Newspaper Page Text
=
\IS..II.,\\\M, LEDFORD GANEWSPAPK
PROJ CHIPS DEPT, M AIN LIUGA
M VTHENS, GA 30602-164)
Serving Metro Augusta,
South Carolina and The CSRA
April 21- 27, 2005 Vol. 24, No. 1205
INSIDE
] ..
i
-l
Delicate line in Africa
In the search for a
new Pope, the Catholic
Church looked toward
Africa for a successor to
John Paul 11.
Page 2A
The Miseducation of Bladks
Strong educational
programs are needed to
Increase awareness
about AIDS in the
black community.
Page 2A
OPINION
Olabhora: 10 Years | ater
Dr. Watkins looks
back on the bombing
in Okalahoma City
and the feelings that
still linger.
Page 8§
Singers to perform
wirE Javacya an
Conservatory Russell
Joel Brown and
Wycliffe Gordon will
perform with the Con
servatory at First Provi
dence Baptist Church
in North Augusta.
Page 1B
Dr. Joseph E. Lowery
The Reverend Dr.
Lowery will speak at
Paine College’s Bac
calaureate service.
Page 4A
INDEX
ARTbeat ..........1B
8u5ine55..........6A
cm/m'ofll!l.‘!aA
Classifieds ......6B
Happenings ....2B
Living .ccovennnsnl4A
Nation/World ..2A
om“iunn-u”
”'m.lll.liil..ll'ln
Barrow and Democrats
rallies to keep social
security alive
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
Congressman John Bar
row (D-12) is keeping busy
with in Washington and
throughout the state, sup
porting social security.
Whiie President Bush is
planning to reform the pro
gram by putting social secu
rity funds into private
accounts. Barrow presented
his plan and success at a
meeting for the Richmond
County Democratic Party.
“Facts show that social
security 1s in such shape it
can pay 100 percent of ben
efits until 2042. The
Democrats have a plan to
fix social security.” he said.
And the plan that Barrow
and the rest of the Democ
rats have 1s to use ditferent
strategies that will be devel
oped to help people save tor
their retirement that will
complement what already
exist through social security.
Under this idea Conegress
t K. -as& i 4 con
o£| i =
o H g ]
i ; ?i ’. .' e ase |
o @ ; “ = e
Etadßidl T VRS WS " = !! !! ‘f“fll% G
SRR e bl e Rl 0
R)TS e . o
o A s,
P ! At EIEEE 1y W
T S ¥ood ) v ae &
P - &8 %fir 3
; £ e & :3‘“‘:&’554
. A G A, 87
& ‘fl.fi;;" W e
; ¥ b o szg’»fi»fi..--;." v 4
e.. ” % R’ .. ¥
T
Y’v .
T A -I.*
b r Yaq o
Photo by Jessica Baptiste
Spectators for “Take Back the Night” read the moving slogans
written on the t-shirts for the Clothesline Project which was one
of many activities for the event.
BET to end nightly newscast
By HAZEL TRICE EDNEY
NNPA Corrcsgondem
WASHING I ON
(NNPA) - Black Entertain
ment Television has axed its
only remaining public
affairs program, BET
Nightly News, landing
another blow to the nation’s
Black news and informa
tion sources.
“People had been hopeful
that there would be some
shred of information rele
vant to the Black communi
ty left on BET,” says Ron
Daniels, executive director
Subscribe to the Augusta Focus, Call (706) 722-4222, extension 225
v | :
U, -
A ,; “‘g f
A é ' . 48
e & g o
. v £
:a4 P¥ef Sl e
L S ; F ol
s G S
o : \';'* B va"‘r s,
T A
E ¥ B
' p 3 t L kAd 4 ¥ ‘ L
Photo by Jessica Baptiste
The Richmond County Democratic Party gave Congressman John
Barrow a plague for all his hard work and dedication in serving
the 12th congressional district, which he represents.
will pay back all the funds it
took out of the Social Secu
rity Trust. Barrow believes
that the tapping of Trust
funds is the reason why
social security is in crisis.
“Privatizing social security
of the New York-based
Center for Constitutional
Rights. “But clearly there is
more of an emphasis on
entertainment than educa
tion. This is a tragic loss and
not a very hopeful sign.”
BET President and Chief
Operating Officer Debra L.
Lee announced the pro
gramming change last
week, saying the network
will revert to hourly news
updates throughout the day
instead of one set program
in the evening,
“Strategically, this new
approach strengthens our
news product by respond
creates a crisis where none
exists,” he said, “After that it
can still pay out 80 percent
of benefits indefinitely.
That’s not ‘bankruptey” and
that's not a ‘crisis. That’s a
See Security, page 11A
Taking back the hope
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
A shirt bearing the words:
“The guy was my Mom’s new
husband, yeah, he raped me,”
was displayed among a variety
of shirts with similar slogans at
Augusta State University —the
setng for the ninth annual
“Take Back the Night”.
The April 14 event, spon
sored by Rape Crisis & Sexual
Assault Services and ASU cele
brated the triumphs and victo
ries of rape victims and raised
awareness of sexual crimes in
the community. Take Back the
Night is a nine year old event
that began as a student project,
but grew into more over the
years. Some of the activities
induded a dothesline project
where t-shirts carrying slogans
and messages about being a
sexual assault victim tell a brief
but haunting tale of the path to
recovery.
P‘lrre;fi,is Sayler, office manag
er for Rape Crisis & Sexual
ing directly to the changing
needs and preferences of
BET viewers,” says Lee in a
press statement. “When
combined with plans to
expand our news specials,
we'll have news program
ming that’s fast, flexible,
accessible and timely. There
are other news coverage
options at our disposal
which we're also consider
ing, including the possibili
ty of a weekend news maga
zine or analysis show.”
BET Founder and CEO
Robert L. Johnson, who has
undergone much criticism
after the cutting of other
www.augustafocus.com
TR T Pr T
B T 2 o it 4
%g; ‘73? g -~» Wi ggfl e
ik L aalats ) . f LV ’ % 5 g ED 4
Caes PLOPr e, et e B
e e ... i . ,’
S v ',,/ ol Wet ¥ o b
oeg W -
N\ o bw,. N g
b . S P i
5 N b / 4 *rf@:‘ .
_ \"»az"“#“ . ] g g e e
- SN ol - . . -% o
,_.E,w" % ” ’ “"‘«._ . .o 2/ 3 ,fl*
e - B 0. P i ]
i uele - e g o '3“‘“@:'\}‘ g% 24 g . >
Lo . S bTR T LT Ry s
T AT RSOy .gl
) W s ;;‘“ Wi »“ b o r 1 //
| S et o Sgo % ; i
W RS P , 4 g
| oL e \ : £
| g - S Lt g SR
i §h o it~ ’ ; 9 A o
¢ . 8 ot ‘ X
» eSS 5 s e
N . 4 :
B . :'s‘»‘ . My : B
Commission approves
judicial center
By JESSICA BAPTISTE
Augusta Focus Staff Writer
The Augusta-Richmond
County Commission set the
ground work in place when it
approved SBO million for a new
judicial center.
However, to coincde with
the center, Woody Merry the
chairman of the Citizen Action
Committee presented an idea
for a metroplex to be placed at
the old Regency Mall site.
Merry suggested that the pro
posed $95 million metroplex
be named the “James Brown
Metroplex” after the native
Augustan and national record
ing artist.
“We want to build it in the
heart of Augusta where every
business will have a shot at
procuring some dollars that will
be coming in. We are in a per
fect position to attract top
Assault Services assisted in the
dothesline project.
“Last year at Rape Crisis we
saw 325 vicums, so theres one
shirt for cach of those victims
and of course we had folks that
we able to make shirts for fam
ily members and for them
selves,” she explained.
Another project, “Walk in
My Shoes™ is another powerful
display that symbolizes walking
in the shoes of the victms.
Womens, mens and children’s
shoes were exhibited on the
steps of the Performing Arts
Theatre. Sayler thinks it is
important that people know
that everyone, not just women
are victims of sexual assault.
“325 new victims last year
and 112 of them were adults,
213 of them were children,
under the age of 18.” she
reports, “Our youngest vicim
last year was 20 months old
and the oldest was 89. We see a
wide range of ages.”
Sayler contr?fi:tes the high
statistic for children because
news-oriented program
ming, was quick to explain
the new program format.
“News and Public Affairs
have always been historical
ly important parts of the
BET lineup, and have
carned numerous awards
over the years. But it’s now
time to enhance our deliv
ery of that product in a way
that's more engaging,” he
said in a statement. “By no
means is this a lessening of
our news commitment, but
instead an improvement of
our overall news offering.”
What BET officials are call
ing a “new approach” is
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
AUGUSTA GA
PERMIT NO 302
FIFTY CENTS
notch entertainment.” he said.
Merry equated the building
to resemble the Bi-Lo Center in
Greenville, SC. He also con
tended that Richmond County
is lagging behind Columbia
County in producing a sports
arena.
“Let me tell you something
guys, they're dead serious about
doing this, and they've had 10-
12 committee meetings.
They've made five separate trips
to different cities looking at
lifestyle entertainment com
plexes.” he warned.
Most members of the com
mission appeared unfazed by
the venture and it failed 1o be
seconded when Commissioner
Andy Check put a motion on
the table to add it to the third
obligation bond on the June 21
SPLOST ballot.
See Judicial, page 11A
they are “easy prey” for their
abuser. She also thinks that
most women do not report the
assault because they know their
abuser as a boyfriend, friend or
even husband and men do not
report because of ridicule and
embarrassment.
“Sometimes they report
more often. We know only 14
percent of victims report, so
mostly women and men do
not report their sexual assault.”
Sayler said.
As a word of advice to those
who have been assaulted and
abused, Sayler urges them to
speak out and talk to someone
they trust.
“Women call us who were
abused 30 or 40 years ago and
are now having flashbacks. We
just want people to know that
there is a resource for them and
it doesnt matter if it happened
a week ago 10 years ago, there
is help out there for them.”
actually an old one that
BET used in the 1990.
BET viewers sce the new
format, set to start this
summer, as a continued dis
mantling of substantive
programs for black viewers
that started with the cutting
of Lead Story, BET Tonight’
and Teen Summit, all in late
2002. BET Nightly News
was the last major news
source to leave the station
since BET was purchased
by Viacom, one of the
largest global media
empires, in 2000,
However, Johnson and
See BET, page 11A