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(ity Region Moving past internal turmoil, SCLC announces new leader, vision By DANIELYEE Associated Press Writer ATLANTA (AP) - With oratory vigor and power remi niscent of co-founder Martin Luther King, Jr., the new presi dent of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference —the storied organization tied to some of the civil rights move ment’s greatest achievements — announced Nov 12, the group will raise money and work against injustice around the world. “The SCLC is moving for ward,” said Charles Steele Jr, the former Alabama state sena tor who left politics to help the SCLC and was appointed pres ident on Friday of the organiza- At 59, Georgian is pregnant with twins SYLVESTER, Ga. - A 59- year-old great-grandmother living in south Georgia is set to give birth to twins next month, which would steal some of the limelight, and a purported record, from a 56-year-old New York City woman who gave birth to twins this week. Frances Harris, of rural Sylvester, says she wasn’t trying to get pregnant. She didn’t even know she was carrying a child - let alone two - until she visited a doc tor in August while trying to figure out some unusual weight gain over the sum mer. “A lot of things changed about me,” said Mrs. Har ris, a homemaker whose twins are due Dec. 21. “I started craving grapes and apples, things I don't usual ly crave. By then I was four months’ pregnant.” When the doctor broke the news, “They had to sit me down. I couldn’t even talk,” Mrs. Harris said dur ing an interview Thursday 100 Black Men of Augusta gets ready for holiday tournament The 11th Annual 100 Black Men of Augusta Thanksgiving Basketball Classic will be held at Rich mond Academy on Novem ber 26 and 27. This year’s classic will feature 10 teams for a holiday weekend full of great basketball. Game time each day starts at 1:00 p-m. New teams this year are Hephzibah High and North Augusta High coached by Ist year Coach Al Young, formerly of Cross Creek High. Returning teams are T.W. Josey coached by Ist year coach Sammy Lilly, former ly of 2002 State Champions Silver Bluff in AA in South Carolina, Butler High State AAAA runner-up last year, tion that King helped found in 1957. “We've set together in a new direction, not only throughout this country but throughout the world.” Stecle pledged to pull the organization out of finandal problems by raising money through private and corporate donors. The SCLC, which helped put together the 1963 March on Washington and the “Bloody Sunday” march that led to the Voting Rights Act of 1965, owes $43,000 in state and federal taxes. The groups pool of dues-paying members has shrunk; membership has dwindled from tens of thou in her tidy mobile home, nestled between cotton fields, a pond and a high way. For this mother of five, grandmother of 14 and great-grandmother of six, the news of her pregnancy was even more shocking considering she had her tubes tied after the birth of her last child - 33 years ago. “They came untied,” she said matter-of-factly. Mrs. Harris had her first child when she was only 15 years old, which means 44 years will separate her oldest from her youngest. “At first 1 was a little upset. I was thinking I'm not the baby anymore, but it’s fine. I know I'm proba bly going to be the one who helps her care for them,” said Mrs. Harris’ youngest, Kendra Jackson, who works at a dry-cleaning business in Sylvester. The twins’ father, Ray mond Harris, is a 60-year old heavy equipment opera tor who was equally Glenn Hills, Cross Creek, Evans Richmond Academy, L.C. Laney and Edisto High from South Carolina. Players to watch this year are division one prospect and All-Area Dominic Archie from T.W. Josey, All Area and high scoring Tony Keller from Glenn Hills, Big man Auston Steed and Tyress Harris from Region AAAA State runner up But ler High and South Caroli na All-Area high scoring Justin Wheeler and big man Keanon Harmon from North Augusta. Additional classic features are Slam Dunk and 3pt. Competition among the players from the teams on Saturday morning starting AUGUSTA FOCUS & * N 7{ Charles Steele, Jr. sands of members to about 3,000. In addition, Steele said the SCLC will have offices in Italy, create conflict resolution cen ters around the world and has been asked by the Israeli gov ernment to help in Middle East peace talks. shocked to learn of the pregnancy. He was busy working and was unreach able Thursday, Nov 11. The couple divorced years ago but plan to get married before the twins are born, Mrs. Harris said. She plans to care for the twins herself, with the help of her chil dren and the babies’ father. The oldest American believed to have given birth to twins is Aleta St. James, a single mother who turns 57 on Friday. She gave birth Tuesday at New York’s Mount Sinai Medical Cen ter. “It all feels right. I feel like everything is in harmo ny. My babies are very calm and peaceful too,” Ms. St. James said from her hospi tal room Thursday, resting her infants on her chest as she sang and spoke softly to them. Ms. St. James, a motiva tional counselor from New York who helped her broth er Curtis Sliwa found the crime-fighting Guardian at 10:30 a.m. The half time of the Saturday’s games well feature local step groups such as the South Augusta Marching Unit (SAMU), Bell Terrence Marching Unit and others. Proceeds from the classic benefit the 100 Black Men of Augusta Mentoring Pro gram. Advance tickets sales may be purchased from par ticipating Schools. For additional informa tion contact James Quarles at (706) 736-5184 or Rod ney Patterson at (706) 724- 5994. hope to cultivate the interest of a new generation of civil rights activists through programs related to next years 40th anniversary of the historic civil rights march from Selma, Ala., to Montgomery, Ala. Board members announced the appointment of Steele, pre viously the groups executive vice president, after holding a dosed door vote Friday at an Atanta hotel, where board members were conduding a two-day retreat. Applause could be heard from the con ference room and board mem bers held hands, singing “We Shall Overcome” before adjourning their meeting, “We are very proud of the oy < R At L\; 5 ; ;‘? AR /T k. i B o - s A 2o N ~;zb : - % ——— 5 ¥ Frances Harrls Angels in the 19705, gave birth after in vitro fertiliza tion. The twins - a girl Top black college marching bands prepare to ‘take the house’in Atlanta From the first whistle, to .the show-stopping, spectacular grand finale, fans will be on their feet as the Honda Battle of the Bands rolls into Atlanta’s Georgia Dome January 29th. Now in its third year, the exhilarating show promises to dazzle as this year’s 10 Historically Black College and Uni versity (HBCU) march ing bands, nominated from a field of 40 partic ipating HBCUs, have been selected to perform at the Honda Battle of the Bands Invitational Showcase. Putting a well-deserved spotlight on a variety of HBCU marching styles, announcement of our new leadership,” said board member Bernard LaFayette Jr. “Its important to have a new vision and a new strategy.” The SCLC has been work ing to regroup and overcome the image that it is in internal and financial turmoil after its former president and co founder, the Rev. Fred Shut tlesworth, resigned on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Steele- said he thought the idea that the image of the SCLC has suffered in the wake of Shuttlesworth’s resig nation was ‘exaggerated.” “We are together,” Steele insisted. named Francesca and a boy named Gian - were born by Caesarean section. this year’s top 10 feature tremendously talented show bands, bands noted for their drumlines or brass sections and even a number of ensembles best known for their dance teams and live halftime surprises. As they take the field, these acclaimed black college bands will show case the rich diversity of African American musi cal heritage and culture with fresh routines, riv eting choreography and contemporary song selections ranging from the best in R&B, funk, Hip-Hop, classical and jazz something for fans of all ages. The colleges now set to “march on the November 18, 2004 “You have a family, don' you? You all have disagree ments. We love all civil rights leaders.” “The SCLC is not dead,” added the Rev. Raleigh Tram mel, who was c_lccted .the group’s board chairman. “We're not searching for a leader. We already have a leader.” Shuttlesworth had ques tioned whether the group’s current leadership can recover from entrenched financial strife and internal squabbling. That includes last year's resignation of the revious president, Martin Euther lé,ng 111, and this summer’s chaotic convention in which police had to be called to keep d‘g: peace. Secretary of State g:lns to extend y voting ATLANTA (AP) - The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office would like to extend the period of advance voting before the state’s next big election. Election officials would like to see the time for early voting extended beyond one week as it was before last week’s election, spokesman Chris Riggal said. Riggal said the office will propose extending the peri od of advance voting to two to three weeks before each election. The office also is expected to push the idea of weekend and eveping voting, Nearl‘/,‘l 78 percent of Georgia’s registered voters cast their ballots in the past election — setting a record. It would be up to individ ual counties to pay for the cost of extra voting machines and staff to man offices so people could vote early. Mecca” in the largest and only national scholarship program showcasing the pageantry, heritage and showmanship of black college bands are: - North Carolina Cen tral University and Vir ginia State University, representing the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA); -Bethune-Cookman College and Florida A&M University, repre senting the Mid- Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC); ~Clark-Atlanta Univer sity and Tuskegee Uni versity, representing the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Sec Bands, page 10A 3A