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4 & k. Mg . ' 5 ver the past 42 years that I've written this column, the dog days of summer have been used once or twice during the warm period for special action research. It takes place via conversations and inter views with individuals who talk about current events and social issues. In this process, a wide variety of different settings are used. What are the themes this summer? 1) Now that the Riverfront Cen ter matter has been favorably re solved (largely by the private-busi ness sector) what will happen with economic development out in the Laney-Walker sector? 2) Will minorities and women get opportunities to participatein the fast growing Riverfront com plex? 3) What will eventually happen out at the Gracewood hospital school complex? 4) Will our children be safe in the recently discovered contami nated sites adjacent to W.S. Hornsby and Clara E. Jenkins public schools? Will the residents in those areas? 5) How will the consolidation Major anti-affirmative action case thrown out United States District Court Judge B. Avant Edenfield in Sa vannah, Georgia recently closed the book on alawsuit which threat ened to undermine access for Af rican%fineficans to the State’s pußd ighe educatich Btan Three of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit originally known as Wooden, et. Al v. Board of Regents had claimed that they were de nied admission tothe University of Georgia (UGA) because of its affirmative action admission poli cies. Nine others attached three of Georgia’s historically black state institutions (Albany State, Fort Valley State, and Savannah State Universities), alleging that they accepted too many African American students through the mere existence of remedial edu cation programs. It was also Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries, 233 James P. Brawley Dr., S.W,, Trevor Arnett Building. Take bus 13 from MARTA'’s Five Points Station. “To Conserve a Legacy: American Art at Historically Black Colleges and Universities” will be exhibited from now through Septembér 25. The permanent collection, “From Rearguard to Vanguard: Selections from the Clark Atlanta University Collection of African-American Art,” shows how the university acquired the core of its collection. Includes the famous “Art of the Negro” murals by Hale Woodruff. For more info, call (404) 880-6644. §m§%wf\/ DA o MR W \" :\\' R Wl y m////fl;/‘/g é\\%‘ —" o /;’f’—a‘/fik\xs Y N e A o b L f—— 3 N 2 »}/\"?%g ) 4 f'@?gfl% AN = ) ,«::'j': ’i\fié, =~ f,\gmfi @‘%/////// M e ”«“{//‘: J. Philip Waring © suing Flaces Memorial Column Informative days of summer issue, defeated by the U.S. De partment of Justice, be resolved? Our salutes go out to: — Dr. Justine Washington, on her recent selection as one of the CSRA’s Women of Excellence for her more than 40 years of service and leadership. — Dr. Louise Rice, outstanding Augusta College educator and long-time helper in the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, who was reelected regional chairperson at the group’s recent regional meet ing in Texas. ; — A.C. athletic director Clint Bryant for helping expand the summer anti-drug program at Sunset Homes. And, finally, my personal thanks and good wishes to out to Chet Fuller, who has been promoted to the post of assistant managing editor of administration for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Chet, as you know, was an as sistant editor of the editorial page on the Constitution (and also an award-winning correspondent). Now, he will no longer have time to write his splendid Monday morning column. His many years of high level service have also been ‘aspart of charged that the colleges discrimi nated against white faculty mem bers. During the course of this case, which was closed July 6, the claims ‘'of dlf but oné bf the origimal plain 'tiffs, Kirby Tracy, wetedismissed. Judge Edenfield, a critic of affir mative action, awarded Tracy $1 for applying to UGA under an admissions policy no longer in ef fect. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF)rep resented a group of interveners that included African American students and civil rights organiza tions. LDF was the only party to present expert testimony, evi dence that proved to be pivotal in the case’s dismissal. Theodore M. Shaw, Associate Director-Counsel or LDF, stated \re Inyj i gm < | N ! Augusta State University | } Do you need help preparing for your future? At Augusta State, we - offer more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs. - Attend our Returning Adult Program to learn more about what ~ Augusta State has to offer. University representatives will be i available to answer your questions. L Informal Drop-In ' ' BTy T T m———— . | Thursday, July 22 l 5 to 6:30 p.m. I' Benet House, on'the campus of Augusta State University RSVP: Office of Admissions, (706) 737-1632 Residents of Aiken and Edgefield counties pay Georgia in-state tuition, A Closer Look The followingmemorial column by the late J. Philip Waring was first published for Augusta Focus on June 29, 1989. We are republishing it so that Mr. Waring's admirers can reminisce and those who missed his columns can geta glimpse of recentblackhistory. the growth of Atlanta into a great international city. Your readers and friends down in Augusta join with mein saying, “Thanks again, Chet.” Gov. Harris and Georgia Black judges As we continue to “bird dog” publicopinion about variouskinds of publicmeetings, itis amazingto discover the sudden upsurge of surprise on Gov. Joe Frank Har ris’ idea about Black judges in Georgia. : Following is an editorial which appeared recently in the Atlanta Constitution: “Gov. Harris’ idea of out standing progress” Nowonder Gov. Joe Frank Har ris endorses an obstructionist stance in the face of a challenge to Georgia’s at-large elections for Superior Court judges. Anyone who believes the state is making “outstanding progress” in bring ingblackjudgestothe bench would have a dickens of a time figuring out what all the fuss is about. The governor says he’s 100 per cent behind Attorney General Michael J. Bower’s refusal to pro vide the Justice Department in- that the case demonstrated the potentifil danger in the anti-affir mative action fervor advanced by some conservative groups. “The only coherent premise be hind this lawsuit was the insidi ous miotion that every black stu dent’ddmitted came at’'the ex pense of a more deserving and better academically qualified white student,” said Shaw. “This case demonstrates that this is just plain wrong. Fortunately, the judge was compelled to rule on the complete lack of merit in this case. Unfortunately, many other lawsuits are filed that are equally unworthy, using race as a conve nientscapegoat. The danger these casesisthatthey canresultinthe type of sweeping ruling that de nies thousands of deserving Afri can American students a fair chance to an education.” formation foritsreview of whether Georgia’sjudicial-election system dilutes black voting strength in violation ofthe Voting Rights Act. The attorney general is fighting a lawsuit that seeks an end to the at-large elections in order to in crease the number of black Supe rior Court judges. So where has the “outstanding progress” Mr. Harris citesin back ing Mr. Bowers brought us? Six of the state’s 137 Superior Court judges are black (and four of the six sit in Fulton County). There are no black judges in 42 of the state’s4sjudicial circuits. Blacks make up one-third or more of the registered votersin some 40 Geor gia counties, but blacks serve as judgesinonly three of those coun ties. Mr. Harris has his own statis tics to show what “outstanding progress” is being made. The state’s pool of lawyers, from which judges must come, is three per cent black, yet four percent of the e . 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RN LD ARG PR Ll s, R e 55 b 2o Y WITH FREE UNLIMITED INCOMING CALLS, WE’VE TAKEN THE FEAR OUT OF GOING MOBILE. Py Going mobile doesn't have to mean living in fear anymore. If you sign B 4 \%\' . up- with Bell South Mobility DCS right now you can take advantage of 3 ( DA S free* unlimited incoming local calls through June, 2000. All it takes is S g - ) P, ‘p\' an eleven-month service commitment and you're covered by one of the largest all-digital networks in the South. Thus, Bell South Mobility DCS has ‘proven there's nothing to fear, but fear itself. age 6 Digital phones as |ov) as | @ BELLSOUTH Mobility 47 $ t 0 DS [ www.bellsouthdcs.com FOR SALES AND INFORMATION, VISIT YOUR LOCAL BELLSOUTH MOBILITY DCS RETAILER OR CALL TOLL-FREE 1-888-327-2001) : Visit us at 3435 Wrightsboro Road in Augusta across from Augusta Mall or 1024 Pinelog in Aiken behind Blockbuster Video or call 1-888-327-2001 for free delivery to your home or office. *Free incoming minutes valid through 11:59 p.m. on June 30, 2000; thereafter, all inbound minutes will be charged. Does not to calls received when outside the Bell South Mobaltv DCS service nmot ovo&bh on all rate plans. Toll charges, if any, and airtime v;horgfih:rflvmto cohmdd from the DCS 3 rok:o m?‘mm lnclu'g:d ”:'khcon'm pbomh?fhr rhooquirn cov‘nr:v:’uo':: :"l"z‘nmng urlvl:‘:o comv;\itmont. ;nonth'lv' r.;l "01. and is IW& imited offer ustomers; sel e requi ment by existing customers, Sul 0 ¢ ufwd WE Conditions, and certain other restrictions. mcv:mco J& o':%mm 9520 model ot ponicrpoofing retailers. m supplies last. See stores . © Bell South, state’s Superior Court judges are black. The governor’slogicmisses the crux of the matter. It is not how many blacks are eligible tobe elected but how many stand a chance of being elected. Under the present system, the answer has been, and continues to be, very few. Throughout much of Georgia, blacks seek justice in courtrooms where noblack hasever presided. Legacy of excellence From page 8A herself has been an encourage ment. Anencouragement 44 years ago ‘as she sat on that bus, refusingto give up her seat to a white man and anchored to that seat by “the accumulated indignities of days gone by the countless aspirations of generations yet unborn,” inthe words of Dr. Martin Luther King, dJr., that young, inexperienced minister who became the spokes AUGUSTAFOCUS ___ JULY 22, 1999 Their prospects of being repre sented above the bottom rung of thejudicial ladder areslim. That'’s ‘what all the fuss is about, Mr. Governor. That’s why many black Georgians will hear your talk of “outstanding progress” as a cruel joke. This column was originally pub lishedintheJune29, 1989issueof" Augusta Focus, pages 10-11. person for the civil rights move ment and echoed by President Clinton in the Capitol rotunda. And anencouragement today as wearereminded that might does not make right and that the moral arc of the universe does bend toward justice as Dr. King used to say. Nelson Mandela and Rosa Parks. Two extraordinary hu man beings wholeave usalegacy of greatness and justice and dig nity. Thanks be to God for them both. Call (706)724-7855 to subscribe 9A