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VOLUME 21 NUMBER 1048
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Welterweight boxing champion Vernon Forrest has not spoken to the press
since his stunning defeat of Shane Mosely recently. The Augustan has never
appeared in print, in depth, in the Augusta market. In this exclusive
interview, the champ let’s down his guard and reveals a young man who
has just begun to make things happen. Interview by Jimmy Carter.
On the power behind his success:
I just had a premoni
tion when I was in
Barcelona. It was just
like words were spoke to
me. Thewords were that
‘'m not finished with
you; I have something
bigger and better for you
On Augusta:
I'am so truly grateful
that my city and city
officials are prepared to
honor me with the ulti
mate honor of givingme
aparade, but I feel like I
already had deserved
that honor; I just don’t
understand what took
them solong for them to
give it to me.
I truly believe that I
should have been hon
Vernon Forrestreturns home
on top of the boxing world
BCity welcomes WBC world welter
weight champion Vernon Forrest
The City of Augusta,
Budweiser and Clear
Channel stations
WPRW Power 107 and
WKSP Kiss 96 will
honor WBC world wel
terweight champion
Vernon Forrest with a
parade, reception, proc
lamation and key to the
city on Saturday, March
2,2002. Vernon will be
taking part in a full day
of activities.
He will host a special
on Power Hitz, the
highly rated video show
on WJBF
NewsCHANNEL 6
hosted by local radio per
sonalities Minnesota
Fattz and Cher Best.
Next, Vernon will do an
innercity meet and greet
Serving Metropolitan guugusm, South Carolina and the Central Savannah River Area
and so don’t get too down
because what I got
planned for you is some
thing bigger and much
greater than you can ever
imagine.” That was God
speaking to me.
Ibelieved what God told
ored a long time ago.
It seems to me that I'm
only being honored in
Augusta because Atlanta
is claiming me as their
own and wasgettingready
togivemethesamehonor.
On winning his first of two world titles:
Winning that worldtitle
has validated my career. I
had a lot of disappoint
with kids at the May Park
Community Center from
2 to 3 p.m. » !
Fort Gordon will host
an afternoon military sa
lute to the champ where
Vernon will meet with
armed service men and
women, J
A Vernon Forrest
Homecoming Parade was
originally scheJuled to
run through the neigh
borhood wher¢ Vernon
grew up, {between
Crawford Avenue and
Milledge Roagl. Due to
the number of parade en
tries well before the dead
line, officials for the event
have moved the route to
Broad St. “This is a big
event, and people are so
excited, it’s gotten so big
SR ) ZA\li7]
me and that was that he
had somethingbigger and
better planned for me. -
I believe in a higher
power. I made a promise
to God a long time ago
that I wouldn’t drink,
It’s almost like a race.
Atlanta treats me more
like a native than Au
gustans do. I think over
thelast 10 yearsl’vebeen
the most successful ath
lete that ever came out of
ments in my career.
I don’t care what the
world thinks about
CONTINUED ON PAGE THREE
that we had to move it to
Broad St. toaccommodate
the number of entries,”
said Robert Howard, pa
rade coordinator.
After Vernondineswith
the mayor and New York
firefighters at the Au
gusta Museum of History,
he will head back to the
Julian Smith Casino
wherea VIP reception will
host dignitaries, sports
figures, national record
ing artists and area me
dia. Mayor Bob Young
and members of the Au
gusta-Richmond County
Commission will present
Vernon with a proclama
tion and key to the city.
Some of the celebrities
expected to attend in
clude boxer Evander
Holyfield, Deon Grant of
the Carolina Panthers,
national recording art
ists Jermaine Dupri,
smoke or do drugs and
the promise was that if I
didn’tdothose thingshe
would make me success
fulin boxing. And I kept
my promise and he kept
his promise.
Augusta. If I'm doing so
well and have become a
rolemodel for thekidsin
thearea, then you would
think the city would
show more appreciation
than they do.
Vernon Forest. When I
won that title, that vali
dated my success.
Senator Charles W.
Walker (D-22), city gov
ernment officials from
throughout 15 counties
and others.
Ticketsare available
for the reception at
both Pyramid Music lo
cations, JR’s Conve
nience Store, Home
Folks in the Southgate
Shopping Center and at
the Julian Smith Ca
sino and will go on sale
beginning at poon on
March 2.
From midnight on,
Vernon’s VIP Jam will
be held at the Touch of
Class Lounge on Dam
ascus Road.
Personsinterested in
participatingin the pa
rade may call the
Mayor’s office at (706)
821-1831. Deadline for
entriesis 5 p.m. Thurs
day, February 28.
Walker to UGA students:
, o
Leadership has
® oge , o '
responsibilities
“Using the challenges of opportunity and responsibility
to become dynamic”: A Black History Month lecture at
the University of Georgia, Tuesday, Feb. 19.
By Charles W. Walker
Senate Majority Leader
ATHENS
Not only do you have a
wonderful educational op
portunity, but you also
have an awesome respon
sibility.
How you leverage this
opportunity, how you
handléadversity and chal
lenges, your behavior in
and out of the classroom,
andyour performance will
serve as examples to oth
ers who follow you.
You are here in Athens
— not because of Affirma
tive Action — but because
youhavedemonstrated the
ability to get the job done.
Your stats are impres
sive. The average SAT
score for freshmen, who
enrolledin the fall of 2000,
is 1,200. The average in
coming freshman boastsa
high school grade point
average of 3.64. And 95
percent of the incoming
freshmenstudentshereare
beneficiaries of Georgia’s
Hope Scholarship.
More historic firsts in Salt Lake City
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United States four-man bobsled team members wear silver medals at
the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics awards celebration in downtown Salt
Lake City, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2002. From left: Bill Schuffenhaver, Garrett
Hines, Todd Hays and Randy Jones. AP Photo/Peter Dejong
EEOC settles race bias suit
involving local company
AUGUSTA
The U.S. Equal Employment Oppor
tunity Commission announced a
$200,000 voluntary settlement of a
racial harassment lawsuit under title
VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
against Augusta Fiber Glass Coatings,
Inc. and its primary shareholder.
EEOC'’s suit alleged that a class of
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en. CharlesW. Walker
Everything about you
points to success. You are
ahead of the pack and are
in a position to maintain
that lead. Do not lose
ground.
There should be no illu
sions about why you are
here. You are here be
cause you deserve to be
here. You have proven
that you are deserving of
this unique opportunity.
Youhaveauniquerespon
sibility toensurethatyour
markisindelible—amark
African-American employees were
subjected to a racially hostile work
environment that included physical
and verbal harassment by white co
workers, supervisors, and plant man
agers at the company’s facility in
Blackville, SC. The company denied
the complaint.
— From Staff Reports
B
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE PAID
AUGUSTA GA
PERMIT NO 302
that is not easily erased.
I challenge you to learn
from history’s examples of
African Americans who
were born in handcuffs,
but broke one hand free in
order to become dynamic
and achieve greatness.
More importantly, they
built the foundation on
which you now stand ... to
allow you to be born with
both hands free.
Phenomenalleaderslike:
- Nelson Mandela, who
after 27 years of imprison
ment, emerged from the
darkness of his prison cell
to become South Africa’s
President and an interna
tional symbol of unrelent
ing courage and pride. He
understood that the future
greatness of South Africa
was predicated on the abil
ity of its people to achieve
greatness — regardless of
race, creed and national
ity.
-Ken Chenault, the “cor
poratetitan” with the abil-
See SENATOR, page 3A