- ? . ? ."-.-r?. dtmknm?iif the Greater New Light Baptist Church in Cincinnati. But at the ripe old age of 76, some observers would call Shuttlesworth more than a preacher, they would call him a legend in th$ civil rights struggle. Shuttlesworth was in town last weekend to celebrate the 15 th anniver sary of Emmanuel Baptist Church pastor John Mendez. - ?.' "I don't consider myself as a legend," he said. "I consider myself cho ? sen by God to fulfill a task such as Moses or Paul. God knew He would Tneed a tough individual in Birmingham, Alabama." Shuttlesworth was thrown in the fire in the 60s when members of the ; Klu Klux Klansmen bombed his home. Fear never entered his heart ' though he knew his wife and five children could have been hurt. Instead .of running away, Shuttlesworth joined with the Rev. Martin Luther See lhuttl*?werth mAII j The long way to school 4 [* ? Photo by Bivm Chapman CUMaff d IHah tor* (h* * Hgh0 Imm ml km?)w>a^ 0t& couid go to North," White Parents up in arms over suspensions By KEVIN WALKER THBCWPNIPl Finding a leat on a but pulling out of the Georgetown community bound for North Forsyth High School isn't much of a chore. Over the years, a large number of African American male students in the middle-class community adjacent to Old Town have been booted out of the school, with at least six Georgetown students expelled already this school year. Under school system policy, students who commit serious offenses can be expelled from one school and reassigned to another. According to Georgetown residents, officials at North Forsyth know the rule well. In fact, only a handful of black males in the neighborhood still attend the school, residents say. "Education is supposed to be free, but ' I'm paying for it. I nave to come up with gas money every week so my >on can go to achool at Glenn (High School)," said Gloria-Jean Freeman, whose son Russell was kicked out of North after a fight last month. Last weekend ? during an event to address problems within Georgetown and the neighboring community of Stonewall ?parents, students and city leaders ques tioned the growing trend. Among those raising their voices the loudest were Katie and Johnny Forte. The couple has been on a crusade ever since their son Erich was suspended from North Forsyth early last month, after they said school officials accused him of being a "gang leader." "I can't let it die...I refuse to just give it up," Katie Forte said. True to her word, Forte has rallied sup port from community leaders and Georgetown parents, many of whom are in the same boat. While Erich Forte and two of his friends continue to make the 45-minute ? trip to Glenn High School, his parents are fighting his yearlong suspension on charges the grounds that North Forsyth officials have not substantiated the charges. On Sept. 1, according to a school docu ment seen by The Chronicle, Erich Forte was seen by a North Forsyth employee "standing over" a fight between a group of students before school. The document confirms that Erich "was not involved" in the altercation. The following day, Erich Forte was seen on the school's surveillance camera leading "a group to confront another group in the hallway before school. Again, Erich was not involved in a physical fight, but school officials said they believed he would have been if an assistant principal had not stepped in. Katie Forte charges that the video of See Taani on A10 ? T m ^ i Usj Judge rules disrimination suit class action By DAMON FORD ?nfffflRPWtf Last Friday thousands of black farm ers who have filed a S3 billion discrimi nation suit against the Department of Agriculture got a shot in the arm when U.S. District Court Judge Paul Friedman ruled it as a class action suit. The 26-page ruling by Friedman allows black farmers who filed discrimi nation complaints against USDA between Jan. 1983 and Feb. 21, 1997 to do so as a group thereby bettering chances farmers will receive the compen sation they desire. "The court concludes that the class action vehicle is the most appropriate mechanism for resolving the issue of lia bility in this case," Friedman wrote. The suit claims discrimination through denial of farm loans, crop subsi dies and other ben efits. The trial is scheduled for Feb. 1,1999. "Our prayers have been answered," said Tim Pigford, a black farmer in Riegelford, who is lead plaintiff in the case. '"This ruling is very encouraging Clayton to a lot of families in the South. We hope the government will go ahead and settle this case with dignity and pay us the compensation we justly deserve." Alexander Pires, the lead attorney for the black farmers, estimated the class could be as large as 4,000, almost 10 per cent of the 50,000 black farmers in the country in 1983. "It is a significant step for black farmers," said U.S. Rep. Mel Watt, D N.C. "We have worked very hard in writ ing the bill to prevent the statute of limi tations from expiring. Hopefully these farmers will receive their correct com pensation." The judge's ruling comes as a provi sion waiving the statute of limitations for black farmers, makes its way through Congress. The waiver is attached to the Agriculture Spending Bill, which is expected to be passed in the next few days. U.S. Rep. Eva Clayton, D-N.C., who has championed the farmers' cause, hailed the ruling. "It will give farmers the right as a class to expand and settle quickly," Clayton said. "A large number of farmers will get relief earlier, rather than just one by one. This is good news." Clayton helped arrange a White MM House meeting of black and other minority farmers with President Clinton in December. She abo Srt Parmart