Newspaper Page Text
66-year-old
Augusta woman
is raped
Page 2
WARREN A. CANDLER
LIBRARY
pane college
AUGUSTA. QEOR6IA
VoL 9 No. 6 P.O. Box 953
Black women achieving
Editor’s Note: This is the
second of a series of stories on
black women in non-traditional
roles.
By Mallory K. Millender
Fannie Flono is the first and
only full-time black reporter to
work for the Augusta
Chronicle. She has been on the
job for five months and does
not expect to be there very
long. She is already planning a
new career.
Born and reared in Augusta,
she has read the daily
newspapers here all of her life,
but does not feel they have
covered the black comnunity.
“I don’t think there is any
doubt that the Chronicle has
not covered the black
comnunity. I would hope that
the Chronicle would not
debate that it has not covered
the black community. I don’t
think that it is a debatable
point,” she said.
“I question how any
newspaper that doesn’t have a
black reporter can get the kind
of input needed to cover the
black community. I’m not
saying that a white reporter
can’t go out and cover a story
in the black community.”
A lot of white reporters,
according to Ms. Flono, don’t
want to cover things in the
black community. “White
reporters will often pitch a fit
if they have to go on an
assignment in the black
community, while black
reporters have to constantly go
into all-white situations to
cover stories.
“I don’t think people are
afraid to go into the black
community,” she said. “They
just don’t want to put forth
the extra effort. I have to go
into the white community all
More clergy endorse contest
Local ministers continued
their endorsement of the
News-Review’s Church
Mnisters subscription contest.
Here are some of the
comments:
Fr. Richard Lamar Horton,
vicar of St. Mary’s Episcopal
Church: “I support the
News-Review because I think it
is crucial that we have the news
from the black perspective.”
The Rev. Essie Mae
Mclntyre, pastor of the Good
Shepherd Baptist Church: “I
support the News-Review
because I love to read about
what’s going on in the black
community.”
■ Mik. f w*
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MINISTERS review contest rules (from left), Reverends Nathaniel Irvin, Johnny
Bussey, Essie M. Mclntyre, R.E. Donaldson and Richard Horton. Photo by Frank Bowman
Augusta Wuts-aeujm
Chronicle 9 s black reporter unsure
her presence makes a difference
the time. They should be just
as uncomfortable as anyone
else.”
Being the only black
reporter is a problem in itself,
she said. “Being just one black
there puts me in a strange
position because I see things
from one point of view and all
the rest of the staff are seeing
things from another point of
Fannie Flono
view. The natural outcome is
that their point of view always
emerges on top.”
Her blackness has its
advantages, she says. “We’re all
journalists, but there is a
difference in my being a black
journalist. I have an extra
perception because I have to
live in a white world and a
black world. They only have to
live in one, and their view is
limited. Our heritage gives us a
different kind of perception,”
she said, adding that Jews,
Chicanoes and other ethnic
groups also have different
perceptions.
Ms. Flono, who was the first
person to graduate from Clark
College with a major in
journalism (1974), said she
feels that there is a conflict in
being black and being a
journalist.
The Rev. Johnnie Bussey,
pastor of the Mt. Zion Baptist
Church: “My reasons for
supporting the News-Review
are it’s a very clean paper, a
decent paper, a very intelligent
paper.”
The Rev. Nathaniel Irvin,
pastor of the Greater Mt.
Canaan Baptist Church: “The
News-Review is one of the best
things that has happened in
Augusta. It is a consistent
newspaper. It has a lot of
education in it, newsworthy
information and editorials. It is
worthy of our support and I
hone that it will continue to be
Rev. C.L. Franklin’s
condition worsens,
suspects held
Page 3
“I feel that by being black
and being interested in what
goes on in the black
community, and not seeing
that being reflected in
newspapers that go out to the
majority of the people in the
community, puts me in the
position of feeling that I have
to do more to make the paper
better reflect the total
community.
“I’m not sure that I should
be the one to do it because
when I leave it would probably
stop.
“I hope that when I leave
blacks in the community won’t
let it rest that they (the daily
newspapers) don’t have a black
on staff.”
A medical writer for the
Chronicle, Ms. Flono questions
whether she has been used to
the best advantage. “I don’t
think I’m doing what I should
be doing in order to increase
the newspaper’s coverage of
issues that affect blacks in this
community. My beat doesn’t
have that much applicability to
things that affect blacks.”
She said that all blacks
should have more input into
what goes into the Chronicle.
“They should contact
writers and let them know
what they’re not doing right. If
you do it enough they will at
least do enough to get you off
their backs.”
She is unsure whether her
presence at the Chronicle has
made a difference. At least, she
said, I’ve been someone that
blacks could “call and relate
to.”
Ms. Flono said she got into
journalism because there was a
“void” in the communications
system. “As a black I was not
getting the information from
daily newspapers, TV and radio
that 1 needed to know to make
one of the things that we can
count on in the City of
Augusta.”
The Rev. R.E. Donaldson,
minister of the Antioch Baptist
Church: “The Augusta
News-Review is one of the
things that is most helpful to
black people, in that it
concerns their environment
and what is happening to them.
I am glad to see this effort and
I think that it is the best thing
that could happen to the black
community. It will show that
we are together, it will show
what we can do when we are
together.”
June 30, 1979
my life what 1 wanted it to be.
“People have a right to
know what is happening. And
they have a right to know it
truthfully. I felt I could shed a
little more light on the truth
than what was presently being
given.”
But after having worked for
the Lakeland (Fla.) Ledger and
the Columbus (Ga.) Enquirer,
she decided she wanted to
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HE— B .1
CITED BY THE PRESIDENT -- Lloyd K. Reese Jr. (center) is congratulated by
Indiana Gov. Otis Bowen after the former Augustan received a Presidential citation.
His mother, Mrs. Laura Reese of Augusta, looks on proudly.
Carter honors former Augustan
INDIANAPOLIS, IND. - In
a recent ceremony at the
Indiana State House, Lloyd K.
Reese, Jr., a former Augustan
and Vietman veteran received a
certificate of recognition for
his outstanding contribution to
his country from President
Carter. Indiana Gov. Otis
Bowen presented the
Sammy Davis tells how he
tried to commit suicide
By Lynne Snierson
(National Enquirer)
“I tired to commit suicide,
not once, but on three separate
occasions,” confesses Sammy
Davis Jr.
The dynamic entertainer,
who achieved wealth, fame and
adoration, was willing to throw
it all away “because I needed
attention - I just need to have
somebody say, ‘Hey, 1 love
you.’
“The more successful you
become, the more insecure you
become about your career and
your personal life and it
reflects in your personality
traits.
“There were points in my
life when I thought of calling it
quits and giving it all up.”
He said that his last attempt
at taking is own life was just
that - his last attempt. It
happened in 1966.
“I had decided, ‘To hell with
it all. This is as far as I’m going
to go in this life.’ I was in my
Jaguar driving on a mountain
and I intended to go off that
mountain. As I came around a
curve, I hit the rail. I just
Sammy Davis
how he tried to
commit suicide
Page 1
return to school to get a
master's in economics.
After she made her decision
to leave the Enquirer, her
father died and she refused to
place the burden of furthering
her education on her mother.
In the meantime, the
Chronicle had been calling her
inviting her to change jobs, at
that point she said she
accepted, with the
understanding that she still
certificate.
The certificate read, “The
President of the United States
of America presents this
certificate for outstanding
community achievement of
Vietnam Era Veterans in
recognition of service to the
nation in time of war and
outstanding community
closed my eyes and waited
because I knew I was going
over the side.
“But suddenly I became
aware of an unmistakable
whirring noise and I realized
the other half of the Jaguar
had gotten stuck and the back
wheels were spinning on the
high embankment.
“I said to God, ‘lf you let me
get out of this car without it
tipping over, I will never, never
do this again.’ And it was that
exact moment when I got out
of the car that I promised
myself I could never again try
to commit cuicide.”
Suicide attempts were not
the only things he gave up,
Davis told Las Vegas
interviewer Dick Maurice.
“I gave up all the parties, the
wild life and the drugs because
I’d already been there,” said
the entertainer. “I did it all --
and I did it extremely well. I
mean, 1 was bodacious!
“I thought, ‘l’m gonna be
the swinger. I’m gonna be the
stud. Nobody’s gonna take
more dope than me.’ I was
doing it for the sake of doing it
Less than 75% Advertising
wanted to further her
education.
She said she’ll be going into
economics for the same reason
she went into journalism.
“What’s being said in economics
today is not really relevant to
what is happening to blacks.
Blacks and the poor are not
learning what they need to
know to rise up in this
society.”
achievement in time of peace.”
Reese is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Lloyd K. Reese of 1336
11th St. in Augusta.
He was one of seven
Vietnam veterans from the
State of Indiana to receive such
recognition.
W- IMHOF
K. '
Sammy Davis Jr.
just to keep up appearances.
And it hurt me where I live -
on the stage. I had a
multi-million dollar career to
take care of.
“So I realized I was living a
lie and was just looking for an
escape. I had to look for other
values because those values
were not serving me as a
human being.
“I just had to stop and that’s
what I did. And I did it with
the help of my wife Altovise
and a few good friends.”
Sample Copy SO U,
Johnson Products
executive, dies
„ Page 2
School rezoning
means segregation
EDITORIAL
In the mills! of ail lh<
hoard’s decision to rezon
students, main people hyo |. .
that the rezoning is only anolhi
to neighborhood schools ami ' -re ; I uu
Rezoning is not necessary and
only In the school hoard s tailin'- to make sure
that white students as-igned to I m ' '
School attend that s< hool.
The current “crisis” is supp
overcrowding at West ide ami under
Laney and Richmond \cad<
come about accidentally
desegregation order
attendance zone that sent
students, almost all "I
Richmond Academy.
I students, mos,t of tl;<
have well integrated the
schools.
I But the white
Academy, with few .« ii-ot i > com
into the heart of the black community to Laney.
t Less than 35 white studeru- 'ml ■• ■ . >me ol
I the white students who should now be at Laney
are in private schools. But m< hem went to
Westside. \nd that i- lb> m re ison that
Westside is ovcrc: - 3 1
enrolled.
And it happened only because the school board
closed its eves to the white studer s violating the
attendance zone regulations.
When school board member Elizabeth Wootens
son was found to have been attending Richmond
when he had in fact been assigned
was quoted as say ing, she would not allow her son
to attend Laney, ■period." Mrs. Wooten later told
The News-Review that her son ha
ailment that Laney wa< not eqiiippt I
Nevertheless we feel that ihe
expressed typify the feelings ol white school board
members and parents alike.
Another sore spot in the white community is the
fact that Richmond Academy, the oldest high
school in the country and traditionally the
academic pride of white kugusta, is now more than
50 percent black.
What the school board has now done is to
rezone the schools to send
Street (again, virtually all black)
students west of 15th Strer ( (virtually all white)
Richmond. Additional stud
all-white Westside (now white Augr
school) will be sent to Richmond \<
The result will be that Westside will be less
crowded. Richmond Academy will once again be
white. Laney’s enrollment will be up.
schools will be resegregated and the neighborhood
school concept restored.
The racism that permeates this issue should not
negate the fact that there is some legitimate
concern for accreditation standards, having a
classroom atmosphere conducive to learning,
school spirit and loyalty'. But all of this can be
achieved without rezoning.
Interestingly, all of the blacks who spoke at '
board meeting Thursday night favored rezoning. (
course, we disagree.
Laney and Haines Institute alumni have been
haunted for years by the prosepect that Laney
be closed. Laney must not be closed and there is
no real reason for that to be an issue. If the school
board obeyed the court order Laney would be in
no jeopardy.
Blacks should not become so pre occupied with
saving Laney that we allow the school board to
allow Laney to be under enrolled, then trade us
more segregation and neighborhood schools in
exchange for Laney’s continued existence.
The fault lies with the school board. Let’s not
let them off the hook.
COLIEGL
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