Civil rights lawsuit against the
Nation of Islam thrown out
By JEAN MCMILLAN
The Associated Press
" CAMBRIDGE. Mass. - A
lawsuit accusing the Nation of
Islam of discrimination for bar
ring women from a public
speech by leader Louis Far
rakhan has been dismissed
Judge Regina Quinlan ruled
that the First Amendment guar
antee of freedom of religion
took priority over anti-discrimi
nation laws.
/'Freedom of religion and
freedorri of religious expression,
which traditionally will exempt
a religion from certain discrimi
nation laws, is applicable here."
Quinlan said Monday.
Marceline Donaldsdfr. the
Cambridge woman -? who filed
the suit, claiming her civiljights
were Violated, said,she not
ready to give"up.
s "It's unfortunate that you
take a case to the court and the
court errs. It's got my adrena
line going a little bit and we'll
be back." she said. *
J She sought unspecified dam
* ages from Fafrakhan. the
Nation of Islam, and Minister
Don Muhidtpmad. head of the
Nation of Islam mosque in
Boston. John Rosenbqrg. her
lawyer, said the> were leaning
toward appealing the ruling.
Donaldson, who ran an
antiques store at the time,
closed early to,attend the event
at Boston's city -owned Strand
Theater oh March 10, 1994,
only to be turned away at the
door.
Muhammad said he was
pleased with the decision. And
he said the men-only speech on
black-on-black violence had
produced positive results.
"I feel vindicated," Muham
mad said, "The purpose for J he
meeting is?felt in the streets
Rosenberg said the case wris
never about the content of the
nijtsv. vint; preached, only
ilia! I e event in a public
build ine nd .should have been
? ope women
/
^ ? - -T5 ".<!???
. Farrakhan ' > ??
St. Peter's World Outreach Center
tn snrmsor Rnok Review Clnh
V V k/ V/ XA k/
Special to The Chronicle
On Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. the
women's department of St.
Peter's World Outreach Center
will hold its quarterly Book
Review Club. Light refreshments
will be served followed by a dis
X/ ^ X/ X/
> ??
cussion of Bishop T.D. Jake's
book "The Lady, Her Lover, and
Her Lord.''
St!' Peter's own Sister Joyce
Hash will lead the discussion.
Copies of the chosen text
will be made available for those
who do not have a copy. The St.
Peter's Bookstore also will he
open for anyone who wants to
buy a copy of this dynamic best
seller.
For more information on this
event, call the church office -at
650-0200.
Smce its inception. the- Bo6k
K. u t uh lias attracted
t \v.>i ,-n . ".it as IV away as
C hajlfc , and Raleigh.
I >; i.imes i. Hash Sr. is the
pastor.i?: St Peter's World Out
re ;v it 'enter, 3683 Old Lexing
ton R h'. Winston-Salem."
'
Prosecutors fight Lyons' sentence reduction
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS I
LARGO, Fla. - State prose- ,
cutors say they do not believe the
Rev. Henry Lyons is repentant ,
and does not deserve a reduction
of his 51/2-year prison term for
racketeering and grand theft.
Lyons' attorneys filed a peti
tion last month in Pinellas-Pasco
Circuit Court asking a judge to
shrink his sentence because the
St. Petersburg minister is truly
repentant'' and has learned a les
son from his misdeeds.
He was convicted of swin
dling $4 million from companies
wanting to do business with
members of the Nashville, Tenn.
based National Baptist Conven
tion USA, which he headed.
Lyons also was found guilty of
stealing nearly 5250.000 intended
to help rebuild burned churches.
"Prison life has certainly
humbled him," defense attorney
Jay Hebert said. "When 1 saw
him (earlier this year). I clearly
recognized a vastly changed
man."
Prosecutors aren't buying it.
Last week, they filed with the
court an excerpt from Lyons'
1991 apology to charges of bank
fraud.
"Often h^tory is the best pre
dictor of the future," Assistant
State Attorney Bob Lewis said in
court papers released Thursday.
"Henry Lyons has been 'repen
tant' before."
In 1991, before Lyons became
president of the Slational Baptist
Convention LISA, he faced a fed
eral investigation of charges he
obtained an $85,000 bank loan
by forging certificates of deposit
used as collateral.
Lyons entered a pretrial inter
vention program that he com
pleted successfully, avoiding trial,
a possible prison sentence and
any criminal record.
"It was a bad case of mis
judgment or bad judgment on my
part," he wrote to the court while
trying to get into the program. "I
have suffered much because of
committing this wrong.
"I am truly sorry for making
the terrible mistake. It haunts me
daily, just the fact that I am out
side of the law is enough to cause
me a great sorrow. I have ask(ed)
my God to forgive me, and He
has. I have ask(ed) the bank and
the state of Florida to forgive
me. and I trust that they will. I
. \
have ask(ed) my wife to forgive
me, and she has.
"1 am not proud of the fact
that I have been in any kind of
trouble with the law
?The words, prosecutors say.
echo this year's apologies in state
and federal court as Lyons faced
sentencing on fraud and racke
teering convictions regarding the
convention.
"One should not be surprised
to see such an attempt to iodize
this 'repentance' again. Lev is
said in court papers. "And. once
again, his focus is on mistakes
bad judgments and other excuses
rather than his own greed,
avarice, ambition and willingness
to do or say anything to obtain
his desires;"
A hearing on Lyons' request
for a lesser-sentence is scheduled
for Aug. 1'?.
Lyons
Rev. Thigpen to speak at
Second Calvarv Baptist
Special to T>? Chkonicxe
The Rev. Sandra Thigpen will be
the guest minister fix Women's Day
at the 11 a.m. service at Second Cal
vary Baptist Church on Aug. 15.
She is the senior assistant chap
lain at Forsyth Jail and Prison Min
istry. She is an associate minister at
Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, where
her pastor is Dr. Douglas Summers
There abo will be a Men s Day
service at 4 p.m. The evening minis
ter will be Alvin Stowe. associate
minister at the church.
The Rev Donald Stowe Sr. is the
pastor of Second Calvary Baptist,
1751 New Walkertown Road
Everyone is invited.
The Chronicle
The
?
Deadline for
Religion
News is
Monday at
5:00
i *
African Americans In Winston-Salem/ ?
Forysth County: A Pictorial History
BY
Dr. Lenwood G Davis
Dr. James H. McLaughlin
Dr. William J. Rice
This beautiful and much anticipated
historic volume gives life and voice
to the history of African Americans
in Winston-Salem, NC
ORDER FORM
8 1/2x11, hard-cover, limited edition
collector's item. 192 pages. Over 250
photographs-many never before published.
^EPUBLJCATTON-tNTROOUCTORV
( Must order before September 1. 1999 to
?receive the 15% discount)
.copies of the regular limited edition at +
$29 70
$ ' plus $ 6.00 SAH
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copies of the regular limited edition at
$34 95 *'
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Mail this form to:
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Or.Fax Credit Card Orders to (336) 724-5127 j
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allow 3-5 weeks for delivery after publication
^ (September 1,1999)
V
For information please call 1-800-331-7018. -X ;
QnO The Society for the Study
?KB?f Afro-American History
Generously sponsored by Integon Corporation,
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Company, BB&T Bank, Winston-Salem Journal,
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