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)

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