Newspaper Page Text
12A
June 23, 2005
GABEO: A salute to the family of Dr. King’s
Continued from page 1A
Honorable Stan Watson,
Chair, Georgia Legislative
Black Caucus The Honorable
Julan Bond, Chatrman of the
Board, NAACP The Honor
able Mare H. Mortal, President
& CEO, National Urban
League
"The Honorable Chiet Justice
Leah Ward Sears, Supreme
Court of Georgia
I'he Honorable John H.
Ruthin, Jr., Chiet Presiding
Judge. Georgia Court of
\ppeals The Honorable Shirley
Franklin, Mayor ot Atlanta
I'he Honorable Flovd Gnt
fin, Mavor Lty aof
Milledgeville, President , Geor
gl Conterence of Black May-
ON.
l’lv.l\&' see the (UmplC(L‘
updated conference agenda
i\'l()\\.
Agenda
Fhursday, June 23, 3:00 p.m.
Opening News Conference
l'he Ralph Mark Gilbert
Cmil Rights Museum 460
Marun Luther King Jr. Boule
vard, (912) 231-8900.
Friday, June 24 at 12:00
noon | uncheon (Private)
Host: Mr. Roy Jackson,
Charrman. Georgla Associa
uon of Black State Universities
CGARSED:
Spectal Presentation: Mr. Bill
Eight: ‘Apologies are important in the healing of nation’
Continued from page 2A
Senators supported the anti
lvnching resolution.
Senate Majority Leader Lon
has not signed on after resign
ing trom the leadership posi
ton three vears ago after boast
ing about his support of the
1948 segregationist presidental
plattorm of the late Sen. Strom
Thurmond of South Carolina.
In an cttort to shore up rapidly
dechining poliucal standing,
Lott agreed to be interviewed
by bd Gordon on Black Enter
rainment lelevision. He wold
Gordon at the ume, “The
important thing s to recognize
the hurt that | caused and ask
tor torgiveness and find a way
to turn this into a positive
thing, and try to make amends
for what I've said and for what
others have said and done over
the vears. I'm looking forward
to this to be an opportunity for
redemption, but to do some
thing abour It.”
.'\pp‘lr'\'m]}'. that didn't
incude apologizing for the
Senates fallure to enact anti
lvnching leggslation.
“He said he was going to
make up with the black com
munity. He said we're going to
be proud ot him. And then, the
one opportunity that could
have made a very positive state
ment, he cuts and runs,” says
HIV: Student refuse to believe they are at risk and relate to how society markets HIV
Continued from page 3A
tion told the meeting that
trom 1994 to 1998 HIV
diagnosis among young
men overall declined by 30
percent. But that improve
ment was offset by a 41 per
cent increase from 1999 to
2003. The CDC said the
Increase among young men
was driven by a 47 percent
rise in diagnoses among
homosexual and bisexual
men ages 20 to 24, 60 per
cent of whom were black.
In contrast, in the same 10-
year period infections
among women and girls
Cannon, Georgla Association
of Black Contractors The
Savannah Ballroom (Student
Center), Savannah State Uni
versity 2:00 p.m. Georgia Asso
clation of BEck State Universi
ties/ GABEO Leadership Con
terence Jordan School of Busi
ness, Savannah State University,
Tomkins Road and College
Street 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Open
ing Save the Voting Rights Act
Reception (Open to the Public)
Host: GABSU, Roy L. Jack
son, Chair,
The Ralph Mark Gilbert
Civil Rights Museum,
400 Martin Luther King Jr.
Boulevard (912) 231-8900
7:30 p.m. Happy Hour *
514 West Restaurant & Visit
the Disapora Market Place
(MLK Boulevard)
Saturday, June 25
Jordan School of Business
7:00 am. Continental Prayer
Breakfast (Free and Open to
the Public)
Host: The Reverend
Clarence Williams 8:00 a.m.
Registration 9:00 a.m. Plenary
Session (Free and Open to the
Public)
(an We Save the Voung
Rights Act and Stop Georgia’s
Photo 1D Legislation from
Becoming Law?
Convener: The Reverend
James Orange, GABEO
Ambassador to the Republic of
South Afnica Reports and Pre
U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson,
a black Democrat from Missis
sippt. “This wall continue to be
a spot on the state of Mississip
pr.” Lot retused to return
repeated telephone calls to his
ofhce for comment.
Thad Cochran, the other
Mississippi senator, was
adamant.
‘I don' feel I should apolo
gize tor the passage of or the
failure to pass any legislaton by
the UL S. Senate. But I deplore
and regret that lynching
occurred and that those who
committed them were not
punished,” Cochran said
through his spokeswoman,
Jenny Manley.
Senate Resolution 39 1s mild
by most standards. It does not
apologize for the lynchings,
only for the 200 times anti
lynching bills were proposed in
the Senate duning the first half
of the 20th century —~ including
three passed by the House -
and never approved. Nor does
it authorize payments to any of
the victims.
Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah), a
tormer chair of the Senate Judi
cary Committee and one of
the most outspoken propo
nents for Right-wing judicial
nominations, claimed through
a spokesman that his initial fail
ure to sign the resolution was
an oversight. He signed it with
in hours after receiving a tele
aged 13 to 24 dropped by
20 percent. The data
includes information from
only the 25 states that used
a method approved by the
CDC to track HIV during
the study period.
Twenty-year-old ~ More
house finance major H.
Rick Jordan says he's HIV
savvy. He’s heard about
HlV’s impact on gay and
bisexual men and is aware
that he can acquire the virus
by having sex with women.
“It dont take but one to
spread it,” the confident
Jordan warns. Still, he does
sentations:
Attorney Laughlin McDon
ald, Regional Director, ACLU,
Mt. Dan Levitas, ACLU.
M:s. Helen Butler, Coordina
tor, Georgla Coalition for the
People’s Agenda Rep. Stan
Watson, Chair, Georgia Leg
islaave Black Caucus, Civil Jus
tice Summer Tour Senator
Regina Thomas, Georgia Leg
islative Black Caucus Civil Jus
uce Summer Tour 10:00 a.m.
Minister Louis Farrakhan, Mil
lion Man March 10th Anniver
sary Commemoration (For
Security Reasons Please be
Seated by 9 am.) 12:30 p.m.
Save the Voting Rights Act
Luncheon (Must be Registered
and Have Ticket)
Presiding: The Honorable
Dr. Ous Johnson, Mayor of
Savannah
A Sahre © the Family of Dr
Maun Lither King, J&" Mn
Corata Saot King and Children
Inroducons by: The Honorable
Ambassador Andrew Young
The Savannah Ballroom (Stu
dent Center)
Challenge: Dr. Joseph E.
Lowery, Pres. Ementus SCLC,
Chair, Georgla Coalition for
the People’s Agenda 6:00 p.m.
Begin Boarding for the "Save
the Voting Rights Act Dinner
Cruise” Savannah River Boat
-phone inquiry from the
NNPA News Service.
The resolution was intro
duced on Feb. 8. Senate staffers
from both ofhices walked the
bill to each of the 100 Senate
offices, soliciting signatures. A
week before the vote, the reso
lution was posted in the Senate
cloakroom, a gathering place
where members daily discuss
chamber business.
The 13 non-signers, all
Republicans, routinely receive
ks each year on the NAACP
Civil Rights Report Card.
Ironically, Hutchinson holds an
annual “African-American
Leadership Summit™ on Capi
tol Hill. Like Lotts, her office
didnt retum repeated phone
calls.
U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
(ID-Texas) says it was coura
geous for Landrieu and Allen to
acknowledge what she called “a
history of darkness that
occurred in the United States.
"The resolution of apology shed
light on this tragic era”
She explains, “1 take issue with
anyone who makes light of or
diminishes the impact of this
apology. I am disappointed that
the Senate did not see fit for all
100 senators to join in this
momentous and historic occa
sion.”
Rev. Robert Shanklin, presi
dent of the Alabama State
Conference of the NAACP,
n't always use a condom. “I
can count how many people
I've had sex with on my
hands,” he explains, “and 1
used condoms with all of
them — except one.”
Terrance Brown similarly
sees the importance of using
protection, but unlike Jor
dan he says he uses con
doms 100 percent of the
time. But he also illustrates
the tension between percep
tion and reality that Payne’s
study suggests.
Brown said he believes he
can tell whether his partners
are positive. “I know you
AUGUSTA FOCUS
Company, 9 East River Street
(Downtown Savannah behind
the Hyatwr) (912) 232-6404
Note: We board at 6 p.m.
Departure is at 7:00 p.m.
SHARP. Return time is 9:00
p-m. (Must be Registered and
Have Ticket) Host Coordina
tor: Mr. Emie Jones, Tanner
and Associates, GABEO Busi
ness Coordinator 9:30 p.m.-
Unul Entertainment *
Kenny's, Comner of Victory
Drive and Bee Road
Sunday, June 26 at 11:00
a.m. GABEO Save the Voting
Rights Act Worship Service
The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson,
Founder, Rainbow/PUSH
Coalition, Guest Preacher
Connor's Temple Bapist
Church, The Reverend Bennie
R. Mitchell, Pastor, (Martn
Luther King, Jr. Blvd. at corner
of W. Gwinnett Street) 912-
232-8291 2:00 p.m. Lun
cheon (Clergy and Elected
Officials Only) Con-Ed
Family Resource Center
(Across the street from
Connors Temple)
Host: The Reverend Ben
nie Mitchell Words of
Inspiration: The Reverend
Jesse L. Jackson.
For More Information
visit, www.gabeo.org or call
404-656-6372 or 404-372-
1894.
says he did not expect Alaba
mas Shelby to sign the resolu
ton.
“Shelby doesnt support civil
rights. So Its not surprising to
me that he didn't sign on. But it
was a litde surprising that he
wouldnt have tollowed since so
many of them did sign on.
That was the least he could
do,” Shanklin says. “It would
be almost impossible to deter
mine the extent of the damage
that was done [by the lynch
ings]. So to decide to apologize
wouldnt have taken a big per
son.”
Shanklin says he will raise the
issue again during the NAACP
annual state conference in
October and come election
ume next year. “This goes to
show we have a long way to go
yet. And as we look at our
elected politicians, we need to
examine them and them reex
amine them. We cant endorse
anyone, but we certainly can
address issues.”
In addition to the 12 senators
that refused to sign the anti
lynching resolution and the
cight that signed after the fact,
18 others jumped on the band
wagon cither the day of or
evening of the voting, after it
had become dear that the reso
lution enjoyed widespread sup
port. They were: Max Caucus
(D-Mt.), Christopher Bond
(R-Mo.), Jim Bunning (R-
cant tell from facial fea
tures,” he offers, “but you
can tell by the way they
act.” Asked if he ever asks
his sexual partners about
their HIV status, Brown
says, “If I do, it’ll be jok
ingly!”
Tuskegee University stu
dent Tiffiani Watson, 20,
says that's not good
enough. “Me and my part
ner always talk about sexu
ally transmitted diseases.
We never go straight into it
and we're always open
about it,” she brags. “I
knew somebody with an
STD and I'm a lot more
Bridez 19 minutes sl oing
Continued from page 3A
feared. She instead fled to Las
Vegas and then Albuquerque,
Nfi‘ where she called home
three days later, saying she had
been abducted andg sexually
assaulted. After authorities
questioned her story, she quick
ly recanted and said she left
because of unspecified personal
problems. She pleaded no con
test June 2 to making false
statements and her sentence
induded two years of proba
tion and 120 hours of commu
nity service.
?’)thcr than releasing a writ
ten statement the week after
she reappeared, Wilbanks has
;woidc(r the media up unul
now. Her first interview will air
Tuesday, June 14 on NBC.
“I was very ashamed. And
felt so guilty for the people |
have hun.”%‘fdb;mks saif ina
sound bite from the interview
that aired Friday, June 17 on
NBCY Today show.
“But at the same time, it’s the
best mistake | ever made ... it
allowed me to realize that I des
perately needed help.”
Like Wilbanks, Smith has
also remained relatively mum
since her ordeal with ?\’idl()h.
Experts say the womens han
dlers intentionally clamped
down on releasing more infor
mation to maximize the inter
est in books or movies about
them, said Beer, who does not
have any tes to either project.
“It’s a public strip tease _ you
Kentucky), Conrad Burns (R-
Mt), Lincoln Chafee (R-RI),
Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.),
Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Eliz
abeth Dole (R-N.C.), James
Inhofe (R-Okl.), Johnny Isak
son (R-Ga.), Mel Martinez (R-
Ha.), Mitch McConnell (R-
Kentucky), Pat Roberts (R-
Kan.), John D. Rockefeller IV
(D-W.Va.), Jeff Sessions (R-
Ala.). John Thune (R-S.D.),
John Warner (R-Va.) and Ron
Wyden (D-Oregon)..
Allen and Landrieu say the
apology was inspired by the
publication of a book that dis
plays graphic photographs of
lynchings. The book, “ Without
Sanctuary: Lynching Photogra
phy i Amenca,” is by Hilton
Als; Jon Lewis; leon F
Litwack, and edited by James
Allen.
Apologies are important in
the healing of a nation, says
Abraham Foxman, national
director of the Anti-Defama
tion League. He reflected on
the apology from German
President Johannes Rau five
years ago for the Holocaust
during which six million Jews
were killed.
“The question is, ‘How
much does it impact on the
survivors, on those who are the
children of the victims?” The
pain and the loss is there?” Fox
man explains. “It humanizes it
a littde bit. It takes out the lone
cautious now.”
Payne says that all it takes
to get the ball rolling on
prevention is just that sort
of communication, adding,
“Not talking about this
epidemic is not going to
make this go away.” Payne
suggests that the reasons
students refuse to believe
they are at risk are related
to how society markets
HIV.
“This is not like a person
saying they've been diag
nosed with cancer,” said
Payne. “If a person opens
up and says ‘l've been diag
nosed with HIV,” you get a
don' take it off in the first act,”
he said. “I's human nature ...
you heighten the interest by
raising intrigue but not present
ing too soon.
%ut timing is cvcrnthjng,
especially when the public’s xe
quickly can be turned to anoth
er rl;wdn sc:hmion. As a result,
u hshmfi ouses are geared
8 to quickly churn out a best
sefiling memoir in weeks to a
hungry public while their
lglicnts stifi are making head
ines.
Books on the women could
be on the shelves within three
to four months, Fleer said.
Movies are a different n;t(t)ir
Fleer, who specializes in -
to-movie deals, said Felt's story
is the most compelling because
so much about the man’s life is
unknown. People also will be
curious about seven hours that
Smith spent with Nichols, he
added.
“What were those hours like?
That’s got to be a real possibili
ty to be a grabber _ we really
don’t have much detail of those
hours,” he said.
While it would a to be
the dosest to readuel};:lrtdevi—
sion audience, the runaway
brides story is the least attrac
tive, Fleer said.
“It just seems to me the emo
tonal crush of her having a
600-person wedding and try
ing to be perfect about it _ 1
dont find that overly com
pelling.”
liness of it. Most victims suffer
alone. Their memories are their
own — painful. And all of a sud
den there is a recognition of
their pain. There is a recogni
tion that they are not alone,
that people understand.”
The other issue is the impact
on Amefici isdlf and flirtire”
generations, Foxman says.
“Many of these atrocities;
many of these painful historical
incidents, what society has
done — perpetrators or not -
many have tried to deny it,”
Foxman illustrates. “But it's a
very, very Important message to
future generations because they
need to understand that while
they didnt do it, there is a since
of responsibility that they
inhent the past. ...And so,
when people are unwilling,
whoever the Senators may be,
they're still in denial of respon
sibility.”
Derrick Johnson, president
of the Mississippi State Confer
ence of the NAACP. agrees.
“This shows how far we have
not come as a state when our
political leaders still refuse to
acknowledge the atrodities that
have taken place in Mississippi
around lynchings and civil
rights,” Johnson says. “For sen
ators Lott and Cochran to not
do the very basic thing and
apologize for the inaction of the
United States Senate is very
telling.”
totally different response.
In order for someone to
admit something like that,
they have to feel safe and
not like society will close
them off.”
Aspiring Morehouse stu
dent Morton offers art as
the approach to counter
this stigma. “If there were
more shows involving
music and art, it might
atiract that audience. Then
if you pass little statistics
and facts out, you're able to
educate while entertain
ing.”