G'boro sit-in museum . gets two new leaders ? SPECIAL TO I HI ( HKONICLK ; Following a national search, the Sit-in Movement ? Inc. has appointed a new exec as executive director of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), where she was respon sible for the overall manage ment of member and con-' ? utive director and deputy director for ; the International * Civil Rights Center ? and Museum. - Amelia Parker - ? a senior manage ? ment, communica 5 tions, governmental ? and international J affairs consultant in - Washington, D C. - ? will serve as the executive director. " Robert Haynes, deputy direc ? tor/curator of education for the African American Museum in ? Dallas, Texas, will be named " deputy director. They will assume their positions Feb. 16. "We are delighted that Ms. Parker and Mr. Haynes have agreed to take on these key leadership roles," said Melvin "Skip" Alston, chairman of the Sit-in Movement Inc. and Guil ford County commissioner. "With their wealth of knowl edge they will be a great asset to the Sit-In Movement Inc." Parker served for 10 years stituent activities, congressional testi mony, special events, and public informa tion. Haynes has worked at several museums, including the African American Museum and Library at Oakland in North ern California, where he served as execu tive director and sen ior curator. He was an assistant director and registrar for The Northern California Center for Afro-American History and Life and curatorial aide and art docent for the Oakland Muse um of California. Money is still being raised to complete the International Civil Rights Center and Muse um, which will be opened in the former Woolworth Building in downtown Greensboro. four black students from N.C. AST State University held a sit-in at the Woolworth lunch counter in 1960. Livingstone from page A I tion. In 2002, Livingstone became home to one of only 20 Science, Engineering. Mathemat ics and Aerospace Academies. In conjunction with NASA, the academies will aim to to get more African-Americans involved in science and technology. Adena Williams Loston - associate administrator for educa tion at NASA - said NASA is depending on school's like Liv ingstone - one of only two histor ically black schools in the state with a SEMAA program - to pro duce the next generation of black astronauts and engineers. "We look to Livingstone Col lege to prepare, inspire, motivate, energize and produce the next generation of moon walkers," she said. Fittingly, the first-ever black man to walk in space was on the school's campus last week to speak at a SEMMA symposium. Bernard Harris, who made histo ry when he walked in space in the 1990s, spent his time at the school motivating students, telling them that the sky is not nacessarily the limit. "If you are going to dream, dream the biggest dream you can. That is what I did," he said. "God allowed me and us to go from the slave ship to the spaceship." Lerone Bennett, a social his torian and longtime Ebony maga zine writer, was also on hand last week to help the school celebrate its birthday. Bennett said he had always admired Livingstone from afar. He also praised the Rev. J.C. Price. Livingstone's founding president, saying he "has always been a fan of J.C. Price," Bennett, who received an honorary degree during the ? Founders Day ceremony, told ? students and Livingstone leaders ~ that in a time when "Jim Crow * ism is masquerading as conser - vatism" African-Americans " should follow in the footsteps of H other blacks who endured J through times of great racial and J economic oppression. "We have got to go back to ? our future by redirecting our ? selves to (the message of) Du m Bois, Thurgood Marshall . .and H Bethune." Photo by Kevin Walker From left: Lerone Bennett, Bernard Harris , Adena Williams Loston, Bishop Cecil Bishop and Dr. Algeania Freeman wafch the procession during a Founders Day event. Bishop Cecil Bishop, senior bishop of the AME Zion Church arid chairman of the Livingstone board of trustees, said Living stone has the task of educating African-Americans so superiorly that they will be able overcome the forces of injustice. It is a mis sion. Bishop said, that the school had from its inception, near the end of the Civil War. "The next chapter must be written on how to overcome ignorance, selfishness, injustice and indifference," he said. "Black folks are still the last hired and the first fired." Bishop said the school should not be simply educating students about the ABCs but also about working together and reaching back to help others along. "You would not have done very much until you help some one," he told students and staff members. Livingstone also presented a honorary degree to Ronald Leep er, president of Charlotte-based R.J. Leeper Construction Co. Inc. Leeper has been instrumental in the recent renovation of the Liv ingstone campus. Abdul S.M. Rasheed also received an honorary degree. Rasheed is head of N.C. Commu nity Development Initiative. Rasheed helpe^, Livingstone secure a $50,000 grant for an agriculture survey of the school's campus. High hopes for Buy Black Weekend BY COURTNEY GAILLARD THE CHRONICLE Stephen Hairston. president of the local NAACP, has been busy spreading the word about the Buy Black Weekend so that people will spend their dollars with black businesses this week end. Over the last few weeks, Hairston has met with members of the Ministers Conference, the Black Chamber of Commerce and other community leaders who he says have all responded positively to his idea. Hairston plans to dine at Prime Tyme on Clemmonsville Road and do some shopping downtown at Body & Soul on Saturday. "A number of black busi nesses have called me and said they think it's a good idea. I hope everything goes well this week end," said Hairston. Hairston proposed the concept earlier this month. A number of black business own ers, said Hairston, have complained in recent times of a lack of patronage from the black community. Bonnie Ferrell, owner of The Agora on Trade Street, would love to see more cus-' tomers at her downtown dress shop. She hopes the Buy Black Weekend becomes an annual event in the community. "I sure hope it helps. It defi nitely could not hurt. We just don't get a lot of black people down here unless there is something special going on (downtown)," said Ferrell. While Ferrell does tjave some white customers, the majority of her repeat clientele are blacks. She feels the Buy Black Weekend is necessacy for black business owners like herself who aren't able to adver tise on a regular basis. "Most small businesses peri od just don't have the money to