
Dr. Timothy Johnson from
Asbeville. Fisher is also one of
six black Republican candidates
running for the General
Assembly.
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f) Small Business
| " I Training Program
A City sponsored Business Training Program is set to
begin on Thursday October 16, 2008. The series of
H? _ n _ seminars meets on Thursday evening from 6:00pm to
WIIKlnil<SfilPni 8:00pm in the Anderson Center, Continuing Education
HfUll^lll wing on the Campus of Winston-Salem State University.
The class will meet in room # C002. Classes end on December 18.
Every year through the City 's Minority and Women Business Enterprise Program a series
of seminars are offered to interested City residents thinking about entering into the
business world. Topics include Market Analysis, Legal Issues, Customer Service,
Insurance Needs, Book Keeping and Taxes,
Writing a Business Plan, and How to Apply
for Funding. Qualified participants who
complete the program are then eligible to
apply to the City's Small Business Loan
Program for funding to assist in starting a
small business.
Please call, Ruben Gonzales, Development
Office, at 747-7474 if you'd like to register or
have questions.
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