marrow drive to save life of teen
U.S Reps. Jesse L. Jackson, Jr. (D-IL), Donna Edwards (D
MD) and U.S. Delegate Donna Christensen (D-VI) hosted a
Bone Marrow Drive during the Congressional Black Caucus
Del. Chrislenten
Foundation's Annual Legislative
Conference last week in Washington,
D.C., to find a life-saving donor for
Justin Nicholas Thornton. They called
the event "a matter of life and death."
A 17-year-old high school student,
Justin attends Our Lady of Good
Counsel in the 4th Congressional
District of Maryland. In 2006, Justi#
was diagnosed with cancer, specifically
T-Cell Acute Lymphatic Leukemia.
After 26 consecutive months of intense
chemo and radiation therapy, recent test
results showed that the cancer was back
- this time attacking his central nervous system.
African Americans have the lowest likelihood of finding a
match - only 60 percent are likely to find at least one potential
match, significantly lower than the nearly 88 percent likelihood
for Caucasians and just over 80 percent chance for Hispanics.
These donors must then be available to donate -making minor
ity availability less than 50 percent.
Congress woman Christensen, who is a physician and the
Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus* Health Brain Trust,
said, "We hope today's drive will be a small, but significant step
to bring greater diversity to the Registry and to improve all
patients' chances of finding a donor. We need to help Justin and
others who are waiting for a match and the opportunity to live
longer and healthier lives."
S.C. trooper goes on trial in crash case
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - A South Carolina state trooper
who bragged about a crash that sent a fleeing suspect flying
over the hood of his cruiser goes on trial this week.
Lance Cpl. Steve Garren is accused of using unreasonable
force and depriving Marvin Grant of his civil rights in the crash,
which was captured on the patrol car's dashboard video camera.
Garren is white; Grant is black. The case is drawing scrutiny
from leaders in the black community.
The trial begins Tuesday in Greenville. The now-suspended
officer faces 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine if convict
ed.
The state NAACP will also keep an eye on another trial in
which a trooper is accused of repeatedly kicking a prone truck
" driver in the head after a chase.
UNC Charlotte chancellor
recommends adding football
In a presentation on Sept. 18 to the University's Board of
Trustees, UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip L. Dubois recom
mended the University should start a football program and field
a team by 2013. The proposal came during the board's meeting
at the Harris Alumni Center.
The trustees took, the chancellor's
recommendation under advisement.
They will make the final decision
whether or not to accept the recommen
dation, and the decision likely will come
in November
The chancellor's recommendation
comes after 21 months of deliberation
and research by a football feasibility
committee. Dubois and others at the
University. Dubois has given several
previous reports to the trustees on the
DuBois
issue of whether to add football to the University's roster of ath
letic programs.
In his presentation, Dubois said he felt the time was right for
football at UNC Charlotte because it helps foster a full univer
sity experience that many students crave in their undergraduate
careers and could help build even closer relationships with the
greater Charlotte community. The University is expected to
have 35 /XX) students by 2020.
The soonest the trustees are expected to make a final deci
sion would be at the board's Nov. 13 meeting. If football is
approved, the most likely scenario would have UNC Charlotte
fielding its first team in the fall of 2013.
Racial tensions brew at Tbcson high
school between blacks, Hispanic*
TUCSON, Ariz. ( AP) - Racial tensions are brewing at one
Tucson high school, with black and Hispanic students squaring
off on two occasions and threatening text messages circulating
among the student body.
The troubles at Palo Verde High Magnet School began last
week when about 100 black and Hispanic students yelled at
each other and threatened to fight during lunch and after school.
Last Thursday, text messages circulated among students
saying guns were going to be at the school and warning people
to stay home.
As a result, a half-dozen police cars cruised the area around
the 1 ,500-student school on Friday. Principal Tina Isaac can
celed a homecoming pep assembly, tightened up who gets hall
passes, and sent a letter home to parents telling them about
increased security on campus.
Isaac said the friction does not seem to be gang-related and
no weapons were found on campus during investigations
throughout the day. About 10 students were suspended, she
said.
Several parents interviewed said they knew nothing about
what was happening at the school, even though Palo Verde has
a system that issues text messages, e-mails and phone calls to
parents if their child is tardy or absent or if the school has any
announcements.
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i
Black N.C. native made
history nearly 140 years ago
Like Obama, Sen. Revels faced challenges to make history
BY FREDERIC J FROMMER
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - The
Senate galleries were
packed, filled with both
black and white spectators,
and a murmur filled the air
as the nation's first black
member of Congress, Sen.
Hiram Revels, stood to
deliver his first speech to the
chamber.
Nearly 140 years before
Sen. Barack Obama's his
toric quest to become the
nation's first black presi
dent, Revels captivated a
nation in the midst of social
upheaval following the Civil
War. The date was March 16,
1870, less than five years
after the 13th Amendment
abolished slavery.
"I rise," Revels said,
"with feelings which per
haps (have) never before
entered into the experience
of this body."
Revels, a 42-year-old
Mississippi Republican, was
a product of postwar
Reconstruction, when
Republicans - including
white northerners known as
"carpetbaggers" because
they came south with their
luggage in carpetbags and
black southerners - domi
nated state governments in
the South. The Mississippi
Legislature, in which Revels
served^ voted with the back
ing of its black members to
send him to the U.S. Senate.
(Senators weren't popularly
elected in the United States
>lic Domain Image
Sen. Hiram Revels tried to be the first black president.
until 1913.)
Revels was born free in
Fayetteville, N.C., and like
Obama, was of mixed-race
background. Revels' mother
was white, of Scottish her
itage, and his father was
black with possibly some
American Indian lineage.
He spent much of his
career as a minister, and was
once imprisoned in Missouri
for preaching the gospel to
blacks. He wrote that his
preaching was generally tol
erated in slave states as long
as he didn't encourage
slaves to run away. During
the Civil War, he helped
organize black regiments for
the Union Army.
In his first Senate
Sen. Obama
speech, which The
Washington Post later called
"the sensation of the town,"
he quickly made a point of
assuring whites that they had
nothing to fear from blacks
seeking payback for slavery.
"They bear toward their
former masters no revenge
ful thoughts, no hatreds, no
animosities," he said.
While Obama faces
obstacles in the presidential
campaign because of his
race. Revels had to surmount
much more overt opposition.
Just a few weeks before his
speech, a small group of sen
ators, mostly border state
Democrats, spent three days
trying to deny Revels his
seat in the Senate.
Sen. Garrett Davis of
Kentucky, a Democrat,
mocked Republicans by .
declaring, "Oh ye Pharisees
political! You who profess
See Revels on A4
Investigators: Former
NBA star misused grants
BY JUDY LIN
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
SACRAMENTO
A nonprofit run by. mayoral
candidate and former "NBA
star Kevin Johnson used
AmeriCorps grants to pay vol
unteers to engage in political
activities, run personal errands
for Johnson and even wash his
car, federal investigators say.
The findings from an
agency that oversees the grants
were sent , to federal prosecu
tors and listed in a letter to
Johnson dated Sept. 24 that
also says he will be prohibited
from receiving federal money
while the investigation is
under way. The Associated
Press obtained a copy of the
letter Friday.
Johnson's campaign said
he will appeal the decision.
Johnson's nonprofit, St.
HOPE, has received money
through AmeriCorps, which
provides college grants to peo
ple who volunteer for certain
community service programs.
He handed over management
responsibilities for St. HOPE
earlier this year so he could
focus on his campaign to
unseat Sacramento Mayor
Heather Fargo.
Investigators from the
Corporation for National and
Community Service say sever
al jobs St. HOPE assigned to
its volunteers fell outside the
scope of the federal grants.
They said those jobs included
running errands for Johnson,
washing his car, recruiting stu
dents to attend St. HOPE
Academy, engaging in politi
cal activities related to a local
school board race, traveling to
New York to help promote an
academy Johnson has opened
in Harlem and performing
cleaning duties.
"The evidence is adequate
to suspect that you have com
mitted irregularities which
seriously reflect the propriety
of further federal government
dealings with you," William
Anderson, who is in charge of
suspensions for the corpora
tion, wrote to Johnson.
The U.S. Attorney's Office
in Sacramento said it had
received a report from the cor
poration but would not discuss
the case. Prosecutors will
decide whether to file charges.
Johnson's campaign issued
a statement characterizing the
problem as administrative
errors and accused the corpo
ration's investigation of being
tainted because it is headed by
a President Bush appointee
who has made disparaging
remarks against blacks.
Johnson, a three-time all-star
- for the Phoenix Suns, is black.
Johnson's campaign cited
I
2005 news reports thaj
Inspector General GeralJL
Walpin introduce?"
Massachusetts Gov. MijL
Romney during a Washingto^j
See John.son on A6
Johnston "*?
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