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FEBRUARY 13-19,1997 VOL. XVINO. 790 N'ISE:TRQA.UGUST‘A'S T NEW‘S'P'APE.R Wescott fired for tarnishing image of Augusta museum BB Inclusion of African Americans will be one of first priorities of new museum director, trustee chairman says. By Rhonda Jones AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA “We planned this going-away party months ago,” gaid Dr. Raymond Rufo, chairman of the board of trustees for the Augusta-Richmond County Mu- »v? )"‘& . ;,;g* : \ )X e i ;&a 2 A Richard Wescott: His priorities were never the same as the governing board. that illustrate life in Aug\ista for African Americans. The way it used to be. Its purpose, he said, is to “[record] the fact that there was such a thing as See MUSEUM, page 7A Support grows for fired worker B More commissioners show interest in plight of former county worker. By Rhonda Jones AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA Augusta-Richmond County Commissioner Henry Brigham says James Perkins — tossed aside by the county when . e G -i k X Y ERE E Poitier portrays Mandela in new movie See Page 1C B World/National News........cccoervererens 2A B Local/Regional News ...........c.ccoonsne eSA o SRR eSO R BB CRMDEAE ..l o nsis v sismssinmmibibaieiaas i I Church News .........ccoconviiisnisinssiansnns: 4C B Classifieds/Employment ............. BC-7C ‘seum. He was speaking of the former executive di rector, Richard Wescott, who was fired by the board on Feb. 8 for statements Dr. Rufo said muddied the museum’s image and for refusing on several occa sions to include exhibits theboard voted toinclude. At least one of those ex hibits depicts black Au gustans’ contributions to Augusta’s history. Dr. Rufo said the Afri can-American exhibit, which has finally been erected, is a collection of documents and clippings his department became privatised two years ago — has “a good shot at” becoming a county em ployee again, but that his case will have to “pick up some support” in the See PERKINS, page 3A Black neighborhoods last in line for new trash bins il - L P A Fa f , ¥RN T : ; - ‘ > - Aok ‘:"” : o ;i S . A o . ¥ i > u,‘,;,H..:;La-‘\m*'v-‘-wwwfl ] & - i R s ' o T M wv? t"fl?&fiy *3 o¥ } " ‘i:,:‘-{f,y?é; ¢ . ‘,5 *"’x ol BLk a \.____’_ bo iof” %% y . By ~m_fb‘f- £ ;;{*Mf!' B W eTR TSR ] fi‘w e g e 'an -,'t-*e‘i?fflfy“f"’ LTt . ":‘J 4 . On February 1, many Augustans received brand new trash bins as part of the city of Augusta’s privatizing residential garbage collection in the urban service zone. Most inner-city blacks, however, have yet to receive the 96-galion bins. Photo by Tawana Lee By Tawana Lee AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA While some neighborhoods have been supplied with brand new 96-gallon trash bins, most of the inner-city neighborhoods are being asked to wait a couple of weeks. Riding through the mostly black historic Laney- Walker district, not asingle new trash bin is to be found. RACE MATTERS Lawmaker reveals existence of tax payer-funded Ebonics lesson plans [ The California Dept. of Education instructs teachers te use slang in classroom. By Frederidk Benjamin Sr. AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer What most anti-Ebonics educa tors, politicians and community activists feared most — taxpayer funded Ebonics instruction mate rial — is apparently a reality in California. In afaxed report distrib uted to the media on Wednesday, California state senator Raymond N. Haynes and African-American Oakland community activists Thordie Ashley and Deborah Wright revealed the existence of Ebonics lesson plans produced by the California State Department of sistently decried the use of public funds for the teaching of black En would hold a news conference on Thursday, Feb. 13 to “reveal to the public the existence of taxpayer l BLACK HISTORY SUPPLEMENT INCLUDED | —~ - v > A 0 P ¢ Py X gMY i ; e ” w B % A P . A o £ . e 2 g g p e Fietse o oo (i 4 b 1 !.,« w E ,e"’ e *gi“ »\%4 -~ i h ey L W S P L. = : P : i 2 ™ : ;s The bins are being distributed as part of the new trash collection system implemented by private haulers. As of February 1, 1997, the City of Augusta has turned trash collection in the urban ser vice zone over to private trash hauling firms While some local haulers have provided bins to all customers in their service area--and have extra bins remaining-- others have cho sen to wait. The reason appears to “These documents demonstrate that teachers will in fact be encouraged to use slang in the classroom if Ebonics instruction takes place in California’s schools.” — California state Senator Raymond Haynes funded Ebonics lessons ... that ex plicitly instruct teachers touse slang in the classroom.” According to the report, a little known “Proficiency in Standard En glish for Speakersof Black Language” program recommends that teachers produce audio tapes of themselves American students, speak specific Mwmudm@u indmg‘onmubmdmm head transparencies for their Afri can-American students. Senator Haynes provided sample be financial. CSRA Waste Disposal, the only minority company to receive a direct contract with the city, working in conjunction with Berry Smith Sanitation, the old est hauling businessin Augusta, has almost completely supplied his zone with trash bins. This team services over 1,700 resi dents. The companies ordered See TRASH BINS, page 3A pages from a document entitled “Lesson Plan Handbook” for Profi ciency in Standard English for Speakers of Black Language.” On page two of the handbook is the heading, “Kill These Myths.” One of the myths suggested is “Stan dard English is the correct way to speak at all times”; another is “In order to teach standard English, the teacher must eradicate the student’s home language.” According to the faxed material, “The State Department of Educa tion also suggests that African- Americanchildren brainstorm with their teachers to think of the situa tionsin which ‘School Language’ or English, should be used, and situa tions in which ‘Playground Lan guage,’ or Ebonics, should beused.” According to the Ebonics lesson plan, appropriate times to use Ebonics is when “talking to good friends, ploving with a family mem ber, runnig in.the park, or cheer ing at a sports event.” English include when “talking to the principal, making a report, or dering at a restaurant, and asking directions of a stranger.” Loce. youth enjoy fun and frolic aboard float during Paine College Home coming Parade. C. Jones SCHOOLS Uniforms in classrooms receive A+ B Parents and school principals in Richmond County pilot schools are high on the voluntary experiment. By Tawana Lee ' AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer AUGUSTA So far, school uniforms are receiving high praises. If the initial positive re ports from the test schools areany indication, all Rich mond County schools may adopt the practice. As a result of the Rich mond County School Sys tem uniform incentive pro gram, principals are re porting a lower incident rate of disciplinary prob lems and theftsamongstu dents. The three pilot schools for the voluntary uniform program are Barton Chapel Elemen tary, Merry A. Berry El ementary, and Glenn Hills Middle schools. Although participation in the program is volun tary, there is widespread acceptanceamongparents. Principalsarereporting 85 to 95 percent student in volvement with the young est studentsbeingthe most faithful. To keep interest high, special school spirit days are used to challenge stu dents. In preliminary uniform surveys, parents list get ting children ready for school in the morning faster, and saving money on school clothes as their Jailed activist seeking new trial after 25 years B Geronimo Pratt, former member of the Black Panther Party, may have been framed by L.A. police. By Max Millard Special to the NNPA SAN FRANCISCO Geronimo ji Jaga (Pratt), the former Los Angeles Black Panther who has spent almost 25 years in prison for a mur der conviction that was obtained under highly questionable legal proce dures, now has his best chance ever to get a new trial, according to his sup porters and attorneys. Jaga, 49, who renamed himselfin honor ofa West African warrior who fought against colonial ism, was moved from his cell at Mule Creek State Prison in lone, Calif., to Orange County Superior Court, for a hearing held from Dec. 16 to Jan. 10. The hearing ended in an wave of optimism among aeanl ot O Starr resigns Timeout with Tony C See Page 10A Ages old bondage reported in West African shrines See Page 2A two favorite perks. One Merry Berry student’s mother com mented in a letter to her child’s principal, “Thank you from a happy mom! I'vecutdown preparation - time in the mornings and my child feels dressed for success!” In the “Uniforms Are Us” survey conducted by Barton Chapel, parents suggested that studentin centives are very effec tive. Merry Berry stu dents receive citizenship rewards if they dress-out Monday through Thurs day. At Glenn Hillseighth graders Jonathan Johnson and Jonella Wells were able to see President Clinton as a reward for wearing their uniforms to school every day. Theuniformsappearto affect student conduct. Barton Chapel Principal Missoura Ashe had eight students sent to her of ficeforinfractions—none were in uniform. “If you walk around in the halls, there is a calm. Look into classroomsand see students learning. Thereisn’t much off-task behavior —the students are working,” Mrs. Ashe said. Merry Berry Principal Beverly Arnold also no ticed positive results of the uniform initiative. “Children are different now. They walk with their shoulders back and with their heads up high. They belong instead of being set aside,” she said. Eighth graders from See UNIFORMS, 5A his supporters who be lieve that this, his sixth attempt to win a new trial, would be success ful. Santa Ana Superior Court Judge Everett W. Dickey, who presided over the hearing, has ordered attorneys for both sides to submit their final arguments in writ ing, by Feb. 14. Then Dickey will make his de cision on whether to al low a retrial. ; There is no physical evidence to connect Ji Jaga to the murder of schoolteacher Caroline Olsen, who was shot and killed on a Southern Cali fornia tennis court by two assailants in 1968. Her husband Kenneth took five bullets but sur- See GERONIMO, 5A BULKRATE I.S. POSTAGE PAID NO. 302 \UGUSTA,GA