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wmm 6A NEWS/ICtt C^rUine $ot Thursday, October 20, 2005 Milions More ral Vs message rings out Continued from page 1A 1995 March, said that the devastating effects of Katrina helped put black community issues into focus for many of the Movement’s speakers Walters added that the Movement crowd differed from that of the March because many people came out of curiosity following the success of the first March “They were not as intense or as intensely involved,” Walters said of Saturday’s crowd, which unlike the Million Man March, embraced the involvement of women and children. Families were propped up on lawn chairs and blankets from the Capitol lawn to the grassy area aroimd the Ulysses S. Grant memorial, where many watched speak ers such as A1 Sharpton, Erykah Badu and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, on jumbo screens “This is my first time ever in D C., to see this many peo ple in one place...! feel at home here,” said Jimmy Graham a 26-year-old Sum Michigan. Graham said he did not make the 1995 march but wanted to be a part of its his torical follow-up to “see what we’ve improved on and what we haven’t done ” “In the first one, I didn’t really see anything come out of it,” he added. Graham said he was look ing for something to take back to Michigan. Olu Daniels, 23, of Washington, was one of sev eral black entrepreneurs that used the Movement as a venue for business, which some felt made the event more “commercial” than the 1995 rally T. Street vendors sold food and Movement memorabilia. At 13, Daniels attended the Million Man March with his church. “(The Million Man March) meant much more to me as a young black man. I was only 13 then It moved me,” he said. • “(The Millions More Movement) seems like more of a spectacle-more of an event,” Daniels said, but added, “the message still rings clear ” Walter Simmons, 25, of Savannah, Ga., said he felt that while vendors created a seemingly different atmos phere, their presence repre sented the empowerment attained at the 1995 march. ‘Tfs black empowerment,” said Simmons, works for Thg Tfeam Marketing, a black networking company. He passed out black business directories at the Movement. Omitunde Slack, a native of Baltimore, said althou^ she could not attend the 1995 March she still “felt a part of it” But instead of taping tele vision broadcasts as she did a decade earlier. Slack was able to relive the unity she felt from her living room 10 years ago. “It’s about celebration,” Slack said, pointing to a Jumbotron that brought the speeches being made finm the Capitol steps closer to movement participants, many of whom gathered by the Grant memorial. “See that guy dancing? Thats how people feel inside.” Slack said the casual atmosphere did not take away finm the movement or its connection to the Million Man March- Tt’s the same kind of vibe. It’s love .” New N.C. NAACP president wants to press advocacy By Cynthia Dean VIE TR/.eVG/j; IKIBUNE Barber RALEIGH - Activism is in the Rev. William Barber’s blood. That’s why the 42- year-old Goldsboro resident finds himself leading a branch of the nation’s oldest civil rights organization. Barber beat incumbent Melvin “Skip” Alston in the race for presi dent of the North Carolina State NAACP last week, receiving 60 percent of the vote. The race for the seat during the organization’s 62nd aimual convention drew more members out to the event than in the past few years. The convention was held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Greensboro. Barber said his first reac tion was one of humility when he learned that he had won “I am humbled by the choice of the people,” he said. “I am overwhelmed and thankful for their tremen dous support.” As a young child. Barber joined the NAACP Youth Chapter in Washington County He recalls winning the NAACP youth president of the year honor in the 19708. Barber said his fami ly played a major role in inte gration efforts in Washington County Later, as a college student at North Carolina Central, Barber was elected presi dent of the Student Government Association. James E. “Uncle Bubba” Fields of Durham remem bers Barber as a young man taking on leadership roles. He said Barber was a pro found speaker. “If you turned your back, you might think that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was speaking,” Fields said. “He sounds just like him.” Fields said Barber will do a fantastic job because he’s a man of action. “He’U bring the NAACP back (to) where it needs to be,” he said “He’s a powerfirl guy” Barber recently served on the executive board of the Goldsboro Branch of the NAACP. He is pastor of Greenleaf (Christian Church, and he heads a nonprofit organization. Barber is mar ried to Rebecca Barber, and they have five children. The level of support for Barber signals that mem bers of the NAACP local branches are ready for change. Barber hopes that under his leadership the state chapter will become more aggressive on important issues. “We db not test the winds to decide our direction,” he said. ‘We stand by our deci sion even if the winds of soci ety are blowing in the oppo site direction." Some of the challenges he will lead the organization in tackling include closing the achievement gap, the loss of Afiican Americans in politi cal power and poverty among minorities. Barber also wants to take on large corporations that move to the state and dodge requirements to employ minorities, as well as state departments that get aroimd awarding bids to black con tractors. He said there is also a need for the organization to cele brate students who are suc ceeding in school. ‘We need to partner with (Historically Black Colleges and Universities),” Barber said, explaining that he wants the N.C. chapter’s Academic Cultural Tfechnological Scientific Olympics to become the pre mier event recognizing bright students across North Carolina. Alston took the loss in stride. ‘T accept it,” he said during a telephone interview. “I wish Rev. Barber and his administration the best I will give him my total sup port.” STEELE CREEK AREA BUSINESSES Steele Creek Elementary is located near Arrowood Road, and 1485, adjacent to Kennedy Middle School and Olympic High School. This year’s Steele Creek Elementary PTA Fall Festival will be the s^e for next year’s Fall Festival confining all Steele Creek elementary schools and adding more food and more fun with the same great 'family-style' entertainment. Steele Creek Elementary PTA We need your support to make this a successful Fall Festival. Our goal is to find sponsors for each event and activity. Fall Festival i-.-i We also offer the opportunity for your organization to set up a table for a $50.00 donation. All of the festival proceeds are given back to Steele Creek Elementary School. Our school has close to moo kids attending. It is close to 40 years old and has yet to be included in a bond program. j..- Saturday 1 Oct. 29.2005 ^ 4pm - 8pm The PTA is committed to improving our students’ reading scores; we presently lack resources that other schools realize. Our teachers have done and continue to do an extraordinary job but they need the basics: books, technology resources and equipment. For more festival and sponsorship information please contact: Andrea Spool-White, 704.807J070orawhile@steelecreekpta.org Olympic High School Stadium is the site of the Fall Festival. However, access and parking will be from Steele Creek Elementary. Children can look forward to, but not limited to: Clown Slide Bounce Clown Bounce Tiger Hi Striker Golf Challenge Seaweed Double Shot Football Pass Spin Art Monkey Bean I Police Car Hay Rides Pizza Snow Cones Fire Tmck Face Painting Cotton Candy Mumford Wake Co. busing foes make mark at City Council at Large school election By Cynthia Dean 7»E VU.l'.nij: TRIBUSE RALEIGH - The tables could soon turn for opponents of bus ing students in Wake County public sdwols Anti-busing contenders for the Wake County School Board have a pretty good chance of winning. Busing in the county was established to increase economic diversity in the classroom. In recent years many Wake (bounty residents have come together to speak out against the bussing policy, complaining that their children should not be bused across town when good schods are right in their back yards One group against busing m the THang^e named them selves Assignment By Choice (ABC). About three percent of the county’s students are bussed from their neighbcahoods to other areas The majiaity are low-income students fiom Southeast Raleigh who are bused to (Tarner, Cary and schools in North Raledgji. Last week, provisional ballots were still being counted to settle close races. Det»a McHenry of Gamer lost to Hcaace Thrt who cpenly opposes busing. Thrt took home 53 percent of the votes in last week’s electicm. It was the first time she had ever put her bid in for a public office. “It got pretty rou^ at the end,” she said “I need some rest” McHenry said she suf^xrts diversity. “All kinds of diversity is important in genial because we live in a diverse society,” Please see WAKE/BA Preparing ChaHotta for the Future Vote November 8th Paid for by The Mumford Committee, Roy Alley, IFeasurer
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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