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t is good to announce that my
book, Blacks Who Helped Build
the Augusta Area & Race Rela
tions Review, is back on the main
writing track. As you know, it has
been sidetracked for several years
because of the full-time nursing
duties I gave to my wife, who was
inflicted for several years with
Alzheimer’s Disease. Caring for
her was an everyday duty (except
for the three days in 1984 when I
flew down to the World’s Fair in
New Orleans with our Augusta
Black History Exhibit.)
As you know, Augusta is one of
the few cities of its size without a
Black history publication, and our
Augusta area does indeed have a
rich heritage of accomplishments
by its individuals, institutions and
various groups. These accomplish
ments date back to the pre-Civil
War period.
The founding of Springfield Bap
tist Church in 1787 puts Augusta
in the league of national “firsts.”
Prior to the Civil War’s ending,
there were the births of several
other historic churches: Trinity
C.M.E., Thankful Baptist, Central
Baptist and Bethel AM.E. And
before the Spanish-American War
Upcoming Kwanzaa events to visit
- The Seventh Annual
Kwanzaa Celebration by the
Aiken chapter of Zeta Phi Beta
Sorority, Inc. will be held at the
Aiken Conference Center on
Sunday, Dec. 27, at 4 p.m. The
free event will have vendors and
fun.
- The Sixth Annual Kwanzaa
Affair 98 will be held on Sat.,
Dec. 26,at 7:30 p.m. at the Julian
Smith Casino Community Cen
ter, 2200 Broad St. The evening
of fun will include table seating,
full international menu dinner,
ABATSU Africandrummersand
dancers, full Kwanzaa celebra
tion ceremony, “Kwanzaa Affair”
marketplace, words from moti
vational speaker Jerry Smith,
best dressed African attire con
test with prizes, networking,
mingling and dancing. Tickets
will be $lO per person, children
10 and under $7. For more infor
mation, call (706) 724-4620.
The Kwanzaa Affair is spon
sored by ABATSU Inc. (a not-for
profit performing arts and edu
cational organization) in coop
eration with Ambasa Gift Shop,
Foxie Radio, WRDW TV 12 and
Augusta Coca Cola.
- Macon’s Seventh Anniver
Break the silence about HIV
By Rev. Carlton W. Veazey
Special to AUGUSTA FOCUS
This month, the African-Ameri
can community is solemnly mark
ing World AIDS Day. While over
all AIDS deaths are declining, the
number of new cases of HIV among
African Americans continues to
rise. A staggering number oflives
have already been lost to this dis
ease. It is a tragedy that African
Americans account for more than
one-third of AIDS cases in the
United States — even though we
are only 13 percent of the popula
tion. It is more tragic that almost
two-thirdsof children with HIV are
African American.
Black church communities have
been slow to respond to this epi
demic. Instead of offering support
and guidance to those who are in
fected with or affected by HIV/
AIDS, too many Black churches
have been silent, allowing igno
rance and stigma to prevail and
leaving those who are living with
Fax your local event news to Augusta Focus at (706) 724-6969.
J. Philip Waring © Going Places
Pemorial Column
Historical hook back on main track
in 1898 came the founding of scores
of other fine churches, of various
denominations, which have helped
build Augusta in many ways.
Therefore, as far as beautiful,
historic, successful churches go,
Augusta stands as deservedly high
asany communityin America. And
-- please - never forget this rich
heritage!
Self-help groups built
The birth here of Paine College
in 1882 marks the first example of
Southern Black and white Meth
odists with a major educational
institution. The advent of the Au
gusta Baptist Institute in 1867 (at
Springfield Baptist Church) later
evolved into Morehouse College.
The splendid and courageous lead
ership of Augusta’s Rev. Wm.
Jefferson White in connection with
the aforementioned event, along
with his founding of Harmony Bap
tist Church (in 1867) and with the
1880 establishment of his nation
ally famous Georgia Baptist News
paper(whichhe ranuntil hisdeath
in 1913), also work to put our home
town area way out front.
And one of the South’s first pub
lic high schools was established in
' b “. I
Akbar Imhotep
File photo by Lillian Wan
sary Kwanzaa series at the
Douglass Theatre and Ruth
Hartley Mosley Women’s Cen
ter from Sat., Dec. 26, Sun., and
Tues. through Thurs., Dec. 31:
B Sat., Dec. 26, Unity Day
Program, 6 p.m. at the Douglass
Theatre. Annual Kwanzaa cer
emony, food and performing arts.
Admission is free. Presented by
the Harriet Tubman Museum/
support from Douglass Theatre
& KCAC.
B Sun., Dec. 27, Kwanzaa
Youth Day, 6 p.m., at the
Douglass Theatre. Features
Kwanzaa stories by Akbar
Imhotep, Hip Hop by Fonso S.
the virus feeling ostracized. As
an African-American minister
and president ofthe Religious Coa
lition for Reproductive Choice, I
am working to help Black church
reclaim its voice and break the
silence around HIV and AIDS.
In 1997 the Religious Coalition
launched The Black Church Ini
tiative to assist African-Ameri
can clergy and laityin addressing
teen pregnancy prevention and
other sexuality issues within the
context of African-American cul
ture and religion. We call on the
Black church toeducate their con
gregations and communities
about preventing the spread of
HIV. Wecall on the Black church
to provide realistic, faith-based,
age-appropriate safer-sex re
sources to their congregations.
We call on the Black church to
create ministries where peopleliv
ingwith HIV/AIDS and their fami
lies and loved ones can celebrate
their life or express their pain and
outrage in Godly arenas.
A Closer Look
The following memorial column by the late J. Philip Waring was first published for
Augusta Focus on March 31, 1988, We are republishing it so that Mr. Waring's
admirers can reminisce and those who missed his columns can get a glimpse of
recant black history.
our area when Rev. White and
other Reconstruction-era Black
leaders persuaded the white local
governing body to start Ware High
School in 1880.
First civil rights fight
And the splendid and coura
geous fight to prevent the Rich
mond County Education Board
from closing the successful Ware
High School in 1897 still stands
as an outstanding example of how
Black Augustans “stood tall as
men and women for their basic
rights.” (More to come on re
sumption plans in my historical
publication.)
Praise for the Black press
Another past and present re
source sector of our heritage is
the Black press. Just last Friday
there was published in the Au
gusta Focus a front page story
which alleged that Augusta Col
lege Associate Dean Roscoe Will
iams had been unfairly bypassed
for promotion.
This in-depth story was re
searched and written by Ms. Terri
Williams, an English/Communi
cations major and a graduate of
and a youth talent showcase.
Free admission. Presented by
KCAC, Inc., Douglass Theatre,
Booker T. Washington Center,
and Progressive Christian Acad
emy.
B Tues., Dec. 29, 7 p.m,, at
Culture Plus & Tee Shirt Cre
ations, 304 Vickie Dr. in Warner
Robins. Features Kwanzaa cer
emony, discussion and focus on
economic unity in middle Geor
gia. Admission is free.
B Wed., Dec. 30, 6:30 p.m. at
the Douglass Theatre. Featured
will be Dr. Maulana Karenga,
the creator of Kwanzaa. Also
the premiere of “A Kwanzaa
Play” by Booker T. Washington
Center. Donation of only $5
includes afrocentric food and
vendors, Kwanzaa book signing.
Presented by the Kwanzaa Cul
tural Access Center, Inc., Booker
T. Washington Community Cen
ter, and Progressive Christian
Academy. Call (912) 745-1297
or 742-2000 for details. Vendor’s
fee is S3O.
8 Thurs., Dec. 31, 6 p.m., at
the Ruth Hartley Mosley
Women’s Center. KCAC &
Friends Annual Karamu (feast)
with food, reflections and shar
ing. Admission is free.
The strongest voice in the black
community is the voice of the
church. Only through the influ
ence of the Black church leader
ship will the virus subside and the
disease be conquered. We need
-more compassionate ministries for
those living with HIV or AIDS —
ministries that offer loveinstead of
shame. Only then will we begin to
break the silence on which HIV
thrives. Let thereal church stand
up, speak up and break the silence!
Rev. Carlton W. Veazey, presi
dent and CEO of the Religious
Coalition for Reproductive Choice,
is a minister of the National Bap
tist Convention U.S.A. The Reli
gious Coalition for Reproductive
Choice, founded in 1973, is a na
tional organization of denomina
tions and faith groups that sup
port reproductive choice. For more
information about the Black
Church Initiative, contact Leslie
Watson, director of the
Multicultural Programs Depart
ment, at 202-628-7700.
AC. The story has caused tre
mendous discussion, questioning
and dialogue throughout the com
munity and the school’s alumni.
The chair of the Student Senate
claims that the Search Commit
tee acted unevenly when handling
Roscoe Williams’ application,
while the chair of the Black Stu
dent Union charges racism. Some
members of the latter group point
to the comment printed last year
in the daily press which stated
that a member of the board of
Regents publicly admitted that
AC had fallen very short in utiliz
ing Black administrators, faculty,
students and staffduring the past
administration. And there was
no outcry or opposition then to
this observation.
Other observers point out that
the current AC administration
has announced a new, major policy
of affirmative action and minor
ity opportunities. Ms. Williams’
article indicated “no duplicity” in
the Roscoe Williams case, as
stated by the college.
Thiscolumn was first published
in the March 31, 1988 issue of
Augusta Focus, pages 4 and 6.
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Local libraries will close for the holidays
All Richmond County libraries will be closed for the holidays on the following dates: Dec. 24, 25,
26 and 27; Jan. 1 and 2. On Dec. 31st, all libraries will close at 5:30 p.m.
Columbia and Warren Co. libraries will close on the following dates: Dec. 24, 25 and Jan. 1.
Lincoln and Burke Co. libraries will close on the follow dates: Dec. 24, 25, 26 and Jan. 1.
All Richmond Co. and Gibbs book return boxes will be locked to prevent overflowing. Fines will
not be charged for days closed.
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Citizens who left in ‘9B
From page 8A
ecutive training program of
Macy’s department store in the
late 19405. That was the begin
ning of a career of senior adminis
trative positions in both the pub
lic and private sector that ended
with his retirement from Ameri
can Express as its senior vice
president for worldwide commu
nications.
In a final statement he wrote
about himselfthis fall, Buddy said
he had “eschewed the role as
spokesman for minority causes”
because it was impossible to meet
the “bottom-line demands” of his
job and be a spokesman for Afri
can Americans. Hesaid he worked
“behind the scenes offering ad
vice and guidance to those who
needed it, but never interceding
with an employer.”
Yet, Buddy Wilkinson also
worked tirelessly and effectively
advising several generations of
black corporate executives, and
staff and officers, including my
self, of the Urban League.
As he himself wrote, he “took
pride in being a pioneer who sim
ply wouldn’t let his race stop him
from moving up the corporate lad
der -- and, in the process, opening
doors for others whom he showed
it could be done.”
Others took the more public
approach, because the circum
stances demanded it.
Such was the case with Louis L.
Redding, who from the 1930 s to
the 1950 s was the only black law
yer in the state of Delaware;
Spottswood W. Robinson 111..nz
Virginia civil rights attorney;
Judge Collins J. Seitz, of Dela
ware.
Thedestinies of these three men
intertwined around the bundle of
legal challenges in the 1940 s and
early 1950 s to official school seg
regation that led to the 1954
Brown decision of the U.S. Su
preme Court.
Seitz, white, had grown up in
Delaware, and graduated from the
then-segregated University of
Delaware and the University of
Virginia Law School. :
But his decisions in the school
segregation cases before him
helped pave the way for the War+
ren Court’s progressive thinking
and progressive language. In the
Supreme Court’s unanimous de
cision, Seitz’s opinions were re
peatedly cited.
So, regardless of theirindividual
characteristics, we can say that
all of these men and women —
some black, some white — did
serve to push back the bound
aries of racial discrimination, did
open doors for others to follow,
did inspire some to more progres
sive thought and to action.
A colleague of the filmmaker,
Henry Hampton, said of him: “He
was brilliant and caring, and
that’s how we’re going to remem
ber him.”
That’s how we should remem
ber them all, for they deserve our
thanks.
Hugh B. Price is president of the
National Urban League. '
9A