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Spike Lee says more hlacks needed behind the camera
By LOUISE CHU
Associated Press Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -
Black representation is
stronger than ever on
screens, big and small,
but the true power in
entertainment lies
behind the camera, film
maker Spike Lee said
Tuesday, Feb.l.
“We have to get
gatekeeper positions,”
he said. “We have to get
those dual law and MBA
degrees and work up the
corporate ladder because
everybody can’t be an
actor, everybody can't
make a record.”
Joining a discussion
panel at his alma mater,
Morehouse College, Lee
Preacher convicted of
defrauding hundreds
of black churches
ROME, Ga. (AP) - A
preacher convicted of defraud
ing hundreds of small, black
churches out of nearly $9 mil
lion faces sentencing April 15.
A tederal jury in Rome found
Abraham Kennard guilty Mon
day, Jan. 31 on 116 counts,
ranging from mail fraud to tax
evasion. Prosecutors said he ran
a pyramid scheme largely
meant to take advantage of a
network of black preachers.
“This was a disturbing crimi
nal scheme that preyed on
trusting members of the faith
community,” U.S. Artorney
David E. Nahmias said.
Kennard, 46, of Wildwood,
which is near the Georgia-Ten
nessee border, maintained he
never intended to defraud any
one but was trying to help the
churches.
Prosecutors said Kennard
claimed his company, Network
International Investment
Corp., was developing Christ
ian resorts around the country.
He told preachers that for a fee
of a few thousand dollars, their
churches could be “members”
of his company. In return, he
Tom Sawyer Company pairs with renowned artist to beat heart disease
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National Centers for
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tion and Health Promo
led a retrospective of his
films and shared his
thoughts on the chal
lenges facing blacks in
the entertainment indus
try today.
Acting is not where the
power is, Lee said. “Even
Denzel (Washington),
he’s getting S2O million
a movie. But when it
comes time to do a
movie, he has to go to
one of those gatekeep
ers.”’
Lee also told aspiring
young filmmakers in the
audience not to ignore
nontraditional routes to
getting a film made,
including raising funds
independently and
releasing movies straight
to DVD.
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Abraham Kennard
promised that in time the
churches would get a grant or a
forgivable loan of up to
$500,000.
The scheme spread as the
trusting ministers told their
friends, relatives and fellow pas
tors, prosecutors said. Overall,
1,600 churches in 41 states
were affected.
Kennard could receive
around 30 years in prison for
the crimes, according to est
mates from the U.S. Attorney’s
tion found that 24,029
women in South Caroli
na, older than 35 years,
died from diseases of the
heart from 1991 through
1995. Tom Sawyer
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That's why Tom
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317x42” 100 percent silk
scarf featuring “Bessie
Mae”, the full bodied
beauty of a jazz singer
dressed in red. “Bessie
Mae” is the subject of
Green’s world famous
picture that captures the
spirit and soul of his
southern roots. Tom
Sawyer Company will
pledge portions of the
proceeds to the Ameri
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Go Red for Women cam
paign, a national effort
AUGUSTA FOCUS
“It’s a huge market. It’s
not something that
should be looked upon
as a stepchild,” Lee said
of the DVD industry.
Also on the panel with
Lee was Beverly Sheftall,
director of the Women’s
Research and Resource
Center at Spelman Col
lege, and Herbert
Eichelberger, associate
professor of film at
Clark Atlanta University.
Tuesday’s event coin
cided with the DVD
release of Lee’s latest
film She Hate Me, as
well as the release of a
special collector’s edi
tion DVD of his 1988
comedy School Daze,
which was based on life
at Atlanta’s historically
Ofhice.
Kennard’s brother, Laboyce,
was also found guilty Monday
of conspiracy to commit
money laundering. Prosecutors
said he aoccptcj more than
$360,000 from his brother.
Laboyce Kennard's attorney,
Giles Jones, said his dient was
only trying to start his own
business and had no knowledge
of his brothers church enter
prise.
The Kennards cousin, Jannie
Trammel, and stepbrother,
Alvin Jasper, also were indicted
but pleacfii guilty and testified
at the tnal.
They also will be sentenced
April 15.
Lawyer R. Scott Cunning
ham, 52, of Dalton is cha:Eed
with money laundering, but
will be tried later.
After the verdict, Kennard
agreed to forfeit the assets seized
by the government, induding
his residence and business
headquarters, $600,000 in cash
and 18 vehidles.
His lawyer, Michael Trost of
Atlanta, said Kennard “remains
guardedly optimistic.”
organized by women to
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black colleges.
The provocative direc
tor, who's also responsi
ble for Jungle Fever, Mal
colm X, Do The Right
Thing and Bamboozled,
said he’s currently work
ing on a sequel to School
Daze as an update to
issues facing black col
lege students almost two
decades later.
In the sequel, Lee said
he hoped to examine
gangsta rap’s negative
impact on black culture,
adding that he was
inspired by Spelman stu
dents’ recent stand
against Nelly’s Tip Drill
video.
The rapper angered
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students of the nation’s
most famous black
women’s college when he
appeared in a video
showing an image of him
swiping a credit card
through a woman’s back
side. Many gathered last
April to protest Nelly’s
appearance at an Atlanta
charity event, prompting
him to cancel.
“I really like hip-hop,
but this gangsta rap stuff
has really gotten ridicu
lous,” he said.
Artists should be free
to express themselves,
but consumers also must
have their voice heard,
Lee added. “Far too
often, the black con
February 10, 2005
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Spike Lee
sumer lets African Amer
ican artists do whatever
they want, and they buy
their records and go to
their movies without any
repercussions.”
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