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Members of the Executive Board of the NAACP, Myrlie Evers, left and Leonard Springs, talk
to reporters at the O’Hare Hilton after the board voted on whether to expel NAACP board
member Hazel Dukes Saturday, Dec. 20, 1997, in Chicago. On the surface, it's just another
power struggle within the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights group. (AP Photo/Frank Polich).
By Paul Shepard
_ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
f—— et
The NAACP national board voted Saturday to
remove longtime civil rights activist Hazel Dukes
from the board after she admitted pilfering more
than $13,000 from a leukemia-stricken associate
who trusted Dukes with her finances.
- Moments after the closed-door vote was recorded,
board members said the removal signaled a new
day for the nation’s largest and oldest civil rights
group in which internal squabbles hopefully will
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Augusta Focus
Serving Metropolitan Augusta, South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Area
take a back seat to public advocacy.
Thebattle over Dukes, an influential board mem
ber from New Yo;:kthreanened to plunge the
NAACP back into a full-scaled leadership crisis like
the one in 1994 when then-executive director Ben
jamin Chavis was fired after a sexual harassment
scandal and $4 million organizatienal debt.
But some, like NAACP Board Chair Myrlie Evers-
Williams, said Dukeg ouster could signal a new
spirit of cooperation at the topranks ofthe NAACP.
“I would hope we will be able to look forward
See NAACP, page 2A
facing calls
BMarijuana bust sets ideological
forces against one another.
Republicans seek political mileage.
By Joan Kirchner
ASSOCIATED PRESS Writer
ATLANTA
Weeks after state Sen. Ralph David Abernathy 111
was caught with marijuana, the son of the pioneer
ing civil rights leader came under attack from Re
t;_mblican lawmakers who are trying to impeach him
or it. !
Five GOP House members announced last week
they will sponsor a resolution in the upcoming
session calling for an impeachment trial for
Abernathy, an Atlanta Democrat.
“Let me assure the citizens of Georgia that our
own outrage has equaled and even exceeded theirs,”
said state Rep. Bart Ladd, R-Atlanta.
Democrats rallied around Abernathy, criticizing
his accusers for seeking punishment when no action
was sought against other lawmakers‘accused of
drunken driving, stalking and other crimes over the
years.
“Singling out Sen. Abernathy for persecution is
the height of hypocrisy,” said state Rep. Tyrone
Brooks, D-Atlanta.
Abernathy, 38, said he made “a stupid mistake” on
Dec. 1, when a drug-sniffing dog singled him out at
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport after he
returned from Jamaica. A small amount of mari
juana was found in his underwear.
He was fined SSOO by customs agents.
Abernathy is the son of the Rev. Ralph Abernathy
dJr., who became head of the Southern Christian
See Abernathy, page 2A
DECEMBER 25 - 31, 1997
WAfrican-American, Asian population
growth outstrips that of whites in Burke,
Columbia and McDuffie counties.
By Frederick Benjamin Sr.
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
RUGUSTA
The Augusta area is apparently
very attractive to African Ameri
cans, Asians, and Hispanics. The
percentage of growth of nonwhites
in the local area far exceeds that of
whites.
But in that, the Augusta area is
not unique. According to the lat
est Census Bureau analyses,
Georgia’s black population in
creased nearly twice as much as
the white population from 1990 to
1996. Taken as a whole, the over
all change wasrelatively slight with
whites slipping from 72 percent of
the state’s population in 1990 to
70 percent in 1996. In 1970 whites
were nearly 74 percent of the
state’s population, according to
government figures. The decrease
has been slow, but steady.
In the Augusta area, however,
the changes were more dramatic
and promise toimpact significantly
traditional ways of doing business
and making political forecasts.
In Richmond County, African
Americans increased by 9.7 per
cent while the white population
decreased by s.2#percent. The
Asian population increased by 51,6
percent and the Hispanic popula
tion increased by 57.2 percent.
In Columbia County the increase
by the white population was a vi
brant 26.4 percent. Minority popu
lation increases in Columbia
County, however, were even more
lively. The black population in
Columbia County steamed in at
nearly twice that of whites (47.4
Building with people
®Augusta/CSRA
Habitat for Humanity
combats housing crisis
with action.
by Mark Oliphant
AUGUSTA FOCUS Correspondent
AUGUSTA
Decent and affordable housing
is still not a reality for millions of
Americans, but a local organiza
tion is doing its share to see that
more Augustans enjoy that ben
efit. Since 1987, 31 Augusta fami
lies have taken a giant step toward
achieving the American dream
through the efforts of the Augusta/
CSRA Habitat for Humanity.
For those lucky few who have
been handed over the keys to a
brand new home, charity does be
gin at home.
“We do not build homes for
people, we build with people,” is
how Marilyn Gerry, chair of the
Augusta area board of directors
for Habitat for Humanity.
_Recent owners of new Habitat
Homes include, Terrie Walker of
2458 Belgrade Court, Cynthia But
ler of 2447 Sumac Drive, both in
South Augusta, and Shirley Nixon
of Second Street and Reynolds
Street in Olde Town.
Rather than nestle up for along
comfortable stay with public as
sistance, Ms. Walker, whose new
Habitat Home in Barton Village
was dedicated this past Sunday,
December 21, Ms. Butler, whose
home is slated for completion by
early February, and Ms. Nixon,
whose home was dedicated earlier
thismonth, decided to roll up their
Percentage of change in population
groups in metro Augusta counties
from 1990 to 1996
Black White Asian Hispanic
Richmond 9.7 -5.2 51.6 57.2
Columbia 47.4 26.4 101.6 115.5
Burke 12.0 -3.5 44 .4 67.2
McDuffie 17.8 0.3 55.2 69.0
Source: United States Census Reports
“While Richmond County will eventually be
a predominantly African-American county,
Columbia County will likely remain
overwhelmingly white.”
percent) and both the Asian and
Hispanic population experienced
better than 100 percent increases
(101.6 and 115.5 percents respec
tively). Burke County’s black
population has grown by 12 per
cent while its white population
has deglined by 3.4 percent. The
Asian population increased by 44.4
percent and Hispanic population
increased by 67.2 percent in Burke
County. In McDuffie County the
white population hardly grew at
all (.3 percent) while the black
population increased by 17.8 per
cent. The Asian and Hispanicrates
of growth were 55.2 and 69 per
cents, respectively.
Wilkes, Washington, and
Taliaferro counties all experienced
sleeves and hammer in a few nails.
Like many other Habitat partners
involved in this housingmovement
across the nation, they are gaining
anincentive to earn their own new
sense of livelihood by helping oth
ers in a labor of love.
Primary qualifications for ap
plicants reviewed by a Family Se
lection Committee of HFH include
housing need, income level and
willingness to partner with Habi
tat in either building homes or
volunteering in the local Habitat
for Humanity office.
“Before we start on a home for
one of our partners, they must
first qualify for a home by helping
to build homes for others. Based
Americans leam their ABCs
in racially isolated classrooms
ANNANDALE, Va.
(AP) Racial isolation prevails
in American schools, despite a
presidentially sponsored salute
to diversity in this suburb of the
nation’s capital, aresearcher says.
“Residential segregation is pro
ducing school segregation,” Gary
Orfield, Harvard professor of edu
cationand social policy, told Presi
dent Clinton’s panel on race rela
tions.
The panel took a stab at contro
versy Wednesday, bringing lib
eral Orfield and conservatives like
former Education Secretary Wil
liam Bennett into a discussion of
race in America.
Having convened the panel in
2 123199 )!
RATE
U.B. POSTAGE
PAID
NO. 302
AUGUSTA, GA
negative population growths in
while experiencing no declines in
the rate of growth of minority
populations.
While Richmond County will
eventually be a predominantly
African-American county, if cur
rent trends continue, Columbia
County — like many other coun
ties across the state with similar
demographics and large white
majorities — will likely remain
overwhelmingly white.
This trend is driven in part by
factorsother than white flight from
Richmond County. According to
Dr. Jeffrey M. Humphreys, direc
tor of economic forecasting at the
See DEMOGRAPHICS, page 3A
on need, approved applicants are
placed and ranked on a waiting
list for a Habitat Home.”
Modest and decent homes, which
range from 1,000 to 1,200 square
feet, are built by Habitat for Hu
manity at the lowest cost possible,
eventually standing at an esti
mated value from $30,000 to
$35,000. These homes are then
sold free of interest to low income
applicants, allowing them to pur
chase their homes with at least
500 hours sweat equity down pay
ments from first helping build
other homes. Mortgage payments
are then spread in small install-
See HABITAT HOMES, page 13A
the absence of a racial crisis,
Clinton has had to weather criti
cism that his national conversa
tion on race is weak and unfo
cused. But Orfield and Bennett,
from opposing camps, brought
spice to the debate at Annandale
High School, part of the highly
diverse Fairfax County, Va.,
school system.
Bennett stressed common, tra
ditional values and rigorous edu
cational standards over skin color.
“Race matters less than fam
ily” in determining student
achievement, he said.
“I'd get the math scores up
See STUDENTS, page 2A