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Welcome Conference and Trade Fair Savannah International Trade and Convention Center Wednesday, October 1st October 6th is the deadline to register to vote in the November 4th Election . PRSRTSTD U.S POSTAGE PAID Savannah. GA Permit No. 923 “GEORGIA’S BEST WEEKLY” tETthune Week of October 1,2008 - October 7,2008 • Vol. 36 No. 33 • www.savannahtribune.com • 912-233-6128 • Fax: 912-233-6140 Presents: Gallery Owner Cryselle Stewart by Karen Bogans ryselle Stewart was bom in Georgetown, Guyana. When she was three years old, her father decided to move the family to the United States for more opportunities. She lived in New York for a while, and then in Atlanta, Georgia where she attend ed high school. When Stewart graduated, she headed for Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) where she majored in photography and tried her hand at painting, just a few credits shy of obtaining a minor in painting. Halfway through SCAD, Stewart decided to return to New York to get some exposure and make a career in photography. She quickly discovered it would take more than a will—it was going to take a plan. After a year and a half, she returned to SCAD where she graduated in 2007. That same year, she opened Dimensions Gallery. Dimensions focuses on emerging Cryselle Stewart artists and works to get them the exposure they need before they go out into the world. Stewart has actual experience that helps the artists understand some of the pit- falls they may face. “I knew I need ed a plan. I worked with Connie Edwards at the Small Business Development Corporation ( SBDC) for 6-7 months on developing my business plan. In fact, I even worked with Connie after I had opened the gallery. She really helped me put my concepts on paper and provided me with a roadmap that I would need to be successful. I encourage any small business to utilize this resource. “ When asked about some of the challenges she faces because she is a young, African-American, female, business owner, Stewart says, “There are times when patrons come into the gallery expecting to see someone different, maybe older, maybe male. When they find out I am the owner, the perception is that the gallery is not See Cryselle Stewart, page 2 Rieiisl Cancel Awareness .d J; rjL i .lJl' iid l i !.u u l ■ mi "HU* ■lim. !■ E . J li E LI. ] li Ell Ifebi lyiiilfir.r-im rnr M I- ■>-r itrcbd "-tcbjn cm Ir ni Civil Rights Trailblazers Address Urgency of African American Voter Registration Mayor to lead Dump the Pump Bike Convoy Mayor Otis Johnson Mayor Otis Johnson will headline the next Dump the Pump event on Friday, Oct. 3, when he leads a group bicycle commute into downtown Savannah. The first ever Dump the Pump Convoy will depart from the Habersham Village shopping center and end at the corner of Bull and Broughton streets, where the Mayor will dedicate the first in a series of bicycle racks the City is installing throughout downtown Savannah. With high gas prices and continued supply uncertainties, more and more people are turning to alternative forms See Dump the Pump, page 16 SSU receives $700,000 HUD grant to help West Savannah In conjunction with the 2008 White House HBCU Initiative, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded Savannah State University (SSU) with a $700,000 HBCU Grant. The funding is designed to help revitalize the West Savannah neighborhood over a three-year period. “SSU continues to expand its role as a partner with the City of Savannah to regenerate West Savannah,” said Earl G. Yarbrough, Ph.D., SSU presi dent. “Boosting area business, improving the financial well being of residents, and con necting these residents to job opportunities are the main goals of the grant.” “As a component, empowerment and asset-build ing activities will be readily accessible to West Savannah residents,” said Shirley Geiger, Ph.D, Political Science, Public Administration and Urban Studies. “These and other skill building activities will be offered through advancement centers conveniently located within walking distance to other neighborhood services.” The proposal is the joint effort of Professors Geiger, Nailah Brock, Ph.D., Political Science, Public Administration and Urban Studies and Ulysses Brown, Ph.D., College of Business Administration, in cooperation with the City of Savannah’s Department of Community Development. The $700,000 grant is part of a larger $9 million HUD grant awarded to 13 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) across the nation. HUD is part nering with these HBCUs to help address pressing commu nity needs, such as providing housing, economic develop ment and other programs to benefit low- to moderate- income families, across the U.S. The HBCU Grant dove tails with the HUD funding awarded to Savannah State in 2004 for neighborhood revital ization in the historic Cuyler- Brownsville community. Dr. Dorothy Cotton and Congressman John Lewis Remark on the Fierce Urgency of Now and African Americans Voter Registering Chicago, IL -This week two icons of the Civil Rights Movement dis cussed the extreme importance of African Americans registering to vote during this historic election. In a con ference call with reporters, Dr. Dorothy Cotton, formerly of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and Congressman John Lewis, one of Dr. Martin Luther King’s trusted lieu tenants, recounted their unique place in history and their efforts to secure the right to vote for African Americans. Congressman Lewis, who marched with Dr. King across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, recounted the Congressman John Lewis many examples of how African Americans fought to obtain the right to vote. “They stood in unmovable lines - some were beaten, some were shot and killed for attempting to register to vote,” said Lewis. Congressman Lewis went on to note that while many states, especially in the South, had large pop ulations of African Americans, most were not allowed to register to vote. Both Cotton and Lewis noted the unyielding spirit and determination of African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement and how voter edu cation became the focus of registration Dr. Dorothy Cotton drives during that time. Dr. Cotton, who was the Education Director of the SCLC, described how the Citizen Education Program (CEP) helped play an early role in educat ing African Americans about their voting responsibilities. “The five day CEP workshops, with forty to fifty people, were designed to help African Americans re-define themselves. They were trained to discov er the power in their vote,” Dr. Cotton said. Dr. Cotton went on to underscore the importance of voting this Election Day citing that every aspect of life is affected by government See Vote, page 16 ank tate arver ew branch and a proud tradition of service. 71IOSkidawav Road - Savannah.Georaia31406 ) FDIC