i V, 1
1"
Dfly.i7 i£‘/0i/0a
SE:RXai^ DEPORTMENT - / ,
DfiyiS^BRfiRY CB# 3938 \
UNC-CHfif^L HILL
CHAPEL Wtl.i
**CHILL
\,
MC £7514
I^ME 87-NUMBER 21
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, JUNE 7, 2008
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE; 30 CENTS
Obama Clinches
Democratic Spot
First Black
Presidential Nominee
By Hazel Trice Edney
NNPA Editor-in-Chief
WASHINGTON (NNPA) - U. S. Sen. Barack Obama has won enough
oledged and super delegates and has seized the Democratic presidential
nomination. By doing so. he has defeated Sen. Hillary Clinton by becom
ing the presumptive Democratic nominee and the first African-American
to be nominated for the U. S. presidency by a major party.
“Sixteen months have passed since we first stood together on the steps
of the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois. Thousands of miles have
been traveled; millions of voices have been heard,” Obama told more than
20 000 supporters in St. Paul, Minn., Tuesday night. “And because of what
you said, because you decided that change must come to Washington, be
cause you believed that this year must be different than all the rest, because
you chose to listen not to your doubts or your fears, but to your greatest
hopes and highest aspirations, tonight we mark the end of one historic Jour
ney with the beginning of another, a journey - journey that will bring a new
and better day to America. Because of you, tonight I can stand here and
say that 1 will be the Democratic nominee for the president of the United
States of America.”
The historic win has sent a wave of euphoria through the black com
munity and America in general as supporters cheered at the news after a
iong-fought primary contest against Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.).
But, it is not just an American celebration, but a world celebration, says
the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a former Democratic presidential contender.
“The whole world is celebrating today, and rightfully so,” says Jackson
in a phone call from the United Republic of Tanzania to the NNPA News
Service. “It is a glorious, mountaintop moment in American history. It is
a great victory for Barack, Michelle and a hard fought campaign. It is a
greater victory for America, a redemptive moment, a transformative mo
ment, and so we have reason to celebrate.”
Jackson, who was in Africa attending the annual Leon Sullivan Summit,
said he cried when he heard the news; especially because of “the martyrs
who paid such a big price for this moment.”
Tanzania borders the Indian Ocean, between Mozambique and Kenya,
the homeland of Obama’s late father. Exuberant celebrations were taking
place in Kenya after the news of Obama’s win.
Clinton, who would have been the first woman nominee, did not con
cede Tuesday night. But it is Obama who will be running in the general
election against Republican Sen. John McCain in the fall.
“America needs to be proud of itself tonight, that it has offered the
nomination of a major political party both to a woman and to a majoi
party. And the African-American has won,” says civil rights icon the Rev,
Joseph Lowery, co-founder of the Southern Christian Leadership (Confer
ence with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “And I think America can be proud
that the people nave listened to the voice that leads us into a better future
and not a voic. that causes us to cling to the hostile, conflicting politics of
the past.”
tne root of this historic moment is steeped in slavery. Jim Crow, the
struggle for civil rights and the injustices and inequities that still prevail.
“Our nominee will be giving his acceptance, speech on the 45th an
niversary, August 28. of the 'I Have a Dream Speech',” says U. S. Rep.
JimClybum (D-S.C.), who as House majority whip, is the highest ranking
African-American in Congress. He was reflecting on the upcoming Demo
cratic National Convention in Denver in August, where Obama will for
mally become the nominee. “I just think it’s kind of interesting for the first
African-American nominee to be laying out a vision for this country on the
anniversary of that 'I Have a Dream Speech' - poised to turn Martin Luther
King Jr.’s Dream about judgment of people [being by] the content of their
character rather than by the color of their skin. That to me is history worth
living for,” Clybum said.
It was during returns from the South Dakota and Montana primaries
that Obama crossed the line of the 2,118 delegates needed to seize the
Democratic nomination. She won South Dakota. He won Montana. But,
it was the last minute decisions of super delegates - party leaders who can
cast their delegates in either direction - that put him over the line.
Clinton, who had been expected to concede, chose not to do so Tuesday
night. Appearing as if she was still running, she listed the ills of America,
giving only brief recognition to the Obama campaign.
“! want to start tonight by congratulating Senator Obama and his sup
porters on the extraordinary race that they have run. Senator Obama has in
spired so many Americans to care about politics and empowered so many
more to get involved. And our party and our democracy is stronger and
more vibrant as a result. So we are grateful,” she said.
But, later in her speech, she stated emphatically, “This has been a long
campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight. And in the coming
days, I’ll be consulting with supporters and party leaders to determine how
to move forward with the best interests of our party and our country guid
ing my way.”
In stark contrast, Obama, in his speech, lavishly praised Clinton’s cam
paign as well as her for ail that she has accomplished for the nation.
“We’ve certainly had our differences over the last 16 months. But as
someone who’s shared a stage with her many times, I can tell you that what
gets Hillary Clinton up in the morning - even in the face of tough odds - is
exactly what sent her and Bill Clinton to sign up for their first campaign
m Texas all those years ago, what sent her to work at the Children’s De
fense Fund and made her fight for health care as first lady, what led her to
the United States Senate and fueled her barrier-breaking campaign for the
presidency: an unyielding desire to improve the lives of ordinary Ameri
cans, no matter how difficult the fight may be.”
Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean, in attempt to
quickly unify the party, has said he wanted all super delegates - including
2ll members of Congress - to make their decision between the two candi
dates as soon as possible after the primary season, which ended June 3.
Clybum says he chose the Illinois senator over Sen. Hillary Rodham
Clinton because of the impact that he has made on the electorate.
He has conducted a campaign...in such a way that it has elevated the
political discourse in this country. He has energized voters like I have not
jcen since the 1960s. He has in fact, helped to draw a new map for the
Democratic Party nationally,” Clybum said.
DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE BARaCK OBAMA
Obama has surprised the nation, sweeping w ins in such slates as Iowa, a
state with less than 3 percent black population, fie has inspired young vot
ers and African-Americans to register to vote and vote in record numbers.
But. he has struggled in states like Pennsylvania and West Virginia where
working class white voters didn't appear to take to his candidacy. Clybum
says he has advised Obama to.in coming months, tell them the hardships of
his life story, which he says will share empathy and identification.
“You have not talked about those things that you've had to overcome
to get to where you are,” he recalled a recent conversation with Obama.
“We have spent so much time talking about Sen. Obama, the first African-
American chair of the Harvard Law Review. We have not spent enough
time talking about the ordinary person raised by some extraordinary grand
parents and a mother who made significant sacrifices on his behalf. That is
the story that he has to tell going forward.”
The celebrated win was clearly dampened by Sen. Clinton's refusal-to
concede.
There has been much speculation of a so-ca!ied ■'dream ticket" with
( linion as v ice president, but after her refusal to concede Tuesday. Lowery
sa\s that does not appear as a realistic possibility. “If there were a realistic
possibihty for that. I think that she has muddied the whalers. She was not
coneihatory. she was not peaceful. She w'as still draw ing a line in the sand.
In his speecii. he was a statesman. And I think the contrast between the two
candidates was never more obvious in that Sen. Clinton’s was the speech
of a politician." Lowery says. “But. Barack was gracious, he complement
ed her be>ond what anybody could expect. He was nice to her and then he
went on to talk about the campaign is over."
Though many are in suspense, there appears to be a clear sentiment, as
stated by Lowery:
“The battle is over. It's over. And there's no point w'hen the ninth ending
is past and the score is not tied, the game is over. And then you have to talk
about where we go from here as a party, as a nation, as a united people.”
Racigi Justice Act - Advocates want passage of NC Racial Justice Act
By Whitney Woodward
RALEIGH (AP) - Spurred by the recent release of three
black men from death row, judicial reform advocates called on
lawmakers to give defendants in capital murder cases the right
to challenge their prosecution on racial bias grounds.
The North Carolina Racial Justice Act has sat dormant in a
Senate committee since the House voted 68-51 to approve the
measure last year. The proposal would allow death penalty de
fendants to use statistics to claim their conviction or sentence
was driven by race.
The state’s district attorneys oppose the measure, arguing
it could detract from the merits of an individual case. But ad
vocates said the bill is desperately needed to ensure innocent
people are not sent to death.
“You can overturn a wrongful conviction, but you can’t un
pack a wrong grave,’ said the Rev. William Barber, the presi
dent of the state chapter of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
Since December 2007, three black men - Jonathan Hoffman,
Glen Edward Chapman and Levon Jones - have been released
from North Carolina’s death row. They were among those lob
bying lawmakers May 27 at the Legislative Building.
The law would require defendants to “state with particular
ity’ how race played a role in either the prosecution’s decision
to press charges or to seek the death penalty. The plan would
apply retroactively, so inmates currently on death row could
make such arguments.
The state’s prosecutors said only the merits of an individual
case - and not a defendant’s race - should be considered during
a capital prosecution.
“No case is the same. None are the same. There are
different facts," said Pitt County District Attorney Clark Ev
erett. “The decision to prosecute someone capitally .should be
based on the facts of the case and the merits of the case, not
what happened in other counties.’
Everett, who serves as the president of the N.C. Conference
of District Attorneys, said he fears the legislation will prompt
a "battle of statisticians,’ where defense attorneys would hire
such specialists and make arguments on racial grounds, re
gardless of the merits of the claims.
"Statistics can be used to show most anything,’ Everett
said.
Senate Majority Leader Tony Rand, D-Cumberland, said
May 27 he didn’t know if the chamber would vote on the pro
posal this year.
Funeral honors last
surviving plaintiff in
Brown lawsuit
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - The governor is joining family and friends of
Zelma Henderson for her funeral.
Henderson is the last surviving plaintiff from Topeka in the historic
Brown v. Bcmrd of Education lawsuit.
That lawsuit and fo ir oeb^rs across the nation led to the U.S. Supreme
Court’s 1954 ruling that declared segregated schools unconstitutional.
Henderson Vi-as among ! 3 parents in Topeka who sued the local school
board in 1950. T’acy were challenging its policy of requiring black students
to attend segregated elementary schools.
The other plaintiffs included the Rev. Differ Brown, whose natr..’
listed first.
Henderson died last week at 88, six weeks after being diaoposed wit*^;
pancieattc cancej’.
i^-i
i Vi