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January 1-7, 2004
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White Philadelphia
newspapers accused of
bias
Supporters of Philadel
phia Mayor John Street
say the city’s main stream
papers were biased in
their coverage of the FBI
probe into Street. Page
Georgia attempts to
fend off next round of
base closures
The state’s political
muscle and advance cam
paigning have spared it
from previous rounds of
military base closures.
Officials now brace for an
upcoming round of clo
sures. Page 3A
Home for the holidays
After two years of
preparation, an area fesi
dent moves into an ANIC
home just in time for the
holidays ~ much to the
delight of the nine kids he
mentors. Page 3A
R AA O R RSN SIR,
OPINION
Geogia Democrats miss
the tree for the forest
So focused on finding a
candidate with big bucks,
state Dems have ignored 2
viable bidder for the U.S.
Senate race and are failing
on the grassroots level in
the process. Page 8A
O A A N TSR R R AR
ARTBEAT
Prepare to pounce! v
Augusta theater goers
prepare to pounce as the
hit Broadway musical
CATS! opens next week
at Adantd’s Fox Theater.
Page 1B
R A AT SO AR e
MCG physician hon
oed . '
MCG’s Dr. Paul For
ney was honored' as
Georgia’s first McGahee
Professor. Page 4A
R S S A
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Vol. 23, No. 1139
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The events that shaped our lives
By THERESA MINOR
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
From the overthrow of an Iraqi regime to the ousting of
workers at Augustas youth detention center, 2003 leaves in
its wake events that have left an indelible impression on our
lives.
What follows is a list of news events that the Augusta Focus
believes are arguably this year’s most compelling — many
which will undoubtedly continue to play out in 2004.
Invasion of Iraq
Tens of thousands of American families have been held
spell bound by this conflict in the Middle East since its
inception in March. There have been hundreds of casualties
on both sides of the equation, among them, about a half
dozen soldiers from the CSRA.
Americans were split between those who favored the pre
emptive strike to those who backed a diplomatic solution.
The debate was peppered with war images from embedded
journalists. The year culminates with the capture of Iraqi
president Sadaam Hussein. In 2004 look for Hussein to
face trial on war crimes as the allies continue to work to
transition the Iraqi government back into the hands of the
Iragi people. :
YDC workers shut out, fired
Nearly 300 workers at Augusta’s youth detention center
found themselves suddenly jobless this year. The action was
the politically volatile move of the former commissioner for
the Georgia Department of Juvenile Justice, Orlando Mar
tinez. Martinez suspended YDC's entire staff and privatized
the detention center for boys. He cited a GBI investigation
into allegations of staff selling drugs and pornography to
juvenile offenders, among other things. Those charges,
which were initiated by some of the juvenile offenders, were
dismissed by the GBI for lack of evidence. Martinez
At 81, Shuttlesworth fighting yet another battle
ATLANTA (AP) — Few
have faced the kinds of
obstacles that civil rights
leader the Rev. Fred Shut
tlesworth has: He’s been
arrested by police for fight
ing for his rights. His home
has been bombed. He has
been beaten bloody by
angry racists armed with
whips and chains.
At 81, Shuttlesworth
faces a new challenge as he
takes over as interim presi
dent and CEO of the
Atlanta-based Southern
Christian Leadership Con
ference, the once vaunted
but now struggling civil
rights organization fighting
a battle to stay relevant.
“l can count on my
hands how many times I
have been in death’s jaws,”
Shuttlesworth, who now
lives in Cincinnati, told
The Atlanta Journal-Con
stitution for a Christmas
Day story. “I didn’t think I
would live to be 40 years
old.”
Shuttlesworth replaces
Martin Luther King 111,
son of the slain civil rights
leader, as head of the
SCLC.,
King, named to the top
SCLC job in 1997,
Subscribe to the Augusta Focus, Call (706) 722-4222, extension 225
resigned under fire a short time later. The action incurred
the wrath of local legislators who vow to resurrect the issue
during the 2004 General Assembly session. State Reps.
Henry Howard and Quincy Murphy of Augusta say they
will seek to have the workers reinstated.
Burk battles Augusta National
Objections to the men-only admissions policy at the
Augusta National Golf Club brought national attention to
this year’s Masters Golf Tournament. Martha Burk, chair of
the National Council of Women’s Organizations, staged a
protest on April 12 during the premiere golf event. She has
since sued Augusta-Richmond County over the county’s
protest ordinance. Under the power granted by the contro
versial ordinance, Sheriff Ronnie Strength restricted protest
ers to an area a half mile from the gates of the Augusta
National. Burk contends it restricted her right to free
speech. ; ;
If there is a favorable ruling in federal court and there are
still no women members of the Augusta National, Burk and
her group are expected to return to protest in 2004.
Strom Thurmond’s family secret ‘outed’
Staunch segregationist, Sen. Strom Thurmond of South
Carolina died this year without ever publicly acknowledging
that he fathered a bi-racial child out of wedlock when he was
22 years old. Seventy-eight year old Essie Mae Washington-
Williams stunned the nation when she came forward and
announced she was Thurmond's black daughter. Washing
ton-Williams stated she kept the family secret for so long
out of respect for Thurmond’s political career. Thurmond
reportedly took financial responsibility for Washington-
Williams throughout her life. Her mother was a 16-year old
housekeeper in the Thurmond household. Washington-
Williams may be turning her life story into a movie or book
deal in the upcoming year.
resigned last month to take
over as president of the
King Center for Nonvio
lent Social Change. In
2001, King survived an
attempt by the SCLC
board to oust him after
they accused him of not
being an aggressive and
vigilant leader.
Lack of aggressiveness is
not the conference’s only
problem. Shuttlesworth
takes the job at a time
when some observers have
argued that the SCLC has
become irrelevant.
By all accounts the orga
nization’s heyday was dur
www.augustafocus.com
See 2003, page 10A
ing the era of the civil
rights struggle. And in
recent years the group has
suffered from the changing
face of black politics and
economics, political
infighting and the rising
prominence of other black
civil rights organizations,
such as the Rev. Jesse Jack
son’s Chicago-based Rain
bow-PUSH Coalition.
Jackson’s Rainbow Coali
tion has made inroads even
into the SCLC’s own back
yard of Atlanta. Jackson
opened an office here and
has come to town to weigh
in on such local issues as
PRSRT STD
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stiffs
By THERESA MINOR
Augusta Focus Staff Wrier
Augusta Mayor Bob Young
is declining responsibility for
a $22,585 bill left over from
Skyfest 2002, an annual
Augusta air show. :
According to documents
obtained by the Augusta
Focus, the bill was the cost of
setting up the ‘mayor’s tent’
during the event. The sum is
not insignificant considering
Skyfest went into the red that
year and had to use more than
SIOO,OOO in contingency
funds to cover its debt,
according to Skyfest co-chair
man, Brad Kaiser. Young
maintains he is not responsi
ble for payment of the bill.
“I had no control over that
(bill). It was simply a hospital
ity venue that Skyfest put
together,” said Young,
However, the Augusta Focus
has learned that among the
guests invited to the mayor’s
tent were his political allies
who were given the red carpet
Sec Mayor, page 5A
Rev. Fred Shuttiesworth :
the city’s sewer crisis, trou-.
bles in Clayton County:
and helping Morris Brown*
College get back on its feet.
The Rev. Joseph Lowery,
another former SCLC
president considered by
See Battle, page SA