IpplEljajTH
IBI
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2015
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2913 PRICE: 50 CENTS
JLUME 94 - NUMBER 25
Support Grows for Taking
Down Confederate Flag
Loretta Lynch being sworn in by Associate Supreme Court Justice Sonia Soto-
ayor as President Obama looks on (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)
Loretta Lynch’s Installation
As AG Overshadowed by
Charleston Tragedy
By Freddie Allen
'NPA Senior Washington Cor
respondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) -
a the same day that Loretta
inch was sworn-in as the 83rd
lorney general of the United
ates using a Bible that be-
nged to Frederick-Douglass,
ne church members were shot
death as they studied the Bible
Emanuel African Methodist
piscopal Church in Charleston,
C., the oldest A.M.E. church in
le South.
The next day, Lynch an-
lunced that the Justice Depart-
lent would investigate the mass
lurder as a hate crime. She
)wed that the person who was
sponsible for the “unspeakable
is” would be found and would
icejustice.
“As we move forward, my
oughts and prayers - and those
f our entire law enforcement
immunity, here at the Depart-
icnt of Justice and around the
luntry - are with the families
id loved ones of the victims in
harleston,” said Lynch. “Even
s we struggle to comprehend
as heartbreaking event, I want
reryone in Charleston - and
reryone who has been affected
(this tragedy - to know that we
ill do everything in our power
ihelp heal this community and
lake it whole again.”
The confessed perpetrator,
lylan Roof, 21, was appre-
ended in Shelby, N.C. shortly
Her Lynch made her statement,
lultiple news outlets reported
(at he admitted to planning the
Itack and that he almost didn’t
a through with it, because the
hurch members were so nice to
im.
During Lynch’s investiture
eremony, President Barrack
Ibama said that in a country
wlt on the rule of law, there are
w offices more important than
tat of Attorney General.
“The person in this position
>the American people’s lawyer,
isked with enforcing our federal
Iws and making sure they’re ap-
lied evenly and equally,” said
’resident Obama.
He noted that Lynch “spent
ears in the trenches battling ter-
orism, and financial fraud, and
ybercrime - rising from Assis-
int U.S. Attorney’s Office in the
astern District of New York to
Lynch makes remarks after being sworn in as Attor
ney General (NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen)
Chief of the Long Island Office, Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Lynch worked to bring several New York City police officers
to justice for their roles in the brutal assault of Abner Louima, a
Haitian immigrant in 1997, following a wrongful arrest.
“She chased public corruption. She helped secure billions in set
tlements from some of the world’s biggest banks accused of fraud,”
said President Obama. “She jailed some of New York’s most noto
rious and violent mobsters and gang members. “She pursued some
of the world’s most dangerous terrorists and cyber criminals.”
The president joked that the timing of her installation was odd,
because she hit the ground running more than a month ago, work
ing for justice at home and abroad, after she was sworn-in at the
Justice Department by Vice President Joseph Biden.
Lynch launched an investigation into the patterns and practices
of the Baltimore Police Department following the tragic death of
Freddie Gray while in their custody. In late May, Lynch said that
nine officials with the Federation Internationale de Football Asso
ciation (FIFA), the organization responsible for the regulation and
promotion of soccer worldwide, would be charged with a number
of crimes including racketeering, wire fraud and money launder
ing.
“She’s already made her mark here at home and abroad because
of her laser focus on the core mission of the Justice Department
- the protection of the American people,” said, President Obama.
In her remarks, Lynch promised to make world of cyberspace
safe, to end the scourge of modern-day slavery, and to confront the
fractured relationship between American citizens’ and law enforce
ment.
“These are, indeed, challenging issues and challenging times.
Even as our world has expanded in wonderful ways, the threats that
we face have evolved in measures commensurate, and every day
we seem to see an increasing disconnect between the communities
we serve and the government we represent,” said Lynch. “We see
all these things.”
Lynch said that even though we decided what kind of country
we wanted to be 200 years ago, sometimes we forget that our great
est advances in equal rights and human rights have come after pe
riods of heartbreaking loss and we forget that overcoming those
challenges has never been easy.
“And we have not always lived up to the promises made, but we
have pushed ever on,” said Lynch. “And with every challenge, we
get a little bit closer.”
By George E. Curry
NNPA Editor-in-Chief
WASHINGTON (NNPA)
- In what is quickly and unex
pectedly gaining ground as a
fitting memorial to the nine Afri
can Americans killed by a white
supremacist at Emanuel A.M.E.
Church in Charleston, S.C.,
some of the most ardent defen
dants of the confederate flag are
reversing course and saying for
the first time that the flag should
no longer fly over the Capitol in
South Carolina.
The most shocking news
came June 22 when two-term
Gov. Nikki Haley said, “Fifteen
years ago, after much conten
tious debate, South Carolina
came together in a bipartisan
way to move the flag from atop
the Capitol dome. Today, we are
here in a moment of unity in our
state without ill will, to say it’s
time to move the flag from the
Capitol grounds. A hundred and
fifty years after the end of the
Civil War, the time has come.”
Both pro- and anti-flag advo
cates reached a compromise in
2000, hoping to defuse a grow
ing public debate over the Con
federate flag. Under the agree
ment, state lawmakers voted to
allow the U.S. and state flags to
fly on the Statehouse dome in
Columbia and move the Con
federate battle flag to the top a
nearby memorial to Confederate
soldiers.
They agreed that any future
changes to the positioning of
the flag, which is the first thing
a visitor sees when approaching
the Statehouse from the north
on Main Street, would require a
two-thirds vote of the legislature,
a decision that is expected to be
challenged in coming weeks.
In South Carolina, the Con
federate flag has had a divisive
history, especially for Repub
lican politicians interested in
growing their share of the black
vote while holding on to their
staunchly conservative base.
Former Gov. David Beasley
learned that the hard way. In
1996, he called for removing the
Confederate battle flag from the
Capitol to a Statehouse monu
ment. But seeking re-election
two years later, he vowed to nev
er try to do that again. By then,
it was too late and he lost to Jim
Hodges, the Democratic chal
lenger who embraced the sup
port of the Sons of Confederate
Veterans.
On July 15, the NAACP
launched a boycott of the state
over the Confederate flag issue.
Five days later, the Southern
Christian Leadership Confer
ence (SCLC) voted to withdraw
its 2000 national convention
from Charleston.
(Continyued On Page 10)
Cornel William Brooks renews
call for taking down Confeder
ate flag in South Carolina.
Charleston church shooter Dylann Roof is often pictured with
Confederate flag.
Angela Lee to Serve as Moderator of “Critical
Community Conversation ” on June 30
A community conversation about “The Police and the Community” will be held on Tuesday, June
30 at the Holton Resource Center on Driver Street. This program will be held from 6:30 PM until
8:30 PM.
According to City Council Member Eddie Davis, “After watching the turmoil that occurred in
Baltimore and in other cities, Durham officials decided to be pro-active and to encourage conversa
tion in advance of any potential problems.”
Davis indicated that the June 30th program is a collaborative venture between the Durham City
Council, the Durham County Commissioners, the Durham Public School Board, and the community
at-large.
The program is designed to allow the residents of Durham to voice their concerns and to offer
positive solutions for the improved relations between the community and law enforcement officials.
Ms. Angela Lee, the executive director of the Hayti Heritage Center, will serve as the moderator
of a panel discussion that will open the session. Lee will guide an interactive conversation between
police officials, community activists, and civic leaders.
Using a balanced approach to the discussion of multiple issues, the panel will utilize the first 30
minutes of the program. Following the panel dialogue, individual audience members will be asked
to offer suggestions and solutions that would improve the overall relationship and the cooperation
between law enforcement and citizens.
The suggestions and solutions offered will be received and documented for improvements that
can make Durham a model city in the area of police and community relations.
Whites Don’t Have to Pretend to Be Black to
Lead an NAACP Chapter
By Jazelle Hunt
NNPA Washington Corre
spondent
WASHINGTON (NNPA) -
If Rachel Dolezal had looked
around, she would have discov
ered that a white person does not
have to pretend to be black in or
der to lead an NAACP chapter.
In fact, she would have to look
no farther than several states
south, to Arizona, to see that a
white man, Donald Harris, is
president of the Maricopa Coun
ty NAACP.
(Continued On Page 10)