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VOLUME 19 NUMBER 953
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South Carolina Gov. Jim Hodges signs into a law, May 1, 2002, «a biil
creating a regular state holiday honoring slain civil rights leader Martin
Luther King, Jr. The bill also creates a regular state holiday for Confeder
ate Memorial Day. The bill was signed during a ceremony at Rosewood
Elememtary School in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Lou Krasky)
City mourns death of I.E. Washington
Educator, historian, city leader
will be buried on Friday, May 5
By Lillian Wan
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Dr. Isaiah “Ike” Edward Washington
passed away last Saturday, April 29, 2000.
Augusta and the world lost a valuable
education, history and political force with
his death.
He has been known throughout his life
for promoting the rights of minorities in
Augusta in every way involving educa
tion, history, civil rights and politics. As
sistinghim and serving by his side through
much of his activities was his wife, Dr.
Justine W. Washington.
“Ike”began his 38 years as an education
leader by serving as a principal of four
local schools ranging from elementary to
high schools:
-Peter H. Craig Elementary School 1937-
1939;
- Charles T. Walker Elementary School
1939-1964;
-AR.JohnsondJunior High School 1964-
1971;
- Lucy Craft Laney High School 1971-
1976.
He influenced the history and politics of
Augustawith hisservice of 17 yearson the
Augusta City Council; hejoined in 1974 as
one of the first black members of the
Council. Though heavily involved in the
defense of civil rights during its heyday of
tension in the ‘6os and “70s, “Ike” was
respected for his efforts by both sides. He
was' credited by city officials as a major
and positive force in healing and dispel
ling racial strife.
Dr. Washington also served on the Au
gusta-Richmond County Planning Com
mission, as a member of the board of the
Augusta-Richmond County Museum (now
the Augusta Museum of History),and asa
life member of the Salvation Army Advi
sory Board. He was also involved in the
Senior Citizens Council.
Among many accomplishments “Ike”
helped establish two historical local events.
Augusta’s First Black Summit Confer
ence held in January 1979. Besides Dr.
Washington, other leaders involved in the
set up the conference were J. Philip War-
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Serving Metropolitan ™= Ayqusta, South Caroling and the Central Savannah River Area
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ing, Jack Ruffin, Ed Mclntyre, Charles
Walker, Henry Brigham, Henry Howard,
Dr. Justine Washington, George Brown,
Rev. N.Y. Young, Rev. C.S. Hamilton,
Kingsley Riley, A K. Hasan and Willie
Mays.
The following year, “Ike,” Waring, The
Augusta Black History Committee and
others approached then Mayor Lew
Newman with a plan to establish the first
monumentin Augusta tohonor an African
American, Dr. Scipio Solomon Johnson
Sr. Their historic efforts resulted in the
dedication of the S.S. Johnson Plaza and
plaque on November 3, 1985.
When Augusta State University finally
named its previously undedicated four
story college activity center in 1997, the
tallest building on campus, they honored
Drs. “Ike” and Justine Washington for
their longtime efforts on behalf of educa
tion by dedicating the building to them as
Washington Hall on May 28, 1997. The
choice of the Washingtons was a double
honor: the building was the first campus
building to be named after living people or
African Americans. The couple known for
making history was made indelibly a part
of history at an institution of higher learn
ing.
Dr. Washington’s funeral will be held on
Friday, May 5, at 10 a.m. at the Paine
College Gilbert Lambuth Chapel. Offici
ating will be the Rev. Canon Lewis P.
Bohler Jr, Interment will be at the
Southview Cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Dr. Justine
Washington; a devoted cousin, Mrs. Daisy
See WASHINGTON, page 3A
Augusta Focus writer wins award for
“Best Education” _feature ~4A
xZuilet Kriant
Dr. IE. Washington
1909-2000
Dr. Isaiah “lke”
Edward
Washington six
months before
his death.
Photo by Timothy Cox
MAY 4 - 10, 2000
Larke: Flagisoffensive,
but law says it must fly
BRichmond County School
Superintendent says his
hands are tied when it
comes to removing the flag,
but a state lawmaker says
the school board has the
power to keep the state flag
from flying.
By Eileen Rivers
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
. AUGUSTA
Superintendent Dr. Charles Larke,
refuses to take action toremove the Geor
gia flag currently flying on the grounds
of Richmond County publicschools, claim
ing that a state law, which allows school
boards to decide when the flag should fly,
has his hands tied.
“The African-American community
should be outraged that the superinten
dent is not willing to challenge the racist
laws that allow this flag to fly on school
grounds,” Alexander Smith, Augusta
branch NAACP president, said after an
unsatisfactory meeting with the super
intendent.
Larke refused to comply with NAACP
demands to remove the flag during an
5 ¥
It’s arson!
James Brown’s headquarters torched;
Fire investigators say blaze was set deliberately
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
The smell of smoke still lingers around
charred ashes at the corridor of soul
legend James Brown’s offices in West
Augusta near Wheeler Road. Amid bro
ken glass and water damage, in the park
ing lot of the two-story building are secu
rity guards, dressed in black garb.
State and local fire officials have ruled
the two-alarm fire, which partially de
stroyed Brown’s headquarters, was de
liberately set. Although 24-hour surveil
lance is now apparent around the prop
erty, no witnesses have come forward to
relinquish information about the blaze
which occurred Friday, April 28, at
Brown’s two-story office building near
Wheeler Road. .
The Richmond County Fire Depart
ment received the call around 9:45 p.m.
and responded three minutes later, ac
cording to a fire department spokesper
son. Damages were contained enough to
deem the facility as salvageable. Chief
arson investigator G.B. Hannan, led a
team of inspectors at the site Wednes
day, May 3, also Brown’s 67* birthday.
Reportedly, a gasoline-based substance
was detected in several sections of the
building, leading to the arson suspicion.
Samples of fire remnants were shipped
to the Georgia Bureau of Investigations
crime lab in Atlanta. In a prepared
release from Georgia Insurance and
Safety Fire Commissioner John W.
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Dr. I.E. Washington and his wife Dr. Justine Washington. Photo by J. Carter
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Georgia state law is anything but
clear on the matter of flying or not
flying the state flag.
April 26 meeting, despite the fact that he
is “personally offended by the flag’s con
federate symbol.”
“I’m an African American, just like you
are,” Larke said, during an interview at
the Richmond County Board of Educa
tion. “Ifit were up to me I wouldn’t have
this flag flying anywhere. The confeder
ate symbol was put on for political rea
sons in 1956, and doesn’t belong there,
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County fire investigators survey damages outside James Brown Enter- «;
prises on West Medical Park. Experts suspect arson may have led to ihg_”:‘;,
fire. (Photo by Timothy Cox) b
Oxendine, rewards up to SIO,OOO are
being presented to anyone providing in
formation leading to the arrest and con
viction of an arsonist. Folks are urged to
call the Georgia Arson Hotline at
1.800.282.5804.
The brunt of the damages occurred in
the front lobby of the building and the
roof area. In days following the tragic
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BULK RATE ;
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
NO. 302 AUGUSTA, GA 3
but astate statute prevents school boards
from individually lowering the flag.” -
Smith, along with the Atlanta-based
Coalition to Change the Georgia Flag,
argues that such alaw doesn’t exist, and
that Larkeishidingbehind a similar flag
statute to avoid decisively dealing with
theissue, mislead his school board mem
bers, and duck out of “doing the right
thing.” -
“There is no statute that requires any
body in Georgia to fly the state flag,
except for Atlanta government and we.:
are flying the state flag of our choicé,”
Rep. Tyrone Brooks (D-Atlanta) GABEO
(Georgia Association of Black Elected
Officials) president, and member of the
‘Coalition to Change the Georgia Flag,
said.
Georgia’s “flag, seal, and other sym
bols” statute “requires that the state flag
be displayed in schools on appropriate -
occasions, as determined by local school
boards, within their ... discretion.” -7%.
It also states that school board mem
bers can remove the flag within the scope
of that statute, for reasons that are nef:
“arbitrary or capricious,” according fe?
Georgia’s deputy attorney general, Mike
Hobbs. w¥a
Smith questions the vagueness of the
law, stating that the words “appropp: *
.
See SCHOOL BOARD, page 3A “~*
fire, onlookers driving down Augusta
West Parkway and Wheeler Road were
noticeablein their efforts to see damages
to the building with its gold and brown
sign which reads James Brown Enter
prises. o
In a local TV report taped at Browns.
e
See ARSON, page 2A 03,