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VOLUME 88 - NUMBER 18
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, MAY 9, 2009
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE; 30
Durham Committee to Honor Kenneth
Hammond and Andrea Harris
The Durham Committee on the
Affairs of Black People (DCABP)
will honor Kenneth R. Hammond.
Pastor of Union Baptist Church
(UBC) and Andrea L. Harris. Presi
dent CEO of North Carolina Insti
tute of Minorit\ Economic Devel
opment (The Institute) at the 74th
Founders Anniversar> Banquet.
Sat.. Aug. 22. at 6 p.m. This gala
celebration, to be held at Greater
Emmanuel Family Life Enrich
ment Center. 2722 E. Main St.
will feature Congressman Janies
E. Clyburn. U.S. House of Repre
sentatives. South Carolina's Sixth
Congressional District. On Novem
ber i 6.2006. the House Democratic
Caucus unanimously elected Con
gressman Janies E. CKbiirn. a na
tive of Sumter. S.C. and a graduate
of South Carolina State Universit\
in Orangeburg. S.C.. as MaJorit\
Whip for the 110th Congress. This
was a historic da\ for Jim Ci\ burn,
who became the second African
American to ascend to the third
ranking position in the U.S. House
of Representatives. On Januan 4th.
2007. when Representative Cl\-
biirii assumed this esteemed posi
tion. his leadership authoriu rank
placed him only behind Speaker
Nanc\ Pelosi and Majorit) Leader
Sieiiy Hoyer In the Congressional
Democratic Caucus.
Each of the distinguished 2009
Honorees. Pastor Hammond and
President Harris, has made immea
surable contributions through their
respective professional and varied
public service careers. The public
is cordially invited to attend this
festive occasion in appreciation of
many outstanding achievements re
alized by two significant leaders. In
addition, it will be an opportunitx to
meet and hear from one of the most
hiiiliK influential congressman in
the nation. Banquet tickets for this
grand event are S50 and reserved
tables are available for S425. Con
tacts for tickets'and reserved tables
may be made via DCABP’s tele
phone .^30-1100. email (drela'ff aol.
com), fax 688-9357. and personally
with Committee officers.
The Founders Leadership Award
will be presented to Kenneth Ham
mond as a tribute for more than
thinv years of pastoral minislrv that
includes seventeen years as pastor
of Union Baptist Church. Ham
mond is a native of Greenville. N.C.
and an alumnus of East Carolina
University and Shaw University
Divinitv School. He completed the
B.A. degree in Hisiorv. the M.A.
degree in Education and a Certifi
cate of Advanced Studv at ECU.
He earned a Master of Divinity
degree from Shaw and completed
additional doctoral studies at North
Carolina State University. His scho
lastic achievements are marked b\
his induction into Phi Alpha Theta
Honor Societv. The Honor Societv
ot Phi Kappa Phi. Who's Who in
Education and Who's Who Among
Black Americans. In October 200”^
Pastor Hammond was recognized
as the National Pastor of the Year
by Christian Tools of Affirmation
(CTA. Inc.).
Prior to accepting the pastorship
at Union Baptist. Hammond served
as pastor of: Mount Shiloh Baptist
Church in Williamston: Cedar Gro-
Baptist Church in Greenville:
3nd Youth Minister. Mount Shiloh
Baptist Church in Winierville. In
addition to his ministerial service.
Pastor Hammond held leadership
positions at ECU as: Associate Di
rector of the Department of Uni
versity Unions: Assistant Director
for the Mendenhall Student Center;
Program Director. Mendenhall Stu
dent Center: support group leader
for battered women: and leadership
for an Anger Manauenient Coun
selor.
Kenneth Hammond was in
stalled as pastor of Union Baptist
Church in January 1992. His career
3t Union has been marked b\
(Coniitinued On Page 2)
m.
I
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fcag
REV. HAMMOND
exceptional growth, remarkable ad
ministrative achievement, and both
fiscal and facilities expansion. Ex-
eniplarv accomplishments include:
membership growth to more than
5.000 resulting in three Sundav
morning services at 7:30 am. 9:30
am. and 11:15 am: more than 25 new
ministries launched: a multi-minis
try staff of 22: a quadrupled budget
of more than S2.5 million and an es
tablished endowment fund; building
a new worship center, administra
tive offices: a completelv renov ated
educational edifice at a cost of S3.5
million: and host for the Durham
Scholars Program with Dr, James
H. Johnson. Jr., the Williams Rand
Kenan. Jr. Distinguished Professor
of Management at the Universitv
of North Carolina at Cnapel Hill's
Kenan Flagler Business School,
who directs the Scholars Program.
Pastor Flammond has been and is a
champion for the establishment of
qualitv educational experiences, es-
peciallv for those with the greatest
needs. B\ far. one of Hammond's
monumental achievements, with his
Union Church famiK. is the new.
49.000-square foot Union Inde
pendent School scheduled to open
Juh 15. 2009. The school initialK
will enroll 75 students in kinder
garten through grade two. adding
a kindergarten class each year until
it has 250 students through eighth
grade. All children in the 172-block
Northeast Central Durham area will
be eligible applicants, with selec
tion b\ a lottery. This fulK endowed
private school building enhanced
b\ pedagogic guidelines will also
include space for a separatelv run
da\-care center, preschool, and
health and wellness center. This
Linprt^'cedented accomplishment is a
reminder of the important role Afri
can American churches have plav ed
in the historical past. It is evident
that black churches must begin
anew to address the overwhelming
challenges causing serious educa
tional racial disparities. "The Dur
ham Committee is extremelv proud
to honor Kenneth R. Hammond, a
dv namic visionary humanitarian."
The President CEO and co
founder of the North Carolina In
stitute of Minority Economic De
velopment (NCIMED). Andrea
L. Harris also will be presented
the Durham Committee Founders
Leadership Award. This is a most
deserved tribute for her more than
thiitv years of tireless efforts to
ward building economic paritv and
assets in minoritv and tow-resource
communities. Ms. Harris is a native
of Sumter. S.C.. the daughter of the
Mrs. Geneva Smith-Harris and the
late Dr. Andrew L. Harris.
Register
To
Vote
‘1 ■
IMS. HARRIS
Her mother. Geneva Smith-Harris.
this Mav will celebrate an historic
event. She will participate in her
70th class reunion at South Caroli
na State Universitv in Orangeburg.
S.C. The honor to be bestowed upon
her daughter. Andrea Harris, repre
sents values, standards of excel
lence. public service commitment,
and determination to give back- all
principles stressed b\ her mother
throughout her growing and adult
vears. This honor, for Ms. Harris, is
also a tribute to Ms. Harris' mother
wii'ose profound inffuence helped
mold .Andrea into the leader she is
lodav.
Ms. I larris is a graduate of Hen
derson Institute in Henderson, where
her leadership skills began to flour
ish. She earned the B.A. degree in
Psvchologv from Bennett College
where she distinguished herself as
a scholar and a leader. She began
her professional career as a teacher
in the Vance County school system.
Her work in the communitv
REP. CLYBURN
dates back to her work as Director
of the Communitv Organization of
Senior Citizens' Program 7 for the
Franklin-Vance-Warren Opportu
nity (F-V-W). She later became the
Executive Director of F-V-W Op-
portunitv and Associate Director of
the North Carolina Senior Citizens'
Foundation.
Harris' tenure with F-V-W Op
portunity resulted in extraordinarv
accomplishments including: major
rehabilitation of housing for low
to moderate income home owners:
increase in energy efficiencies in re
habilitated homes through partner
ships with NCSU School of Design
with the U.S. Department of Agri
culture: an elderlv transportation
program to serve basic needs and
trips to medical facilities in Ckirham
and Chapel Hill: an expanded Head
Start program: community garden
projects w ith vouth programs: and
expansion of the Employment Pro
gram.
(Continued On Page 2)
Jackson says NAACPmust help
save auto industry
By Corey Williams
DETROn (AP) - Pushing for blacks to have equal access to jobs has
been part of the NAACP's mission for much of the civil rights organiza
tion’s l()0-\ear historv
The Rev. .lesse Jackson believes fighting to save jobs - and Detroit's
struggling car makers - should be pan of the NAACP’s newest mandate.
Much progress has been made in business, education, and politics with
the election of Barack Obama as the nation’s first black president, but the
current battle is with the troubled U.S. economs. Jackson said during his
2.s-miniite ke\ note address at the Detroit NAACP’s .s4th Fight for Free
dom Fund dinner at Cobo Center.
"We are not there \ et. ” the civil rights activist and Operation PUSH
founder said. "We defeated Jim Crow. W/omen and people of color have the
right to cote, workers a right to organize.
"There is a sense of jo\ because it’s high noon in our politics, but it’s
midnibt in our economy. We cannot have joy while Chry sler is in bank
ruptcy and GM is in line."
Detroit is ground zero for the U.S. automotive crisis, with thousands
of city residents dependent on General Motors Corp.. Ford Motor Co. and
Chrysler, and their suppliers.
A number of factories in the Detroit area and across the country have
been closed with thousands of jobs already lost as the companies crawl
through painful restructuring.
Chrysler, the nation’s third-largest automaker behind GM and Ford,
filed for Chapter II bankruptcy protection after months of surviving on
government loans.
Detroit has mirrored their failures. The city ’s poverty and unemploy
ment are among the highest in the country, as is its home foreclosure rate.
The city’s population is more than 80 percent black. Detroit’s black res
idential base began swelling decades ago as blacks from the south moved
north to find jobs in manufacturing and in the auto industry .
fhose jobs must be saved. Jackson said.
"Detroit is not just your city." Jackson told the crowd. "It is the soul of
industrial America. We must fight back to save GM. Ford and Chrysler.
I hat’s our lifeline. It’s time for a righteous rebellion, civil disobedience."
Jackson also criticized federal bailouts to banks that in turn have given
millioit-dollar bonuses to executives while urban neighborhoods continue
to suffer and jobs are being lost.
His message came at the right time, said 27-year-old Jonathan Guest of
Detroit.
"We need to stand behind them and fight for them." Guest said of the
auto industry and its w orkers.
The industry’s crisis has affected others outside the car companies, said
Doris Jordan-Smith of Detroit. The 6.s-y ear-old w orks in marketing for an
insurance company.
"W'e fought to get those jobs. W'e've got to fight to keep them." she
said.
Detroit NAACP president Wendell Anthony attributed the rise of the
black middle class to the auto indtistry. which was honored at the dinner.
"Detroit is still the motor city capitol of the world." Anthony said.
"Standards have been set and innovations have been met." -
Continued On Page 2)
Skepticism at high court
on voting rights measure
By Mark Sherman
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court's conservative justices
led a sustained attack on a key element of the Voting Rights AcL ques
tioning w hether one-time bastions of segregation still should be held to
account for past discrimination.
The Justices who were skeptical of that part of the voting rights law
included Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose views are likely to prevail on
the closely divided court. He lends to side with his more conservative
colleagues on matters of race.
On the other side, the liberal justices defended Congress' decision to
keep the law in place to prevent ongoing discrimination.
The tenor of the quick-paced argument suggested that there could be
a court majorit) to strike dow n the provision of the voting rights law
that has been the Justice Department's main enforcement tool against
discriminatojy changes in voting since the law was enacted in 1965. It
opened elections to millions of blacks and other minorities.
The law requires all or parts of 16 states, mainly in the South, w ith a
historx of discrimination in voting to gel approval in advance of mak
ing changes in the way elections are conducted. The idea behind it is to
prevent discriminatory measures from being put in place.
The court is being asked by a small Texas utility district to strike
down the extension as an unconstitutional intrusion into the domain of
state and local governments that have made substantial progress since
the era of Jim Crow and government-sponsored discrimination.
Kenned) acknowledged that the provision has been successful in
rooting out discrimination in voting over the past 44 years. But times
have changed, he said, questioning Congress'Judgment in 2006 that it
w as needed for another 25 years.
"Democracy was a shambles.'' Kennedy said of the era w hen the law
first was enacted. "That's not true anymore."
When Justice Department lawyer Neal Katyal pointed out that the
high court has upheld previous extensions of the law. Justice Antonin
Scalia dismissive!)’ replied. "A long time ago."
At another point. (Thief Justice John Roberts asked. "At what point
does that histoiy ... stop justifying action with respect to some jurisdic
tions?"
Kat)al did not specifically answer that question. But he said. "After
16.000 pages of testinion). 21 different hearings over months. Congress
looked at the evidence and determined that their work was not done."
Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito also noted that by some measures
of racial disparit)’. states not required to submit election changes fare
worse than those with a histoiy of discrimination.
The court's liberal Justices said Congress pointed out that instances
of voting discrimination occur more often in the states covered by the
portion of the voting rights law that is under challenge.
"I don't understand with a record like that how you can maintain ...
that things have radically changed." Justice David Souter said, acknow I-
edging that there has been progress.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg referred to the "second-generation dis
crimination" that Coimress was aiminii to ston. "You start w ith the bla
tant overt discrimination, and then in lime people recognize...that won't
go any more, so the discrimination becomes more subtle, less easy to
smoke out." Ginsburg said. "But it doesn't go from blatant overt dis
crimination to eveiy thing is equal."
The Obama administration and civil rights groups also argued that
Congress was w ell w ithin its power to renew the law.
President Barack Obama's election did not come up in court, although
both sides used it in their briefs.
Outside the court, more than 100 NAACP members wearing yellow
rain slickers. Jackets and hats sang and chanted w hile the Justices w ere
hearing the case inside.
Bett) Johnson. 62. of Elktoii. Md.. said. "Just because we have an
African-American president doesn't mean that people's voting rights
can't be taken away."
Republicans controlled Congress and the White House in 2006. Ifthe
court strikes dow n a portion of the voting rights law. Democrats now in
the majorit) are likely to write a new measure, although the) could be
restricted b) what the court says, according to election law expert Rich
ard Hasen. a professor at Lo) ola Law School in Los Angeles.
The Justices also could find a w ay out of the case without ruling one
wa) or the other on the constitutional issue. They could determine that
the Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. 1 in Austin. Texas,
can opt out of the advance approval requirement, although a low er fed
eral court found it could not.
For the onh time this term, the Justices made available audio record
ings immediately after the arguments.
A decision should come b) the end of June.
The case is Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District No. I v
Holder. 08-322.
Administration seeks change
in crack sentences
By Larry Margasak
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Obama administration joined a federal
judge in urging Congress to end a racial disparity by equalizing prison
sentences for dealing and using crack versus powdered cocaine.
"Jails are loaded w ith people who look like me." U.S. District Judge
Reggie Walton, an African-American, told a Senate Judiciary subcommit
tee hearing.
Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer said the administration be
lieves Congress’ goal "should be to completely eliminate the disparity"
between the two forms of cocaine. "A growing number of citizens view it
as fundamentally unfair." Breuer testified.
It takes 100 times more powdered cocaine than crack cocaine to trigger
the same harsh mandatory minimum sentences.
Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat who chairs the subcommittee,
said. "Under current law. mere possession of five grams of crack - the
weight of five packets of sweetener - carries the same sentence as distribu
tion of half a kilogram of pow der or 500 packets of sweetener."
Durbin said more than Sf"percent of those convicted for crack otTenses
in 2007 were African-Anjerican. although only about 25 percent of cr.ack
cocaine users are African Americans.
(Continued On Pane 2) ,
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