The AC Phoenix
December 2006
Page 33
JaLeeL whlTE
Guess Who’s Back
Unless you were buried under a
rock all summer long, you have no
doubt heard of the most incessant
Internet rumors ever: actor Jaleel
White, famous for portraying the
uber-nerd Urkel on the ABC series
“Family Matters,” had committed
suicide. Found beside his limp
body was a suicide note that simply
read, “Did I do that?”
It was at once shocking and hys
terically funny - unless, of course,
you were Jaleel White.
“It was wack. What can you say,
the Internet is the land of the suck
er punch,” he says in disgust. “It
was absolutely annoying. I have to
admit it did not incense me to the
degree that people think that it did ... I get the last laugh.”
The fact that White has been out of the picture for the past several years
only helped to give the rumor feet. After all, most of his fans couldn’t confirm
what the former television star was doing nowadays. But that is sure to change
with a couple of upcoming releases, including a straight-to-DVD comedy and a
role in the much-hyped Dreamgirls film, co-starring Beyonce, Jamie Foxx,
Eddie Murphy and Fantasia. Though he’s been sworn to secrecy by the direc
tor of Dreamgirls regarding his role, he has plenty to say about Who Made the
Potato Salad?, which he describes as “a black Meet the Parents.” White plays
a cop who goes to meet his fiance’s family on Thanksgiving only to discover
her father is a former Black Panther leader who hates cops.
“I just got a real simple rule when it comes to this game,” says White, who
graduated from UCLA film school five years ago and has written behind the
scenes. “I try not to overthink my decisions. If it’s funny, I do it. Period.”
-Rodney Camichael
for unto us luas born that day in thr city of
Dau'iri, Brtlildiem, the Sauior, uihich is
Christ the Isorri.
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MAYOR ALLEN JOINES
Winston-Salem, NC
Reducing Crime and
Killings: Gan Ministers and
City Work Together?
By: Ericka Thompson
The Indianapolis Recorder
Indianapolis (NNPA)—It has died down now, but the uproar in recent
weeks caused by some Indianapolis clergy requesting $25 million from
Mayor Bart Peterson to fund programs to help reduce crime has not
gone away completely.
Threatening to boycott the continuation of the new Colts stadium,
about 50 ministers, mostly Black, met with Mayor Peterson and
submitted the plan, Citywide Faith-Based Violence Reduction Plan.
“It came from the idea that the church was already doing the work,”
explained Reverend Charles Ellis, pastor of Twenty-Fifth Street Baptist
Church. “We're on the streets. Why not put some of those resources
behind the people that are already doing the work.”
The ministers’ movement comes as the city is in the midst of
increased crime and a possible record year in homicides.
Bishop T. Garrott Benjamin, leader of Light of the World Christian
Church, acknowledges disappointment in how the mayor is handling the
increase of crime in the city, but emphasizes where the disagreements
are taking place.
“I think there may be disagreements on the methodologies and strate
gies that we use, and the amount of money that will be needed to
resource existing agencies and create new ones,” he said.
Still, some say It’s a disagreement, which begs the question cane the
church and local government work together even if they are fighting the
same cause?
Bishop Benjamin says yes.
“The mayor has a faith-based office so they obviously believe that the
government and the church can work together,” he said.
In spite of this, people in the community feel the two have too many
conflicting interests and beliefs.
“Ministers and politicians walk two entirely different walks,” says city
worker, Stuart Campbell, 41. “Politicians deal with the laws of the world
while preachers deal with the laws of the Bible. The two are like oil and
water.”
Another sound argument some believe comes in the form of the First
Amendment in the U.S. Constitution: the separation of church and
state, a political doctrine that states that the institutions of the state or
national government should be kept separate from those of religious
institutions.
Some religious believers support the separation of church and state
in the belief that it protects their religion from the coercive power of gov
ernment. But locally, clergy are Ignoring the argument and are also call
ing on Black politicians for help.
“They have to come to the table and help us in this process,” said
Reverend Charles Harrison, pastor of Barnes United Methodist Church.
“They're kind of sitting outside. It’s not just the mayor.”
In September, the City-County Council passed a $1.1 billion budget
that calls for $36 million in new anti-crime initiatives.
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