Newspaper Page Text
Clark Atlanta
University
PANTHER
Volume II Number VII Atlanta, Georgia November 9, 1990
Rev. Jesse Jackson will be one of several speakers at a
memorial service paying tribute to the late Atlanta University
Center student activists and community leaders of the early
60s.
Former State Senator Julian Bond will speak at a civil rights
symposium.
ELECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Zell Miller — Governor
Pierre Howard — Lt. Governor
Mable Thomas — State Legislator for the District
31 which covers the Atlanta University Center
John Lewis — U.S. Congressman for District 5,
which covers the Atlanta University Center
Dr. Carson Lee, CAU professor, lost his bid for
the City Council seat in District 10
University To Salute
Civil Rights
By ANGELA GRAVELY
Contributing Writer
Supporters are expected to come to Atlanta
from all over the country, even as far away as
Paris, France, to participate in the 30th
Anniversary Salute to the Atlanta University
Center Civil Rights Movement this weekend.
Clark Atlanta University will sponsor the
two-day event which will recognize and honor
former student activists of Clark College and
Atlanta University (now Clark Atlanta
University), Morehouse College, Morris Brown
College, the Interdenominational Theological
Center and Spelman College.
The anniversary salute will be a center-wide
event honoring former students of the Atlanta
University Sit-In Movement. In the early 60s,
student leaders played primary roles in the
Atlanta Student Movement which led to the
desegregation of public accommodations in
Atlanta. The many community leaders that
came to the students’ aid will also be honored.
In 1960, under the leadership of Lonnie King,
a Morehouse student, 45 students gathered and
wrote, “An Appeal For Human Rights.” The
appeal began:
“We, the students of the six affiliated institutions
forming the Atlanta University Center — Clark,
Morehouse, Morris Brown, and Spelman
Colleges, Atlanta University, and the
Interdenominational Theological Center —
have joined hearts, minds, and bodies in the
cause of gaining those rights which are
inherently ours as members of the human race
and as citizens of these United States ...”
“An Appeal For Human Rights,” appeared in
the March 16, 1960 issue of the Atlanta Journal
and Constitution and it led to the desegregation
of public accommodations in Atlanta.
The 30th Anniversary Salute will be devoted
to speaker presentations, workshops, an awards
banquet and a memorial service. It also will be a
reunion of sorts for the former student and
community leaders.
Activities to look forward to include an AUC
Civil Rights Exhibit in the Virginia Lacy Jones
Movement
Archives (AUC Library); an African American
Art Exhibit in Trevor Arnett Hall on the campus
of Clark Atlanta University; and an essay
contest open to Atlanta University Center
students.
Some of the major events include a Civil
Rights Symposium, 8:30 a.m. Saturday in
Haven Warren on the campus of Clark Atlanta
University; a 30th Anniversay Salute Banquet
Saturday at 6 p.m. in the Georgia World
Congress Center; and a memorial service
Sunday at 3 p.m. in Sisters Chapel at Spelman
College.
Honorary hosts of the 30th Anniversary
Salute Banquet will include Gov. Joe Frank
Harris, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Attorney General
Michael J. Bowers, Atlanta Mayor Maynard
Jackson, former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young,
U.S. Congressman John Lewis, Fulton County
Commission Chairman Michael J. Lomax,
Coretta Scott King, Dr. and Mrs. Joseph H.
Lowery, Ronald Brown, Dr. Kenneth Clark,
Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Vernon Jordan, Dr.
Hamilton Holmes and the Atlanta University
Center schools and presidents.
Proceeds from the banquet will go to the
Clarence and Dorothy Sims Coleman
Scholarship Fund of the School of Social Work.
According to Clark Atlanta University First
Lady Brenda Cole, it is high time that the forces
behind the movement were recognized and
honored.
“People have heard about it and read about it,
but never before have they had the opportunity
to witness first hand the group of supporters
behind the successful movement. Never before
have the supporters and leaders been honored
collectively,” said Ms. Cole, the brainchild
behind this event and an assistant attorney
general for the State of Georgia.
Ms. Cole was a freshman at Spelman College
when the student movement began in 1959.
“This should be quite a celebration for
Atlanta, but particularly the Atlanta University
Center,” she said.
Jury Convicts Former Staff Member
A former Clark Atlanta University staff
member and her son were found guilty of
embezzling $107,712.50 worth of grants which
funds law enforcement research for the
instution.
Joann Smith, former director of Atlanta
University’s Public Service Component, which is
a part of the Criminal Justice Institute, was
convicted on 30 counts in federal court last week.
Her son, Havier, was found guilty of 27 out of 28
counts. Prosecutors said they falsified 25
invoices certifying that consultants, who were
actually friends and family members, had
performed government research, according to
testimony.
Smith’s girlfriend and her mother were two of
the fake consultants, according to published
reports. They cashed several checks and gave the
money back to him. A semi-literate, ailing uncle
in Detroit also received some of the money,
according to court records. Two checks for
$2,000 were made out to him and the second
check paid for his funeral service.
The two were prosecuted under a new law
covering the misuse of federal grants.
Assistant U.S. Attorney, Martin J. Weinstein,
said that their case was very important because it
involved people who claim to be protectors of
law enforcement, but steal governement funds.
At the scheduled sentencing, Jan. 15, Ms.
Smith faces up to 165 years in prison and a
$500,000 fine and restitution of the embezzled
money. Her son faces up to 145 years in prison,
as well as the other penalties.
The defense said that Smith, a third-year
criminology major at Morris Brown College,
performed the work but made a “dumb mistake”
by issuing the invoices to others. He added that
if he had put his name on them, it would have
gotten his mother in trouble with officials who
oversaw the grants. Ms. Smith, who irpnically
started the Criminal Justice histitue in 1980 by
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