Newspaper Page Text
VOLUME 21 NUMBER 1044
- T T
Shane vA [ A
Mosle > = By, £ - e
_ { 4 e T
‘:"';q, }""”.- y 3 -
B o
.e o =
¢ e i gL :
% d P ',‘
T Vernon
o i 1
gl o T LGS
~ SER TS d b v
Walker calls for new leaders,
®® © ;
economic self-determination
e g
CET
%@9} L ——
L ; f ‘:"»’;!7 "fl“ e, ’ "‘:%E'? l %
Senator Charles W. Walker shares his vision for bold new leadership, economic initiative and
independent thinking with the audience atthe annual NAACP banquet on Monday. Photoby Shun Norris.
By Shun Norris
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
During the Augusta’s
chapter of the NAACP
banquet, the Honorable
Charles W. Walker, Sen
ate Majority Leader, gave
amoving speech that en
couraged African Ameri
cans to be happy with
life.
The 28" annual
NAACP Freedom Fund
Banquet was held on
January 21 at Trinity
Christian Methodist Epis
copal Church and com
Bush links plans for extra
education funding to MLK
WASHINGTON
(AP)President George
W.Bush announced plans
Saturday to devote an ex
tradlrs2billion tofederal
programs for special edu
cation students and the
nation’s poorest schools.
Such a commitment, he
said, is in keeping with
thephilosophiesofthelate
civil rights leader Martin
Luther King Jr.
Bush used his weekly
radio address to link the
federal holiday Monday
marking King’s birthday
to his efforts to improve
education, saying the “in
stitutionalized bigotry”
that King fought has van
quished, and itisnow time
to take on less tangible
struggles, such as ensur
ing equal education.
“QOur challenge is to
makesure that every child
has a fair chance to suc
ceed in life,” Bush said.
“That is why education is
thegreat civil rightsissue
Serving Metropolitan @Augusm, South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Areq
memorated Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr.
As keynote address
speaker, Senator Walker
not only spoke of Dr. King
and hislegacy but of what
African Americans must
do to move on creating
wealth, investing in edu
cation and fosteringinde
pendent leadership.
“Martin Luther King
taughtusearly that there
are certain principles we
should stand upon. He is
the reason we celebrate
his legacy tonight. It is
not so much of what he
did, but so much of what
of our time.
“Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. would accept no
less than an equal con
cern for every child in
America, and neither will
my administration,” Bush
said.
The president said he
planned to hold a cer
emony at the White House
on Monday to commemo
rate the holiday. Among
thosescheduled toattend
areKing’swidow, Coretta
Scott King, and one of her
twodaughters, the White
House said.
First lady Laura Bush
will go to Atlanta, King’s
hometown, Bushsaid. She
is scheduled to speak at a
service at King’s church,
Ebenezer Baptist.
Bush was to sign a holi
day proclamation that
praised King as “a mod
ern American hero whose
leadership rallied people
of all races to rise up
against injustice.”
N R ) 2003
Forrest,
Mosley
showdown
“See 1B
he taught, and he helped
lead us to where we are
today. But Martin Luther
King left one legacy un
touched. The challenges
that we face in this town,
on this day, trying to find
that happiness, that sat
isfaction that we all try to
accomplish,” he said.
Addressingan audience
of more than 300 in the
church’s Family Life Cen
ter, Senator Walker also
gave an informative rea
soning of why many Afri
can Americans are not
informed about the
economy and its many
Hankerson balances dual roles:
county commissioner and pastor
iBT S R Bttt AR
9 o b g
B B
pa: G T TS
b b e il
3 £ ; ’Q!Awu L
s'\ R \
e et .
. N\ ‘ i ‘4‘s’ ] o
. LN N
2 b ¥ r
The Rev. Bobby Hankerson, county commissioner. JCarter
benefits. He explained
that “psychological dev
astation of segregation, an
oppressive education sys
tem, which does not en
courage our economic ad
vancement, and our dis
torted view of money,
wealth, and power” are
the reasons the African-
American community is
paralyzed economically.
“Wemust take our quest
for economic freedominto
our own hands. If we are
to be successful not only
must we have money, but
See WALKER, page 3A
MR. 808 HENNEBEARCER
QECRGIA NEWSPAPER
UNWERSITY OF GA
KT:NS GA' 30602 5/2/31
e e e - | iy
A [ i e . e o U S - :*r e
gke Bar o\f R eß’ Y AR R
- L Ea T “‘ L S e s ('" U
ey S peo . ‘ {tfu ? = ,l\
Sl e '\\
;1 i e i ‘_ ;"“"% \\i‘“.‘ ‘
" e i
\ ’ 2 bt ;;:;e : J:’J s
MLK Day Parade is hetter than ever ~ Photos on P. 4
Bernice King featured
at MLK cclebration
[ Augusta State | P 75
. ; - TN
Bernice King was the featured speaker at the King Day celebration
sponsored by Paine College, The Medical College of Georgia and
Augusta State University. Photo by Shun Noris ;
By Shun Norris A ¢
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Speaking the encouraging words of
her father, Bernice King gave amoving
speech in remembrance of the Rev. Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. on January 18.
The program, held at Augusta State
University’s Grover C. Maxwell Per
forming Arts Theatre, and sponsored
by Paine College, the Medical College of
Georgia, and Augusta State Univer
sity, gavetribute to the slain leader and
his belief of eventual equality.
Attheageoffive, Bernice was exposed
tothe public eye when she was pictured
inaPulitzer prize-winning photograph
that showed her lying in her mother’s
lap during the funeral service for her
father.
During her speech King touched on
the subject of the younger generation’s
attitude about life and its hardships.
“This generation today, these young
people walk around like someone owes
them something. No one owes you any-
By Rhonda Jones
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
Unlike some of the men who have sat in the commission chamber
on Greene Street, you won’t catch new commissioner Bobby
Hankerson napping.
Not even when it’s time to.
Ataquarterafter fivein themorning, he’s already out of the house,
working out at the gym to start a day that won’t end until latein the
night. “I don’t require a lot of sleep,” he said. “I’ve been very active
basically all my life.”
For 31% years, the Augusta native worked as a physical therapy
technician for the state of Georgia. “I was bi-vocational from 1982
to 1996, with a full-time job and the church.”
You see, Commissioner Bobby Hankerson is also Pastor Bobby
Hankerson. For the past 11 years of the 20 he has been leading the
church, he has served at Hammond Grove Baßtist Church in North
Augusta. ' i
When asked what drew him to his vocation, he became incredu
lous, as if someone had asked him why he bothered to breathe. “To
pastoring? That’s a calling,” he said. “I was chosen by God to preach
the word.”
Not that he feels constrained to do his ministering only in the
church. When he worked at Gracewood State School and Hospital,
See HANKERSON, page 3A
RS
thing,” she said. “If it had not been for
The Movement, for people struggling
tohavetherightsthat you havetoday,
youwould notbesittingina classroom
in some of these college institutions of
higher learning.” :
Kingalsospokeofwhatit takestobe
a good leader, such as her father and
how to deal with life, its problems, and
people. She went on to say that when
her father needed that extra strength,
he called on God and reminded the
audience to “never forget God.”
Following the program in a brief
press conference, Kingcommented on
the events of September 11.
“It (9-11) suggests to me that we’ve
lost our way of being caring and gener
ous and sharing with one another. I
think 9-11 brought us together super
ficially. And it was temporary. I don’t
seethat today. I don’t see that coming
together,” she said.
Rev. King, the youngest daughter of
Dr: Kingand Coretta Scott King, is an
ordained minister, motivational
speaker, attorney, and author.
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
AUGUSTA GA
PERMIT NO 302