THE TRUTH WILL SET ^Tbe^iC *D^orG ^~Than a *D^eu>spapor. ^ Community institution In Our 31th Year Issue No. 2006 August2014 Associate Consultants Serving the Triad Higher Education Degrees and Community Partnerships in the Piedmont Triad De'Shaunda Hampton For over 60 years, Grand Canyon University has maintained a strong reputation as a pres tigious Teaching College with a primary goal of in the College of Education to provide educators with the confidence to achieve excellence in their career as a teacher or administrator. As a University Development Representative servicing educators and administrators within the seven counties in the Piedmont Triad Area, I have worked on behalf of Grand Canyon University to African Literature Association Meets in South Africa By Debra S. Boyd, Ph.D. "Texts, Modes, and Repertoires of Living in and Beyond the Shadows of Apartheid''was the theme of the 40th Annual Meeting and Conference of the African Literature Asso ciation (ALA) which took place April 9-13, 2014 at the University of Witwatersrand (WiTS) in Johannesburg, South Africa. Professor Bhekizizwe Peterson was the conference convener. Bheki is a Professor of African Literature in the WiTS School of Literature, Language and Media. With the .support of his committee and conference sponsors, Professor Peterson organized an unforgettable season of cultural and intel lectual enrichment and genuine hospitality for the attendees. The festivities began with an official open ing reception that featured a South African jazz ensemble, welcome and greetings from University of Witwatersrand repre sentatives, Professor Bheki Peterson and Dr. Soraya Mekerta (Spelman College), out going president of the African Literature Association. 2014 marks a pivotal moment in African history and the history of the African Litera ture Association. South Africa celebrates 20 years of democracy and the path to equal ity of all peoples in the "rainbow nation." In 1994, Nelson Rolihaha Mandela, a.k.a " Madiba" was voted in as president and establish partnerships with school districts, community colleges, and businesses across various Industries in Forsyth, Guilford, Rock ingham, Stokes, Surry, Davie, and Davidson counties, in addition to partnerships with institutions of learning and numerous other industries, the services that I provide to the community extends from partnership to enrollment of adult learners Into programs across a spectrum of majors, and assistance with academic plans that ensures learners not only enroll with me at Grand Canyon University, but have the essential tools and support they need to graduate. After gradu-. atlon, GCU students are then able to utilize and apply real-world knowledge, essential knowledge, and in-demand skills in their perspective fields. Accreditation The Higher Learning Commission and its predecessor have accredited Grand Canyon University continually since 1968, [continued on page 767 Debra S. Boyd, Ph.D. Head of State via a free and democratic election process. Nelson Mandela Is one of the world's most celebrated freedom fighters and he spent 27 years in the infa mous prison at Robben Island before he was ordered released In 1990. Mandela passed away last year (2013) and the nation of South Africa is still mourning his death and celebrating his life. To be noted also is the University of Texas at Austin to create what has become known as [continued on page 3] EPA'a New Carbon Rules Will Hit African AmeriansThe Hardest By Agnon Cash John Coltrane Fourth Annual John Coltrane Festival Set for August 30,2014 in His Hometown of High Point, NC By Larry Reni Thomas The Friends of John Coltrane, Inc., a High Point, North Carolina-based arts organization, presents. The Fourth Annual John Coltrane Inter national Jazz And Blues Festival, August 30,2014, from 1 pm to 10 pm, at Oak Hollow Park, 1841 Eastchester Drive, in High Point, North Carolina. The festival will include music from guitarist/vocalist George Benson, saxophonist Boney James, vocalist Morgan James, guitarist Andreas Varady and vocalist Latimore. Last year, the third edition, was a huge success and this year's festival prom ises to do just as well. John Coltrane, the master of the saxophone, was born September 23, 1926, to John R. and Alice Blair Coltrane, in Hamlet, North Carolina, in the rural, red clay, farming region near the South Carolina state line. His grandfather was Reverend Wil liam Coltrane, a prominent African Methodist Episcopal Zion (AMEZ) minister in Hamlet. When John was an infant, his family moved 85 miles north to High Point, North Carolina, in the piedmont, manufacturing part of state. His grandfather was Rev erend John Blair, an elder in AMEZ church. Coltrane grew up, on Under hill Street, performed in the high school band and graduated from William Penn High School in 1943. John, whose father operated a tailor shop and played the violin, started playing the saxophone in High Point. He began to show an interest in music and the [continued on page 19] Agnon Cash Energy is one of the most pervasive issues in America touching a wide range of areas in the economy - food, utilities and job opportunities. It's time for Washington policy makers and insiders to exercise common sense in developing energy- related policy. It's time for a paradigm shift. The nation is concerned about climate change and the impact greenhouse gas emissions may have on future generations; but the Administration's attempts to create a cleaner energy future have a dispropor tionate impact on those that they should be helping the most in North Carolina - the low-income and minority populations. The Environmental Protection Agency's proposed new carbon emissions stan dards rule seeks to achieve a 30-percent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants nationwide by 2030 (a 40-percent reduction here in North Carolina). The projected long-term benefits - cleaner air, improved health outcomes, etc. - will benefit all North Carolinians. That's common sense. But what about the costs? [continued on page 3] inside This Issue NC Education Budget and Opportunity Scholarship Program Applauded 3 Plus Loan Amendments May Re-enroll More Than 300,000 Students at HBCU's 5 Tony Dungy Unfairly Attacked 5 Have Black Girls Been Overlooked? 6 Fire Chief Antony Farmer Retires 20 You Can Always Start Over 21