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‘ --ON L, ClW aHflPH;... HI X L NC VOLUME 88 - NUMBER 7 DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 21, ?.009 TELEPHO^IE (919) 682-2913 PRICE: 30 Black Colleges Struggle in Economic Downturn By Sean Yoes Special to the NNPA from the Afro-American Newspapers (NNPA) - Part of the mission of the nation's historically Black in stitutions (HBI) is to provide a col lege education for a disproportion ate number of students who can't afford to go to most traditionally White institutions (TWI). Now. many of those Black schools that have provided sanc tuary for low-income students are stumbling under the weight of the country's economic crisis. Enrollments at Black schools are down while endowments are in de cline and fundraising sources have dried up. The fact is resources are scarce at most U.S. colleges and univer sities. but students at HBTs often need more financial aid to stay in school. "What's most difficult for our institutions is that they are tuition- driven." said "Michael Lomax, president of the United Negro Col lege Fund to the Associated Press. "They don't have the large endow ments and even the ones who do. have seen a large reduction in the value of those endowments." Most U.S. colleges are reeling from economic woes. A recent sur vey of 791 American public and pri vate colleges indicates endowments fell 3 percent in the fiscal year end ing June 30. A smaller group of schools reported a 23 percent drop in the first five months offiscal year 2009, which began in July. Only three Black colleges - Howard University in Washington. D.C.. Spelman College in Atlanta and Hampton University in Virgin ia - had endowments in the top 300 included in the survey. But. even venerable Spelman announced it will cut 35 positions due to the faltering U.S. economy. Recently the all women's institu tion said it will reduce ne.xt year's budget by $4.8 million. Enrollment at the school is also down 3 percent this year. Spelman will cut 12 va cant positions and 23 existing po sitions. One of Spelman's Atlanta neighbors. Clark Atlanta University cut about 100 workers last week be cause of plummeting enrollment. Jennifer Jiles. a SDokeswoman iui me scnuoi saiu /u iacimy mem bers and up to 40 staff learned that Friday was their last work day.. She said no more cuts are expected and denies the school, which is the larg est of United Negro College Fund institutions, is in any financial dis tress.. "There is absolutely no financial emergency and the university' is not a cash marginal institution." Jiles told the Associated Press. She said students have been having difficulty getting loans for school. "We were getting some indication by mid-fall and certainly by December, that we would have a number of students that would not be returning for the spring semester." Jiles said. She es timates about 98 percent of Clark Atlanta students get financial aid. At Morehouse, also in Atlanta, enrollment is down about 8 per cent from last year and the school's endowment is down to about $110 million from a high of $150 mil lion. ' But. there is a bright spot in the midst of the school's economic Woes - an increase in alumni do nors. especially first-time givers. "They feel a greater responsibility for the health of the college." said Morehouse president Robert Frank lin. 21-year-old Dabney Zanders, a senior finance major at Morehouse set to graduate in May says he is more worried about the future of the school than his own future. "They're just spread very thin." be said. "At a certain point you have to wonder, when is my educa tion starting to fall off?" I I i p • 1 onV -“A i„ „ - 2^? Kent Williams, Jr., NCCU’s Student Government Association president, standing, waits as Nobel Peace Prizewinner Muhammad Yunus signs a copy of his book, “Creating a World Without Poverty,” prior to his lecture at the B.N. Duke Auditorium on Feb. 5. Michaux, Luebke lead powerful NC House panels RALEIGH (AP) - The same leadership is being trusted to head the two most powerful committees in tiie Nortit Carolina House. House Speaker Joe Hackney rolled out committee assignments Feb. 11. The eight chief budget-w riters and four Finance Committee leaders held the same posts during the 2007-2008 session. Rep. Mickey Michaux remains senior co-chairman of the Appropriations Committee, while Rep. Paul Luebke has a similar title on the Finance Committee. Both are Durham County Democrats. Only one Republican received a gavel: Rep. Julia Howard of Davie County w ill remain co-chairwoman of the Ethics Committee. Reps. Deborah Ross and Dan Blue of Wake County and Rep. Ronnie Sutton of Robeson County remained the top leaders of the chamber's three judiciary panels. The Legislature meets in full session every two years. Johnson enters plea, but won’t serve more time WILSON. N.C. (AP) - A man who spent three years in jail before prosecutors (dropped a murder charge ac cepted a plea agreement Monday and won't spend any more time behind bars, ending a tumultuous and polarizing prosecution that divided this North Carolina community. James Johnson entered an Alford plea to misprision of a felony in connection with the 2004 slaying of 17-year- old Brittany Willis. Misprision of a felony is the failure to report a serious crime to the proper authorities and carries a maximum sentence of 15 months in prison. In an Alford plea, a defendant does not admit guilt but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to possibly win a conviction. The Judge who accepted the plea granted Johnson a prayer for judgment continued, meaning the couii did not impose a punishment and Johnson will not face additional jail time. Johnson had been scheduled to face a juiy trial Monday morning on a charge of accessory after the fact to first-degree murder. "This has been a long sojourn for the Johnson family. James and the cof^imunity." the North Carolina NAACP. which rallied behind Johnson, said in a written statement. "Now. finally. .)|mes can move on with his life, go back to school, and live beyond what was thrust upon him. And. perhaps the c6^nnuinit\ at large can heal." A special prosecutor won an indictment last year against Johnson, accusing him of helping clean a vehicle« driven by Kenneth Meeks, who was convicted in the killing. Johnson has said he was terrified when Meeks, a new acquaintance, drove him to a construction site and showed him Willis' body. He contends he was so scared that he drove with Meeks to a nearby car wash to clean the SUV. He later went to Wilson police and told them what he knew. Meeks initially told authorities Johnson participated in the crimes. Johnson was charged with murder and remained in jail for the next three years, during which time a jur> convicted Meeks and sentenced him to life in prison. Meeks later recanted his accusation and told authorities and a local newspaper he'd acted alone. CBC Applauds Passage of Stimulus Package as 'Bold’ Obama Victory By. Hazel Trice Edney NNPA Editor-in-Chief WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Now that President Barack Obama has succeeded his first major political hurdle from the White House, the passage of the $787 billion economic stimnins bill, the success is being met with strong applause from the Congressional Black Caucus. "This package will help businesses create jobs and families afford their bills while lax ing a foundation for future economic growth in key areas like health care, clean energy, education and a 2lst cen tury infrastructure." says U. S. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. The extensive bill passed the Senate Friday night 60-38 only hours after passing the House 246-183 w ith clear party lines. Though Obama appeared to tiy hard to w in a bi-partisan agreement, the re sult is clearly a defeat for past Republican policies. "The disastrous economic policies of the previous administra tion - including irresponsible tax cuts for the wealthy and the war in Iraq and deregulation of the financial industry have left our nation in shambles." Lee says in a statement. "Millions of people are lix ing in poverty. x\ ithout health insurance, and unemployment is through the roof - Our communities of color hax e been especially hard hit - anc it's only getting worse." she said, calling the bill "a positive step in the right direction for our countiy." The President was expected to sign the bill in Denver on Tues day. House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn describes the new plan as "bold action that President Obama called for. It will create and sav e 3.5 million jobs, cut taxes for 95 percent of American workers, and strategically transform our economy for y ears to come." But. the mission is daunting, he concedes. "Our economy is shed ding 20.000 jobs a day. Just last month nearly 600.000 jobs were slashed, marking the deepest cut in pay rolls in 34 years. The un employment rate in January reached 7.6 percent, the highest level in more than 16 years. Of the top 20 highest months of job loss in America's history, five occurred in the last seven months. It's time to turn those statistics around." he said in a statement. .Among the primaiy focuses of Black legislators has been tlie Black unemployment rate, which is 12.9 percent and more than 14 percent for E3lack males. Though Lee applauds the bill, she still questions whether it xxiL be enough when President Obama has predicted possible double digit unemployment for all of America before it's all oxer. "Given the magnitude of the economic crisis, this bill could and should be much bigger - at least $! trillion." Lee said. "Addition ally, it should have been enacted a year ago when my colleagues in the Progressive Caiicus and I first called for a new stimulus package to jumpstart our economy. But the previous Administration refuted to take action, letting our economy collapse before choosing tv bail out their friends in the banking industry." She not only applautled Obama, but also House Speaker N.mcy Pelosi and Cly burn for their part in crafting the recox ery package. Clyburn says the bill xxas carefully crafted to include relief in African-American communities. "The last time our country faced an economic crisis of this magni tude. the government's response in large measure omitted the com munities that I represent and tor which the NAACP advocates." he say s. "As we crafted the American Recovery and Reinvestment Ac. we targeted our efforts on traditionally underserved communities and rural communities using census tracks and poverty levels to di rect the greatest need. I believ e we met the challenge put forward by the NAACP for equity and fairness, and I expect this recovery pack age to deliver the hand-up that Americans so desperately need." Lee promises to remain vigilant in legislation to repair the dam age. "Although the American dream has turned into a nightmare for many during this economic crisis." she concludes. "Many people have been living the nightmare for years. So we must continue to fight on their behalf, and we w ill." NC NAACP: Budget cuts would hurt most vulnerable RALEIGH. N.C. (AP) - The president of North Caro lina's NAACP chapter says across-the-board state budget cuts would significantly hurt the W'orking poor. The Rev. William Barber said Feb. 12 that legislators have long failed to equitably fund education and health care. He said further budget cuts would hurt those areas the most. Lawmakers are trying to find as much as $3 billion in spending cuts or revenues to balance ne.xt year's budget. Rob Schofield with the advocacy group NC Policy Watch said raising new revenues in addition to targeted cuts would be the smartest approach to creating the budget. Feb. 12 marked the 100th anniversary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. The Legislature approved a resolution Feb. 12 in honor of the civil rights group.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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Feb. 21, 2009, edition 1
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