Newspaper Page Text
www.augustafocus.com
o esoovsnvecsconee
Miss UNCF
crowned at Paine
yv:., B ‘
; v M
. i a2~ 5
-4 /
B |
Q P
A
T A "h
A
Monique Limontas (left), a
sophomore early childhood
education major from Pow
der Springs, Georgia, was
crowned Miss UNCF by
Paine College President,
Dr. Shirley A.R. Lewis
(right), during the College’s
14th Annual Evening of
Jazz. Limontas raised more
than $6,000 for the Paine
College UNCF Campaign.
Photo courtesy of Korey London
U
F )7 '.
gt
1 t Vo ‘_ g
. -;A’;r
The Augusta Ballet
presents
£ 33
“Three Musketeers
The Augusta Ballet 03-04
season opens in October with
the swashbuckling antics of
“The Three Musketeers.”
Audiences will be thrilled with
dramatic swordplay, swooning
ladies, and magical merriment,
which come to life in the clas
sic tale by Alexander Dumas.
The adventures of I)’Artagnan
and his compatriates offer
tremendous fun for the whole
family..
Story and show times
on page 1B
] e e
A |
'__f;v
i 1
George Curry, former
EMERGE magazine
publisher, will deliver
a keynote address at
Springfield Baptist
Church. See page 4B
“ - .SN . q
GA NEWSPAPER/ ( HIPS DEPI
MAIN | IBRARY, UGA
ATHENS, GA 30602-
Serving Metropolitan Augusta, $ ah River Area
Residents pit prayer against drugs
and violence in inner city neighborhood
By Theresa Minor
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
A weekend of violence and blood
shed turned out to be the call to
action for residents in an inner city
Augusta community known as the
South Nelliville Neighborhood.
The group, armed only with Bibles
and prayers, held a vigil on a street
corner that has been the scene of
what the group believes to be esca-
Women of color
too “hootylicious”
for mainstream America?
By Haley A. Dunbar
AUGUSTA FOCUS Staff Writer
AUGUSTA
The bronze, pecan and mocha
colored faces of African and
Latino American women just
began to appear on the covers
and screens of American main
stream media in recent decades.
Certain “assets,” however, have
failed to show up with them,
leaving many to wonder
whether 36-24-36, uh 40, will
ever add up for mainstream
America.
In the August 2002 issue of
the men’s magazine Maxim,
photographs of R&B singer Bey
once were airbrushed to make
her hips, thighs and posterior
appear smaller. In a similar inci
dent, posters promoting Jen
nifer Lopez’s most recent movie,
Gigli, featured a scaled-down
version of the actress’ high pro
file backside. While reports are
sketchy as to whether or not
either of the superstars
expressed concerns about the
alterations, the general consen
sus among many Augusta-area
women of color is clearly against
such practices.
“It bothers me to think that
Hollywood can’t accept our
curves,” said 27-year-old Maria
Alonso, “because they’re as
much a part of us as our skin.
And the idea that photos are
being altered only means that
we haven’t really been accept
Area drug officials call for increased
drug and alcohol treatment services
AUGUSTA
Hope House, Inc. for
Women and Augusta
Steppingstones to Recov
ery are issuing a call for
more treatment services
and better coordination
of existing services.
The organizations are
two of only a handful of
treatment services avail
able in the CSRA for
recovering addicts. The
call to action comes as
the nation observes
National Alcohol and
Drug Addiction Recovery
Month.
“We urge the commu
nity to support efforts to
make substance abuse
treatment available to all
in need,” said Dr. Gerald
Carrier, executive direc
tor of Hope House, Inc.
“It is estimated that 76
percent of those in need
of treatment for a prob
lem with alcohol or illicit
lating drug activity and
the accompanying vio
lence.
“It’s become more
drug infested and violent
over the past few weeks.
QOur senior citizens are
afraid. These men are
disrespecting them.
They can’t even walk
down the street without
being harassed by them.
We're saying enough is
/ L
i < :
s 9 -
.. . ol
A Tl
i e P
e -
36-24-...uhh...407?
Photo by H. Dunbar
ed.”
Industry insiders say that it’s
not a matter of acceptance but
rather “doing what works best
for the photo in order to portray
the model as best as possible.”
But many women of color, hold
ing fast to the old adage beauty
is in the eye of the beholder,
argue that the definition of “as
best as possible” depends on
who’s looking.
“I've dated all types of men
and it’s been my experience that
black men appreciate a sister
drugs do not seek or
receive treatment. Mil
lions of people are in need
of treatment for both
substance abuse and
mental disorders, but too
often they are undiag
nosed, misdiagnosed, or
slip through the cracks
entirely, such as those in
our nation’s homeless
population, Over 70 per
cent of the people living
in our streets suffer from
mental illness and/or
substance abuse addic
tion.”
The disease of sub
stance abuse is treatable.
Medical experts compare
the disease and its treat
ment to health issues
such as hypertension and
diabetes.
“People live with these
diseases for life. You're
never cured but you can
be treated. It’s the same
with drug and alcohol
y gt L .-,r» » R gy 'g" 7=y
RN ! i L
70l 3 E
] &y P’ § k.
D"
e 1 4 *l.,'v‘--‘," .
RS e \&. LIRS - i
AT § e : s
i » X’\“’-}’ ® o
g f 1& (A el &
‘:'z}fix’ L o R
il |
8 -‘f%‘.t”fi-" % " » ; ,-";*‘,
% 5y o ! i i 1
Augusta men
weigh in on the
“back” issue
See 3A
R AL e A A R 858 85 B AT
with some ‘oomph’ while white
men look favorably on narrow
hips,” said Latrice Johnson, a
36-year-old African-American
woman. “So obviously in a white
male dominated environment
like the entertainment industry,
the idea of ‘beauty’ would be
decided on by white males,” she
said.
And while most can agree
with Johnson’s premise, prob
lems arise when the “rulers” of
the industry are not willing to
include other ideas of beauty in
their media outlets; particularly
when the outlets are largely sup
ported by the holders of those
other ideas.
“In a country as racially mixed
as America, it's crazy for there
to be one standard image of
beauty — especially an unrealis
tic image,” said Alonso. “The
blonde haired, blue eyed size six
considered by many to be all-
American is not even in the
same realm of my reality yet it’s
pushed in my face constantly.
And the sad part is that even the
average white woman doesn’t
live up to these images,” she
See BOOTYLICIOUS, 3A
addiction,” Carrier said.
“Drugs and alcohol abuse
and addiction have dev
astating health and socie
tal consequences. The
disease of chemical addic
tion causes tens of thou
sands of deaths each year
and, when left untreated,
takes an enormous toll
an estimated $294 billion
annuauy ”
President George W.
Bush and his administra
tion have proclaimed
September as National
Alcohol and Drug Addic
tion Recovery Month and
have taken steps to tear
ing down -the stigma
attached to chemical
addiction, especially for
women, so that more
people will seek treat
ment,
During September,
communities nationwide
join together to help peo
ple recognize that sub
stance abuse is a treat
able disease, and that
treatment is as effective
as it is for other chronic
medical conditions, such
as diabetes and high
blood pressure.
Hope House, Inc. for
Women and Augusta
Steppingstones to Recov
ery join together to spon
sor a Substance Abuse
Education Assessment
Screening Workshop for
people in Augusta who
feel they may have a
problem with drugs or
alcohol or have a friend
or family member that
may need support. The
workshop is free to the
community and will be
held September 29 - 30,
from 2-6 pm. at 1701
Wrightsboro Road. For
further information
please call 7379879 or
733-1935.
PRSRT P‘T‘D
US POSTAGE
PAID
AT
d
David Simpkins talks to a neigh
bor about the escalating drugs
and violence in their community.
The two were among a group
who staged a prayer vigil to
draw attention to their concemns.
Photo by Theresa Minor
enough. They (drug dealers) have
got to get out of this
community,”said Rev. Marvin
Mcßae, pastor of Mt. Vernon Baptist
See PRAYER, page 3A
r A
A A
o
; A ,
’ ¢ g 2 .
’ Py v
= :*’ P
"v A" : &3 ; .2% #_& ~ A
'Y
ARTS DANCE
These ladies were performing a
folk dance as part of the perform
ances by the Chinese groups which
were featured in the recent 2003
Arts in the Heart of Augusta Festi
val that ran Sept. 19-21. The three
local Chinese organizations also
provided several hours of various
entertainment ranging from
dances to music to martial arts
demonstrations. ltems sold includ
ed Chinese beer (Tsingtao beer for
$3), fortune birds ($1 for one, $3
for a bunch), art works, artistic
zodiac cuttings and the most popu
lar item: food. Photo by Lillian Wan
Panel questions
No Child Left
Behind law
COLUMBIA, S.C.
(AP) A panel of Midlands and state
educators and lawmakers is questioning
the federal No Child Left Behind law.
The law set new requirements to
measure student performance and rais
es accountability levels for schools that
fail to meet the standards. Under the
law, a student can transfer from a school
that fails to make annual progress to a
school that does.
“This is a one-size-fits-all piece of leg
islation passed by the Congress, and it
doesn’t fit South Carolina,” state Educa
tion superintendent Inez Tenenbaum
told a group of about 100 people Sunday
at a church here.
Tenenbaum and six other panelists
were guests at the Columbia Branch of
the NAACP’s education committee town
hall meeting.
Members of the panel said they sup
port the concept of measuring perform
ance and requiring accountability, but
question the practicality of the law.
“Your children are more than any one
test, or two tests or three tests,” Rich
land District 1 Superintendent Ronald
Epps said.
Many on the panel complain that stan
dardized tests are too often looked to as
the sole measure of performance.
“All students don’t learn at the same
rate,” said Jan McCarthy, president of
the South Carolina Education Associa
tion.