Newspaper Page Text
2A
NOVEMBER 23, 2000
Williams: 1926 - 2000
From page one
When he was jailed, which hap
pened more than 125 times, he
often waved it off as “just another
attempt tosilence Hosea Williams”
or tostop hisattacks on “thedown
town power structure.” He once
took a traffic conviction clear to
the UiS. Supreme Court, where he
lost. .
Williams scorned most elected
blackyofficials, whom he accused of
turning their backs on the Ameri
can poor.
His graying, goateed chin and
raspy. voice were fixtures at civil
rights meetings and protests.
His following was strongest
among older blacks, many of whom
weathered the 1960 s with him and
whoidentified with his hand-clap
ping, singingrhetoric that recalled
a moke turbulent time.
The .chief organizer of King’s
marches and demonstrations, Wil
liams helped lead the “Bloody Sun
day” marchin Selma, Ala.,in 1965.
Hewasalsoat the Memphis, Tenn.,
motel where Kingwas shotin 1968.
He,recalled his anger that day
during a 1993 interview with The
Associated Press: “I was wishing I
could pull some molecules out of
the air and make me a weapon and
just wipe out every white person
near, because I thought they had
shot-Dr. King at that time.”
He.continued: “I said to myself,
‘America, racists, economic ex
ploiters, you sure have messed up
now ... because there lies the only
one among us, the main one, who
has tried to keep us calm. Now
you’ve killed him.”’
The shot, he said, ended King’s
dream because it fragmented his
lieutenants.
Rep.dJohn Lewis, D-Atlanta, who
organized the Selma march with
Williams, called him “a man of
courage, a man of faith, a man of
Recount
From page one
that a deadline for reporting re
sults passed Nov. 14, a week after
the election. Thejustices said they
didn’t want to allow Harris, the
state’s chief elections officer, to
“summarily disenfranchise inno
cent electors.”
“Our goal today remains the
same as it was a quarter of a cen
turyago...toreachtheresultthat
reflectsthe will of the voters, what
ever that mightbe,” the court said.
“Ignoring the county’s returns is
adrastic measure and is appropri
ate only if the returns are submit
ted solate that their inclusion will
compromise the integrity of the
electoral process.”
Harris’s decision, the justices
said, was “unreasonable, unnec
essary and violates long-standing
law.”
“Florida courts generally will
defer to an agency’s interpreta
tion of statutes and rules the
agencyischarged withimplement
ing and enforcing,” they wrote.
“Florida courts, however, will not
defer to an agency’s opinion that
is contrary to law.”
Harris, a Republican and Bush
ally, was not available for com
ment.
Justices — all of whom were
appointed by Democratic gover
nors — issued the opinion at 9:45
p.m;. after a tense, daylong wait by
reporters and protesters outside
the Supreme Court. .
. Attention
Kmart Shoppers
The Kmart November 26, 2000
weekly ad circular, on page 43,
features the Usher “All About
Vou” CD. This item will not be
available at this time due to the
recording studio’s change of re
lease date.
We apologize for any inconve
nience this may have caused
our customers. v
hope.”
“Hosea Williams must be looked
upon as one of the founding fa
thers of the new America,” Lewis
said. “Through his actions, he
helped liberate all of us.”
Williams was born Jan. 5, 1926,
in Attapulgus, Ga., theillegitimate
son of a blind girl who fled a state
training school when she discov
ered she was pregnant.
His mother died while giving
birth to another child and Will
iams was raised by his grandfa
ther, whom he described asa tough
man who had killed at least three
people, one on the church steps on
a Sunday morning.
Hesaidininterviews that heleft
home at about age 14 because of
wanderlust and local outrage at
his alleged relationship with a
white girl.
He held odd jobs across north
Florida and worked for atimeasa
shill for a gambler who plied the
citrus camps.
He wound up in the Army, was
badly wounded in Europe and re
turned to Georgia, where he was
beaten bloody while trying to use
awhites-only drinking fountain at
a bus station in Americus.
During the next five weeks in a
military hospital, he recalled, he
kept thinking “I’d fought on the
wrong side.”
Williams later finished high
school and Morris Brown College
and taught chemistry briefly.
He joined the civil rights move
ment full-time in 1962 while living
in Savannah. He recalled his chil
dren crying in a Savannah drug
store when he told them they could
not join white children spinning
on soda counter stools'because of
segregation rules.
He became King’s advance man
throughout the South in the 19605.
“I, as field director, would go
ahead of the others and mobilize
the street people in the black com
munities,” he recalled. “Jesse
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AUGUSTAFOCUS
City / Region
Jackson would come in later and
deal with the middle-class blacks
and Andy Young would negotiate
with the white power structure.
In 1987, he led a march into
virtually all-white Forsyth County
north of Atlanta and was greeted
by Klansmen and sympathizers
throwing bottles and rocks.
As he ducked the projectiles, he
recalled later, he was thinking of
King, who. was assassinated in
1968.
“I know that old rascal was just
a-laughin’. Yeah, old King just a
layin’ there in that grave. He was
just tickled to death. Old Hosea is
still trying,” Williams said.
The attack on Williams’ small
group of protesters led to a march
by thousands the next week and
drew national attention to Forsyth
County.
Williams served in the Georgia
Legislature, on the Atlanta City
Council and on the DeKalb County
Commission before retiring from
politicsin 1994. He also operated a
chemical company that specialized
incleaning suppliesand abonding
company.
Williams managed to stay in the
public eye through his holiday din
ners for the poor, which fed thou
sandseach year, and through ’6os
Augusta NAACP meets on November 27
The Augusta branch of the NAACP will meet on November 27
at May Park Community Center, 644 4th St. at 7:30 p.m. for
regular business meeting and the election of new officers for
2001-2002. :
For additional information, please call Robert Howard at 796-
5025.
- Yevied
‘&/‘ Thanksgiving!
style symbolic gestures, such as
jailhouse fasts or campingout atop
King’s tomb.
In 1977, he was ousted as execu
tivedirector of the Southern Chris
tian Leadership Conference by
then-President Joseph Lowery in
a power struggle. Officially, the
reason was that he was not devot
ing full time to the job. It took a
court order to get Williams to va
cate his office.
Hewasarrested twice on charges
of trying to carry a gun aboard an
airliner. One charge was dropped
and Williams pleaded no contest
to the other.
His driving record also was a
liability. In 1992, he pleaded guilty
to misdemeanor hit-and-run
charges, was sent to jail for 30
days and agreed to spend 30 days
in an alcohol rehabilitation pro
gram. A 1981 conviction for leav
ing the scene of an accident re
sulted in a six-month jail term.
Williams’ wife, Juanita Will
iams, died Aug. 23 of a form of
anemia at the age of 75. Their son,
Hosea Williams I, was 43 when he
died of a rare form of leukemia in
1998.
Williams is survived by his two
other sons and four daughters.
Stallions plan to use ‘fun’
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NEW ATTITUDE: Stallions owner Frank Lawrence (left) and
son Frank “Bud” Lawrence I (right) welcome Mike Hold as
the team’s new head coach. Photo by Timothy Cox
By Timothy Cox
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Ironically, a news conference for
the Augusta Stallions was held
across the street from the world’s
most popular golf venue — The
Augusta National Golf Course.
Perhaps the location was inten
tional, considering the team’s
marketing approach is being re
vamped.
For Stallions brain trust, last
season’s debut record of 14-4
should have resulted in filled seats
at the Augusta-Richmond County
Civic Center, major merchandise
sales and overall excitement
among local fans. It almost hap
pened. But thisis arena football —
not horse shoes where almost is
often good enough.
Callit cleaninghouseifyou want,
but, Stallions owner Frank
Lawrence is not playing around
this year. At the Nov. 16 meeting;-
Lawrence introduced two of his
new front office personnel that he
figures will help generate excite
ment around a team their second
yearin the Arena Football League
2 or AF2. “We plan to have fun,
fun, fun,” said Lawrence, also
owner of Bobby Jones Ford. New
management members are head
coach Mike Hold and general man
ager Darrell Harbin, a former ex
ecutive with the Nashville Kats of
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the Arena Football League (AFL).
Hold wasbackup quarterback with
the Houston Thunderßears for the
past three seasons and led South
Carolinatothe Gator Bowlin 1984.
AF2 is considered a mirior league
level of the AFL.
Inwhat’sbeen termed asa “busi
ness decision,” five front office
personnel from last season’s
squad, including former GM Scott
Skadan, were fired, according to
team sources. Harbin’s job is to
develop a more efficient “game
day” operation while maintaining
fan interest aside from the actual
game.
Although the AF2 season starts
in April, more personal appear
ances by players and cheerleaders
have already started. The team
also wants more visibility in the
black community and wants to
attract more African-American
fans. Of seven full-time front of
fice employees, two are black in
cluding BubbaDiggs whowaspro
moted from offensive line coach to
defensive coordinator and
Jonathan Mitchell, ticket man
ager.
Scheduled Stallions appearances
are Tuesday, Nov. 28 to celebrate
SRS’ 50t anniversary at Fort Dis
covery National Science Center at
Augusta’s Riverwalk, and a Dec. 3
appearance at Dillard’s National
Hills to promote the Ronald
McDonald House.