Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

NAACP voices outrage over Geter case Page 1 Augusta New-Hteirim VOLUME 15 NUMBER 44 Supreme Court outlaws Edgefield at-large voting The U.S. Supreme Court Tuesday threw out the at-large voting system in Edgefield County. Dr. Thomas McCain, a Paine College professor and chairman of the Edgefield County Democratic Party, filed a class action suit in 1974 charging that the at-large voting system in Edgefield County diluted Black voting strength. Blacks make up a majority of the population in Edgefield Coun ty and 44 percent of the registered voters, but no Black has been elec ted to county council since Recon struction. McCain has run three times. Each time he has won in his district, by a comfortable margin, but lost because “the voters in other districts voted for my op ponent.” Legislature knocks down at-large voting in county The Richmond County Legislative Delegation Tuesday approved a district voting plan which, if approved as expected by the full House and Senate, would eliminate at-large voting in Rich mond County. Representatives to the board of commissioners would be elected by House districts and Dr. Floyd highest ranking Black woman in system ATLANTA—Viiginia Floyd, M.D., has been appointed director of Family Health in the Depar tment of Human Resources’ Division of Public Health. The ap pointment makes Dr. Floyd the highest ranking Black female physician in the state’s public health system, according to James Alley, M.D., director of Public Health. Dr. Floyd is the daughter-in-law of Mr. and Mrs. John G. Floyd of 1620 12th St. in Augusta. Her husband, Dr. Joseph Ber nard Floyd is a former Augustan. He is now an anesthisiologist at Gwinnet Community Hospital in Gwinnett County. As Family Health director, Dr. Floyd will oversee eight programs, including those in immunizations, maternal and infant health, family planning, child adolescent health, nutrition, nursing, pharmacy, and dental health. She said recently, “I’m really excited about working with programs that affect the lives of so Webster elected sheriff Charles B. Webster was elected Sheriff of Richmond County in a runoff election Tuesday. He garnered 52.3 percent of the vote to Johnny Beard’s 47.6 percent. Webster will serve the remainder of former Sheriff J.B. Dykes’ term which expires at the end of the year. McCain said that he filed the suit along with William Spencer, at the time a Paine College student, after having run for office and “seeing how the at-large voting method dilutes the Black vote. That’s what prompted me to file the suit,” he added. McCain told the News-Review Wednesday, “I am elated about the decision. I still believe in the American system. However, it takes a long time to work your way through the different levels of the courts to get a decision. It just proves one thing—you have to more determined than your op position to get results.” McCain said the U.S. Justice Department “argued on our side for ten minutes” .when the case went before the Supreme Court this fall. the chairperson would be elected by the commissioners. However, the city of Augusta is not affected by the House action. U.S. District Judge Dudley H. Bowen Jr. issued an order Feb. 1 asking that Augusta and Rich mond County reach agreement with plaintiffs who have filed many Georgians. If we can help people change the way they take care of themselves we can help im prove the quality of their lives.” For the past two and a half years, Dr. Floyd has been assistant professor in the Department of Community Medicine and Family Practice at Morehouse School of Medicine. She is also Acting Direc tor of the Family Practice Residen cy Program at Morehouse. “Through her key role in developing Morehouse Medical School, Dr. Floyd has demon strated an impressive ability to work with a variety of health care institutions,” commented Dr. Alley. “She has also had a number of unique experiences at the local level, enabling her to develop a keen understanding of problems of providing health services to mothers and infants.” Prior to joining the Morehouse faculty, Dr. FJoyd was medical director of a rural health initiative medical clinic in Palmetto. Ga. Dykes resigned after an FBI in vestigation led to his being indicted in a ticket-fixing scheme. He is now serving a four-year term for obstruction of justice. Beard, who indicated’ that he does not plan to run for election in November, said the people of Richmond County “haven’t lear- Commissioners to be elected by district voting Page 1 Assessing the impact of the decision, McCain expressed caution. “We’re not out of the woods yet, but we see the light at the top of the hill and we know we are headed in the right direction. “If you look at the long history of depriving Blacks of access to the political process in Edgefield County, we don’t expect them (district voting opponents) to just accept the plan. “It’s a continual struggle even after Blacks are elected. We will have to fight to correct some of those conditions that have existed for a long time.” McCain said that Blacks have a good chance of winning two of the five seats on the county council but he has not decided whether he will run. voting rights suits against them by May 1, or he would set a trial date. Under the district plan Blacks stand a chance of gaining at least two of the six seats on the new commission. Mayor Edward M. Mclntyre is the only Black who has ever served on the county commission. Dr. Virginia Floyd The clinic is still open and now ser ves 10,000 people. • As a medical officer for the Cen ters for Disease Control, Dr. Floyd served in the Republic of Cameroon, Africa. There studied polio and other vaccine preventable diseases. Dr. Floyd, 32, graduated from the Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and did her residency at Emory University. She is presently enrolled in Emory’s Masters of Public Health Program. ned the first thing (from seeing two of the last three sheriffs go to jail). “They’re still voting for the big money and the dirty politics.” Webster said of his victory, “I’m as tickled to death as anybody can be.” Webster and Bear were the top candidates in a Jan. 31 primary which narrowed the five-man field. Jesse Jackson to hold n at civic cei Page 1 February 25,1984 1 -w—' Xh.‘.- ■ a . »■■■<■ -JMT* raßyr a'• t r \aFfjU |||| Jesse Jackson hoists hand of Dr. Thomas McCain; Allgood is half good ' Editorial We are very disappointed that Senator Thomas Allgood is not sure that Blacks are un derrepresented on the City Council of Augusta and is reluc tant to support district voting for the city as a result. Allgood has in the past said that he would support district voting, even going to the point of saying the city wide voting system presently used is illegal. However, now that the chips are down, the senator is backing up. How can he be unsure that Blacks are not underrepresented when Blacks make up a majority of the city’s population, but have only 25 percent representation on city council? At no point have Blacks constituted more than 5 of the 16 councilmembers. And for some 229 years of this city’s history, there has been no Black representation on the city council. We have never had equal representation and there can be no question that we are un- NAA CP outraged over Geter case NEW YORK—NAACP Executive Director Benjamin L. Hooks charged in Dallas that the case against Denmark, SC native Lenell Geter, who had been sentenced to life imprisonment in Texas for ar med robbery, was “a grave miscarriage of justice.” Hooks, a lawyer and former judge in Mem phis, Tenn., said Geter was im prisoned “on the flimsiest set of evidence I have ever seen.” Because of the intense anger throughout the Association over this case, he said, the NAACP might reconsider its plans to hold its 1985 convention in Dallas based on the final outcome of the case. Geter, a Black E-Systems engineer, was released pending a new trial after spending 17 months of a life sentence in prison. Hooks attended the pre-trial hearing that was held for Geter on Jan. 30. Afterward, he expressed his outrage over the case at news conferences and church appearan ces that were sponsored by the Dallas NAACP branch. Less than 75 percent Advertising derrepresented now. To his credit, Senator Allgood was very instrumen talin getting SIOO,OOO approved by the Senate Continuation Committee for the planning and development of a performing arts center at Paine College. And that could lead to a total appropriation of $3 million to $5 million. Paine and the community need that center. However, the senator must recognize that the real drama is the inability of Blacks to meet our needs due the citywide voting system. We need the performing arts as they reflect our culture and our aspirations. And we ap preciate that support. But no matter how great, theatre is still theatre—a play. In the real drama of our sur vival in this town, the senator reveals a tragic flaw. He is unable to see that we don’t have equal representation. If he can’t see that, he can’t see at all. Geter welcomed the support ex pressed by the many people who attended the hearing. But he did not relish the prospect of having to stand trial again. “I’m anxious to get married and get on with my life in a relaxed way,” he said after the hearing. “I’m confident” of being acquitted “because I know I am innocent and I just want to get this over with.” As of this publication date, pre-trial hearings on the case were continuing. Geter was convicted in October 1982 for robbing a Balch Springs restaurant. Although five wit nesses identified him as the robber, several of his E-Systems co workers testified that he was at work when the robbery occurred. Additionally, during the fifth day of pre-trial hearings, a teenage employee of the restaurant testified that she got a good look at the bandit and he was not Geter. She said that she was not called in to identify Geter in a police line up. Webster 04/24/83 1 ESE LI3RARY [ ST. A ? Page 1 Jesse Jackson to speak here Presidential candidate Jesse Jackson will speak during a rally at the Augusta-Richmond County Civic Center Feb. 28 at 7 p.m. City councilwoman Margaret Armstrong, convenor of the rally, said Wednesday that the rally is free and open to the public. City councilwoman Margaret Armstrong, convenor of the rally, said Wednesday that it will be free and open to the public. She also said that the rally is to boost Jackson’s presidential bid and not to raise money for the Ed Mclntyre—Joseph Jones Defense Fund. wMi a Wa^-'-r. Jggfe Sheila Ingram Sheila Ingram succumbs to sickle cell On Saturday adn Sunday, 17- year old Sheila Michelle Ingram modeled at Belk’s Department store where she was a member of the Belk’s Teen Board. Tuesday she died of sickle cell anemia. She served as mistress of ceremonies at the last youth program of Miles Memorial CME Church where she was a member of the Christian Youth Fellowship. She was a member of the Debutantes Adult Society and was said to have been “unusually hap py” when her mother presented her with a red rose at the organization’s last activity. A senior at the Academy of Richmond County, she was a member of the executive Student Council. Her survivors include Mr. and Mrs. Silas Ingram; a sister, Phyllis Ingram, Atlanta; a brother, Bruce, Frankfurt, Germany; and her grandmother, Verbena Perry, Batesburg.S.C. in an apparent attempt to rule out the possibility of mistaken iden tity, prosecutors are interviewing a Texas inmate about the robbery. That inmate is said to resemble Geter. Following his conviction, me NAACP developed additional evidence which it maintains con firms Geter’s innocence. He was released from prison last Decem ber upon motions filed not just by his attorneys but also by the prosecutor, which was highly unusual. His chief defense attor ney is George Hairston, NAACP assistant general counsel, who developed the strategy that resulted in his release. Hairston charged that Geter’s conviction was based on “sloppy police work.” and “racism.” Meanwhile, Geter has returned to his job in nearby Greenville. 30C