About The Savannah tribune. (Savannah, Ga.) 1973-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 19, 2008)
8 - The Savannah Tribune • Wednesday, November 19, 2008 SOCIAL AND COMMUNITY NEWS Passing of Music Icon Shocks Fans A Gullah Christmas Presentation From Michigan to Maputo, fans of Miriam Makeba are mourning the unexpected passing of a human rights champion and beloved musical icon whose distinctive style captivated the world in the 1960s and 1970s, combining traditional African melodies, jazz and folk with the unique and dynamic rhythms of South Africa's black townships. Makeba had been per forming in Italy, paying homage to six Africans killed by the Camorra mafia and to the Italian journalist Roberto Saviano who exposed the murders and was himself threatened with death, when she was stricken and died in a local hospital early Nov. 10. Former President Nelson Mandela, now in his 91st year, led the tributes to Makeba. "She was South Africa's first lady of song and so richly deserved the I k \m^ * i - Mariam Makeba title of Mama Afrika," he said. "The sudden passing of our beloved Miriam has sad dened us ... For many decades, starting in the years before we went to prison, MaMiriam featured promi nently in our lives.” A Grammy award win ner, Makeba knew and per formed with Harry Belafonte and Hugh Masakela, and hundreds of world-class musicians. Her outspoken witness before the United Nations in 1963 to the evils of apartheid caused her expulsion from as a “terror ist.” It took her 27 years to go back to South Africa after a personal request from the then President Mandela. “Godspeed to you Mama Africa for your labor here on earth has been ful filled,” wrote Belinda M. Sanders in a moving online tribute. “I am grateful to have had the pleasure of see ing you in concert in Flint, Michigan. I shall always remember your melodious voice. I was moved by the passion you exuded through song and stage presence.” "The mortal remains of South Africa's Goodwill Ambassador Miriam Makeba” will be returned to South Africa on Nov. 12," a government spokesman said. A Gullah Christmas will be presented by Marlena Smalls and the Hallelujah Singers November 28 at 7:30 pm at Sea Island Presbyterian Church on Lady’s Island. Joining the original Hallelujah Singers for this special holiday celebration will be the Hallelujah Chorale featuring an addi- restaurants and caterers, including Savannah Technical College, The Mansion on Forsyth Park, The Lady & Sons, Savor Savannah Catering, The Chatham Club, Blowing Smoke BBQ and Paul Kennedy Catering. Old Savannah City Mission aspires to be “Savannah’s Five Star Gospel Rescue Mission" with high standards, strong tional 30 vocalists including members of the Beaufort High School Gospel Choir. The Christmas story will be told with plantation melodies, traditional spiritu als and Gullah narration by Marlena Smalls and Symba Boyd, an emerging artist who specializes in original poetry with dramatic presentation. boundaries and clear direc tion. Its mission is to change lives through pro claiming the Gospel, feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, rehabilitating the addict, and restoring the ex offender. In 2007 the mis sion provided 122,074 meals and more than 27,000 shel ter beds without one dime of tax payer funds. The Mission is a Savannah based 501(c)(3) Tickets are $30 adult and $15 children 12 and younger and are available at www.Halleluj ahSingers. com <http://www.HallelujahSing ers.com> or at the Beaufort Visitor Center at Town Center on Boundary Street. Group or senior rates are available on request at 843 902 4799. non-profit organization. A staff of seven employees is augmented by residential students in the Mission,s recover program and hun dreds of volunteers who deliver services to the com munity's most vulnerable and needy citizens in a high ly cost effective way. To learn more, log on to www.oscm.org or call Jim Lewis or Connell Stiles at 912-232-1979. City Mission... Continued from page 3 Celebration Breakfast... SCMPD... Continued from page 3 This celebration is being held because of the difficulties that had to be overcome by the many war riors, past and present, who suffered numerous hardships to get to this juncture in the battle for freedom and equal ity. It must be noted unequivocally that these warriors include men and women of all races who real ly believed the Jeffersonian axion that "all men are creat ed equal and are endowed by God with certain inalienable rights among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Senator Obama's victo ry is an American victory and this Victory Celebration is being presented for all per sons who want to come and show their joy for this "moment in history" which many thought would never occur in their lifetimes. It is also a celebration for those many African Americans and White Citizens who gave so much of themselves so that we can celebrate with almost unendurable pleasure indefintely prolonged. So it is hoped that many will come and toast this victory which is really and truly an American Victory. A major highlight of the celebration will be Attorney Lester B. Johnson, III, the first African American President of the Savannah Bar Association, School Board Attorney, and Assistant City Attorney, as the speaker for the celebra tion who will respond to the question, "What does the victory of Senator Obama mean for the United States of America?" The donation requested for the Super Breakfast is $50.00 per person or $400.00 Continued from page 1 per table of eight (8). Some of the donations will reserved by calling the Museum (912)231-8900 or the NAACP Office (912)233-4161. Since the number of seats and tables are limited, all interested persons and organizations are urged to reserve seats and tables as soon as possible. A lot of sacrifices have been made by many, living and dead to get the United States to this point of history where it can demonstratively say, "if you work hard enough and prepare thor oughly, you can achieve any of your goals in this coun try." That is why we must celebrate with gusto and great pride, the election of the first African American to the presidency of the greatest nation in the written history of mankind, the United States of America. ardent supporters of civil and human rights. Your agency’s efforts illustrate the highest ideals of law enforcement as an ethical and noble profes sion that promotes the rights and the prospect of more lost jobs have forced his hand. In his first meeting with President Bush in the Oval Office Nov. 10, Obama report edly pressed the president to support emergency aid for the struggling auto industry and a broader economic stimulus package. Though Bush has resis ted extending part of the $700 billion bailout package to automakers, he indicated that he might support those meas ures if Democrats changed their stance on a free-trade agreement with Colombia, which Bush has long champi oned. Emanuel indicated in an interview with ABC’s George Stephanopoulos Sunday, how ever, that Obama would likely refuse that offer. “You don't link those essential needs to some other trade deal,” he said. This disagreement on economic policy signals the stark differences in philosophy between the incumbent and his successor that may spark a reversal of some of the deci sions made in the past eight years. Podesta said Obama and his team have already begun reviewing Bush’s executive orders. “We're looking in vir tually every agency to see where we can move forward, whether that's on energy trans formation, on improving health care, on stem cell research,” he said. “There's a lot that the president can do using his executive authority without waiting for congressional and dignity of all people, and we congratulate you for your achievement as a 2008 recip ient of an IACP Civil Rights Certificate of Recognition.” The 115th annual IACP action,” Podesta continued, “and I think we'll see the pres ident do that to try to restore the — a sense that the country is working on behalf of the common good, that we're going to try to restore wages, give people the right kind of ways that they can build on their own lives, and when they work hard that they'll be rewarded for it.” On national security, Obama advisers have reported policies that are widely diver gent from the Bush adminis tration’s. The president-elect has long indicated his intent to start withdrawing combat forces from Iraq—a process to be completed in 16 months— and renew the focus on Afghanistan that had been lost in the past four years. According to news reports, Obama advisors say the incoming commander-in- chief intends to take a more regional approach to the war in Afghanistan, including pos sible dialogue with Iran and with the Afghan government along with “reconcilable” ele ments of the Taliban. And he intends to ramp up efforts to find Osama bin Laden. Obama may also be con sidering closing the infamous Guantanamo Bay, a move Bush considered as necessary but found to be impractical, but a move which his succes sor pledged to make. “We need to bring to a close this sad chapter in American histo ry, and begin a chapter that passes the might of our mili tary to the freedom of our diplomacy and the power of our alliances. And while we are at it, we can close down Guantanamo and we can restore habeas corpus and we can lead with our ideas and our values,” Obama said May 8 in Richmond, Va. But even Gitmo will have to stand in line as the economy will demand the administration’s foremost attention. That was evident last Friday when Obama and Vice President-elect Joe Biden, in their first press conference annual conference is being held in San Diego, California from November 8-12 with more than 15,000 law enforcement officials attend ing. since the election, focused almost solely on the economy. That morning, the pair huddled with a 17-member transitional council of eco nomic advisers that included former Treasury Secretaries Lawrence Summers and Robert Rubin, former Fed Chairman Paul Volcker, bil lionaire businessman Warren Buffett and other leaders in business and politics. “Immediately after I become president I am going to confront this economic cri sis head on by taking all nec essary steps to ease the credit crisis, help hard-working fam ilies and restore growth and prosperity,” said Obama, sur rounded by Emanuel and his economic advisors, who he said were already working on developing “a strong set of policies” to respond to the cri sis. The Obama-Biden appearance came on the heels of more dour economic news. According to the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report issued Friday morning, 240,000 jobs were lost in October, increasing the tally of lost jobs to 1.2 million this year and pushing the unem ployment rate up to 6.5 per cent. The nation hasn’t seen such a towering jobless rate in 14 years. And as corporate giants falter, it’s expected to get worse. Ford Motor Company has said it may have to cut staff and stem spending after a $3 billion operating loss in the last quarter. And limping auto behemoth General Motors Corp. announced it bled a copious $4.2 billion in losses and that it, too, is in danger of running out of cash. This “hardship goes far beyond the individual auto companies to the countless suppliers, small businesses and communities throughout our nation who depend on a vibrant American auto indus try,” Obama said. In addition to a stimulus package, Obama said he would also extend unemploy ment insurance benefits. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE CHATHAM COUNTY SHERIFF Dear Valued Supporters, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support and votes during my campaign. You are truly appreciated. May God continue to bless you. Sincerely, Mike Jones T'iiiil fur lp> Ik f iilmiiiltn' In ItU'rl Mjln 1 .liiMi Mhj'iII STEVE HARVEY MORNINGS Transition Begins... Continued from page 1
