Newswire Rural Coalition stands with Massachusetts Food Advocate Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, calls for action as SNAP cuts threaten families, farmers and communities
Rural Coalition joins O’Gilvie in urging state and federal leaders to immediately address barriers to food assistance and listen directly to families, farmers and rural and urban communities WASHINGTON, D.C. — August 12, 2026 — Rural Coalition and its members stand today in solidarity with our colleague and member Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, Executive Director of the Springfield Food Policy Council (Mass.), in demanding urgent action from policy makers to address the growing hunger crisis facing families across Massachusetts and throughout the nation. See Liz Wills-O’Gilvie, p. 7
Africa investment summit brings $4 billion pipeline to Washington as organizers seek to turn opportunity into deals By Stephen Oduntan, Black Press USA
HM Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, Asantehene WASHINGTON — When African government officials, business leaders, and global investors gather outside Washington later this month, organizers will put approximately $4 billion in African investment opportunities before them, betting that changing perceptions of risk and new approaches to financing can help move more global capital toward the continent. The $4 billion figure, however, represents a pipeline rather than capital already committed. See Africa Investment Summit, p. 6
Bree Carroll’s All Things EPIC delivers a structural blueprint for purposeful living By Jheri Hardaway, The Carolinian Newspaper
Meet Bree Carroll, a Jersey native, proud North Carolina A&T State University Aggie, and structural engineer whose multidimensional identity spans the roles of wife, mother, entrepreneur, and intentional motivator. Navigating this current season through the intersection of deep-seated faith, structural creativity, and the unique rhythms of military life, her perspective is unapologetically defined by spiritual grounding, technical precision, and authentic cultural energy. See Bree Carroll, p. 6
Black August and the sacred resistance of Black women political prisoners By Nicky Childers, NewsOne
Angela Davis speaking into a microphone
Every year when Black August rolls around, the stories we pull from the archive tend to center on Black men’s experience while the distinct warfare waged against Black women political prisoners gets reduced to a quiet whisper, if mentioned at all. I learned to tune my ears to those whispers early on in my academic career. My education in Black political activism began on the streets of North and West Philadelphia, not far from my university’s lecture halls. See Political Prisoners, p. 6
Black Belt Folk Roots Festival -August 22 & 23, 2026 Greene County Health System aims to become an economic engine for the county Submitted by Rodgerick Williams, GCHS CEO Edited by Maya Quinn Greene County Health System (GCHS) is changing how healthcare is delivered in Greene County and the role the Health System plays in the local economy. The system has already made great progress toward economic independence, expanding educational partnerships to generate a new wave of healthcare professionals, and improving the quality of services GCHS provides. "We want to build a Health System that generates revenue by taking care of people," GCHS CEO
Rodgerick Williams said. "When Medicare, Medicaid, or an insurance company pays us for providing care here, those are dollars coming into Greene County. We can use those dollars to employ people, purchase goods and services, improve healthcare, and put those dollars back into our community." Larger Economic Impact
GCHS currently operates on a budget of approximately $1 million per month with roughly $600,000 per month dedicated to payroll. "Our payroll is somebody else's mortgage payment, grocery bill, car payment, or local business purchase," Williams said. "When those dollars stay here and circulate, the benefit doesn't stop with the person who works for GCHS.”
The Health System shops at Banks & Company and Piggly Wiggly, refers patients to Mills Pharmacy, partners with local restaurants for employee events, and uses local skilled laborers and contractors for work outside GCHS employees' expertise. “When those services are available here, and it makes sense to acquire them locally, we'd rather see those healthcare dollars circulate through Greene County.” GCHS is deliberately trying to keep more of its purchasing within the community whenever local businesses can meet the organization's needs. SeeGCHS,p.6
Greene County
The Democrat Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Vol. 135, No. 33
75¢ Serving West Alabama Like No Other Community Newspaper The Federation continues to support the legacy and future of rural farmers
On August 13th-15th, the Federation of Southern Cooperative/Land Assistance Fund (FSC/LAF), or the Federation for short, met for its 59th Annual Meeting. The theme carried across the three days was titled “Sustaining the Future: Innovation, Resilience, and Member Engagement.” Civil rights legends were honored, attendees participated in meaningful workshops, and scholarships were awarded. The Federation began its three-day gathering in Birmingham, Alabama, by awarding civil rights attorney for the Montgomery Bus Boycott cases and the Tuskegee Syphilis case, Fred David Gray, with the Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award. Gray represented prominent civil rights figures such as Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., and John Lewis. At 95 years of age, he is still practicing law today. His son, Fred Gray Jr., accepted the award on his behalf and invited people to visit his museum in Tuskegee. The Federation has a courageous history rooted in its commitment to civil rights, offering hope amidst changes to agricultural legislation and discrimination with a cooperative business model. As M. J. O’Brien wrote in the Federation’s 50 Years of Courage, Cooperation, Commitment, and Community booklet, “This has been their plight: to live in the richest nation on earth, amidst the most fertile soil on the planet, and not have enough to eat, not be able to feed their families, and
not for want of trying.” FSC/LAF strives to be a catalyst for the development of self-supporting communities through cooperative economic development, land retention, and advocacy. This is accomplished through the Federation's network of advocates, volunteers, educators, landowners, researchers, farmers, and others in rural communities. Presently, the Federation has cooperatives and staff in Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Texas. Cooperatives and individual members of the Federation can are located across 16 states and the District of Columbia, in which the Federation is chartered. Each cooperative has individuals who help small farm owners purchase land, provide technical training, and improve their production yield through researchbacked practices. On Friday, the meeting shifted to the Federation’s Rural Training and Re-
The Greene County Sheriff Department presented a contributiontothecoordinators of the Society of Folk Arts&Culturetosupport the 51st annual BlackBeltFolkRoots Festival. Benisonstatedhe“understands the need to keep our community celebration up and running and I am thankful that monies wereavailabletohelp inthiseffort.”Thefestival is scheduled for this weekend, August 22-23, at the Thomas Gilmore Square (old courthouse square) in Eutaw,AL.
Shown left to right: Barbara A. Hunter Greene County Sheriff Jonathan Benison and Teresa Atkins
Cornelius Blanding presenting Estelle Witherspoon Lifetime Achievement Award to Fred David Gray.
search Center, near Epes, Alabama. Workshops in cooperative development, land retention through clearing titles on heirs’ property, and forestry production were held. Following the workshops, there was a presentation on the Federation’s Memorial Legacy Park project. The purpose of the project is to recognize the grassroots community leaders who helped form the Federation, such as its First Executive Director, Charles O. Prejean, for their work in the Civil Rights Movement to gain economic justice and equity for Black farmers, landowners, and underserved rural people. Federation members were urged to contribute to the project as a down payment on its full development over the next few years. Saturday morning, a prayer breakfast was held in honor of Mattie Mack, a former Board member of the Federation from Kentucky. After breakfast, there was a business meeting, including reports from
the Board of Directors, Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director, and caucuses of the members present by state, to make suggestions on the direction and projects of the organization for the future. Under tents outside the formal meetings, Edwin Chavous, Kentucky State University’s technical assistance coordinator and small farms outreach trainer, was observed advising rural farmers. He informed listeners that the program educates farmers in direct marketing: selling their products directly to consumers via farmers' markets, vendors' booths in public spaces, etc. The Southeastern African American Farmers Organization Network (SAAFON) from North Carolina provided literacy and education on better production and organic compliance. Ben Burkett, a watermelon grower and seed expert with the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives, educated attendees on the various types of watermelon flesh: pink, red, yellow, orange, and even white. At the conclusion of the Federation’s Business meeting, the Board presented seven students from its multi-state membership with scholarships named for Anulet ‘Pat’ Jackson, a former staff member. These scholarships further illustrated the organization’s commitment to legacy and the future.
For more information on the Federation visit: www.federation.coop.
Greene County Sheriff Department contributes to festival
Page 2, The Greene County democrat, Wednesday, august 19, 2026
Carol’s Notes
Salute on 59th Family Reunion of FSC/LAF What Do We Have That We Worked Together to Achieve
Greene County Historical Society restores old Miles College building
We may say our collective impact is rendered living in cooperatives The path traveled and marked by our ancestors The path by another name but the same So we would carry hope there is more to living than survival So we would trace the landscape forming the bonds and boundaries Villages and communities as sanctuaries We may say our collective impact is rendered living in cooperatives Our ancestors spiritual ties anchor us to the Earth and all it nurtures We have a place in the corners of wind, water, land and sky Parents and playmates, endearing and disciplined Never chasing scraps of leftovers, Relying on a daybreak to fuel our resolve and break chains We may say our collective impact is rendered living in cooperatives Cooperatives - the Covenant we move through The Covenant that fuels our work in reducing our land loss The Covenant that secures growing and marketing vegetables The Covenant that clears the trail for marketing livestock and sea food The Covenant that guides our financial savings through our institutions The Covenant celebrating and preserving our cultures and legacies What do we have that we worked together to achieve Since impact is the action of one entity coming forcibly into contact with another The cooperative bond we built is still that force Our cooperative impact brought in government, corporations, foundations, And other progressive groups and individuals We are here in witness of all that we have worked together to achieve For 59 years in the spirit and path of our ancestors That is our collective impact Carol Prejean Zippert
Community Calendar
renaissance Theater Presents:
Hidden Figures Friday, August 21 at 6:00 pm 220 Prairie Ave. Eutaw, AL 35462. (205)-723-9821 Death of a Fat Man A novel by Senator Hank Sanders Available at The Greene County Democrat $26 plus $4 shipping and handling
Contact:The Greene County Democrat P.O. Box 598, Eutaw, AL 35462
Carol Zippert’s Poetry Books Available
St. Paul United Methodist Church will host their Annual Homecoming Program at 2:00 p.m. Pastor Phrelle O. Fowler of Morning Star Church, Holt, AL, along with his Choir and congregation, will be the guest speaker. Pastor LaYonya M. Brown is the church pastor. The public is invited.
As early as 1846, two years before the first women’s rights convention in America at Seneca Falls, NY, this academy had been established in Greene County, AL where women could pursue the study of Latin, French, and art through its academic department. In 1889, the Mesopotamia Female Seminary was disassembled and moved to a central location in Eutaw at the corner of Wilson Avenue and Main Street, where it continued to serve as an educational center for females. The building subsequently served as an extension campus for Miles College, an HBCU, in Eutaw; making the historic structure a progressive educational icon for gender and racial equality in America. The Greene County Commission recently deeded the structure to the Greene County Historical Society, who are committed to restoring its historical features and saving this national treasure of the equal rights movement. The first phase is replacement of the failing roof. An AI developed rendition of the restored structure compared to its current state is shown in the attached pic-
Greene County Sheriff Department reports two arrests The Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following arrests. 8/11- Genequa Whitt 26, of Tuscaloosa, AL was arrested for failure to appear driving while suspended. 8/15- Samuel Juan Age 42, Eutaw, AL was arrested for public intoxication. The Greene County Sheriff Department reported the following inci-
dents. 8/12- C a t h e r i n e Cistrunk reported an incident 8/13- Monique Lago reported domestic violence 2nd degree. 8/15- Katarda Wilder reported domestic violence 3rd degree. 8/15- Greene County Sheriff’s Office reported public intoxication 8/16 Catherine Bell reported miscellaneous.
Signed copies of Carol P. Zippert’s second book of poetry are available through the Greene County Democrat Meeting Myself ‘Round The Corner published by New South Books, Montgomery, AL Carol’s first book, I Don’t Want To Be Rich, Just Able is also available through the Democrat Poetry Book order form
Please Send ______ Copies of poetry book, Meeting Myself ‘Round The Corner, at $20; plus $5.00 shipping & handling to: ______ Copies of poetry book, I Don’t Want To Be Rich, Just Able at $20; plus $5.00 shipping & handling to: Name________________________________________ Address______________________________________ _______________________________________ Mail to Carol P. Zippert, P.O. Box 82; Eutaw, Alabama 35462
The Greene CounTy Board of eduCaTion will meet in reGuLar SeSSion Thursday, august 27, 2026 @ 4:30 p.m. in the Central office auditorium
tures. Suggested uses of the restored structure include: 1) a civic center that can serve as a large event venue, 2). a museum highlighting the progressive history of Greene County toward gender and racial equality, 3). a Veteran’s center highlighting the role of Greene County citizens who have defended the liberty of America in every major conflict from the Revolutionary War through recent conflicts, 4). a repository of historic documents and records pertaining to the rich history of Greene County, and 5). an inclusive center that does all of the above. We invite you to tell us your ideas of possible uses in. Follow us for updates and consider becoming a partner with us in this endeavor by going to https://www.zeffy.com/.../1 846-mesopotamiafemale... to securely donate to the cause with a tax-deductible contribution, or mail your contribution to the Greene County Historical Society, PO Box 746, Eutaw AL, 35462. Please note on your check that it is for the Seminary project. No amount is too little.
-WantedSaint Paul Missionary Baptist Church of Boligee, Alabama is prayerfully seeking a full-time pastor to lead and grow our membership through preaching, teaching, shepherding and providing overall spiritual leadership. It is required that the chosen male pastor is Holy Ghost-filled and is married to a female wife. Please send resumes and inquiries to: Saint Paul Missionary Baptist Church, PO Box 158, Boligee, AL 35443. (Placing this ad is Deacon Detrick Hodges. My phone number is 205-496-9523.)
The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026 Page 3
UWA awards honorary doctorates to McCampbell, Singleton during summer commencement exercises
LIVINGSTON, Ala. — The University of West Alabama conferred honorary doctorates upon Rep. Artis J. "A.J." McCampbell and Alabama Sen. Bobby D. Singleton during summer commencement exercises on August 14. Each received the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, in recognition of distinguished public service, commitment to educational opportunity, and leadership on behalf of the people and communities of Alabama's Black Belt. McCampbell and Singleton were honored during separate commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. UWA President Dr. Todd G. Fritch said the honors recognize two leaders who understand that the University's work extends well beyond its campus, saying both have been strong advocates for UWA and its role
as a regional university serving the educational, workforce, and community needs of West Alabama. "Senator Singleton and Representative McCampbell recognize the important role a regional university plays in the lives of the people and communities it serves," Fritch said. "They understand that our graduates become the teachers, healthcare professionals, business leaders, counselors, coaches, and public servants who strengthen communities across our region. Both have demonstrated confidence in UWA's ability to serve the Black Belt and have advocated for investments that help us meet the needs of our students and the people we serve. We are deeply grateful for their partnership and their belief in the work of this University." Representative Artis J. "A.J." McCampbell
A native of Greene County, McCampbell has represented Alabama House District 71 since 2006, following a career in public safety and community service. His public service has focused on education, healthcare, economic opportunity, and quality of life in Alabama's rural communities. Fritch remarked that McCampbell recognizes UWA as an important regional resource for expanding eduopportunity, cational preparing graduates for meaningful careers, and responding to the workforce and community needs of the Black Belt. His advocacy for investments in the University's campus, academic programs, and workforce initiatives reflects his confidence in UWA's ability to serve the region and its people. “I am humbled and honored and thankful,” Mc-
A Salute to Dalajah Bryant, DCH School of Radiologic Technology My name is Dalajah Bryant, and I’m from Forkland, Alabama. I served 8 years in the Army Reserve and earned my Bachelor of Science in Biology from the illustrious Stillman College. Throughout my clinical experience, OPC at RMC quickly became my favorite clinical site. I was able to grow both personally and professionally. I am incredibly excited to share that I have ac-
cepted a position as a Computed Tomography (CT) Technologist at RMC! This journey has reperseverance, quired faith, and determination, and I am so thankful for everyone who has supported me along the way. I can’t wait to begin this next chapter, continue learning, serve my patients with compassion, and work alongside such an amazing team. Here’s to new beginnings and an exciting future.
A Salute to Mrs. Marilyn Gibson, James Poole Memorial Librarian
For 24 years, Marilyn Gibson has faithfully served at the James Poole Memorial Library in Greene County, Alabama, becoming a familiar and valued
presence in the community. Her more than two decades of service represent not only longevity, but also a deep commitment to education, literacy, and the people of Greene County. Throughout the years, Marilyn has had the opportunity to serve multiple generations of families, helping make the library a welcoming place where children can discover a love for reading, students can find resources to support their education, and community members can access information and opportunities for growth.
Her 24 years of dedicated service reflect her passion for helping others and her commitment to strengthening her community. Through consistency, kindness, and a heart for service, Marilyn continues to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those who walk through the library’s doors. Her work is more than a career—it is a legacy of service, education, and community impact. The James Poole Memorial Library is located in Eutaw and serves the Greene County community.
Special Memories Lykendreick “Ken” Sanford August 22, 1977- July 23, 1997 Ken: “Every Good and Perfect Gift Is From Above And You Were A Gift From God” Our dear sweet son, you were such a special young man sent to us from Heaven Forty Nine Years ago. Time has a way of changing things, and we know to some you are forgotten and to others just a part of the past, but to those of us who loved and lost you, your memories will always last. Thank you for all the wonderul memories and happiness that you gave us and others. You filled our earts with so much joy. Your bright, twinkling eyes and happy smile brought so much sunshine to all who knew you. You will always have a special place in our hearts. You are and will always be our pride and joy. “Happy Birthday With Lots of Love” Love Always, Ma and Pop (Marilyn – Lester Sanford)
Campbell said. “I do not take this recognition lightly and promise to do all I can to walk worthy of the designation. This university continues to be one of the shining stars of West Alabama that began educating young ladies in Livingston, Alabama, when they opened the doors in 1835 as Livingston Female Academy. I applaud the school's leadership for a continued dedication to academic excellence and student development as the foundational pillars of this great institution.” Senator Bobby D. Singleton A native of Greensboro, Singleton began his legislative service in the Alabama House of Representatives before his election to the Alabama State Senate in 2005. He represents District 24 and serves as minority leader of the Senate. Fritch shared that
throughout Singleton’s career he has advocated for education, healthcare, economic development, infrastructure, and other priorities important to Alabama's rural communities. His support for UWA reflects his belief in higher education as an investment in people and in the future of the region. He has advocated for investments in the University’s facilities, academic programs, and initiatives that strengthen UWA's ability to serve students and communities throughout West Alabama. “God has granted me the strength to be here today, for the work that I do in the Black Belt, in this region, in this state, and especially for this University, which I call the ‘jewel of the Black Belt,’” Singleton said. “The University of West Alabama gives so many opportunities to kids in an area that may not otherwise get that op-
portunity. I want to thank the University for what you do to in countless lives, for being that beacon of hope for families who otherwise would not see that hope.” UWA's summer commencement exercises recognized more than 700 summer graduates during two ceremonies on August 14, ranging from associate to doctoral degrees. Photos left to right: UWA President Dr. Todd G. Fritch and UWA Provost Dr. Amy Jones hood Representative McCampbell at the 10 a.m. summer commencement ceremony Aug. 14. McCampbell and Singleton holding their honorary doctorates. Senator Singleton addresses graduates and guests at the 1 p.m. summer commencement ceremony Aug. 14
Calling all Greene County Black Belt Community Foundation Grantees Present and former grantees are invited to participate in our first Grantee Showcase to be held on September 19th at the Eutaw Activity Center starting at 11:00 am. The foundation recently celebrated 20 years of making a difference in the Black Belt and we want to showcase the organizations in Greene County who has been and still is a part of this journey. We’re asking that you display with posters, scrapbooks, spoken or written
words, slide shows, products from your completed projects or just be creative and surprise us. This will be a time to network with other organizations, make connections, build stronger bonds and showcase the work that continues as we move forward in making Greene County a place where needs are met and our people are thriving. If you are willing to participate in our “Grantee Showcase” please RSVP by September 1st by email to
ddgr@hotmail.com or text 205-496-4960 with your name and organization’s name. We look forward to hearing from you, more details with setup times and other information will be shared at a later date. Thank you for being a part of this journey and we look forward to a successful showcase. Donations will also be accepted to continue our great works. Darlene Robinson, Community Associate
51st Annual Black Belt Folk Roots
Festival Celebrating Community The Next Chapter
Music / Dance/ Craft/ Food/ Play Saturday- August 22, 2026 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sunday- August 23, 2026 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Old Courthouse Square Eutaw, Al Produced by The Society of Folk Arts & Culture P.O. Box 566 Eutaw, Al 35462 For more information contact: Barbara Hunter or Teresa Atkins@ 205-372-0525 or email: blackbeltfest@ gmail.com
Page 4, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Greene County The Democrat The Greene County Democrat newspaper is published each Wednesday by the Greene County Democrat Newspaper Company, Inc., 206 Prairie Avenue, Eutaw, Alabama (USSR 700680). Subscription rate in county is $25 per year; elsewhere in Alabama, $30; and out of state, $35.
The March on Washington isn't about the past; It's about our future
Publishers: John and Carol Zippert Editor: Maya Quinn Office Manager: Barbara Hunter The Greene County Democrat 206 Prairie Avenue P.O. Box 598 Eutaw, AL 35462 Phone: 205-372-3373 Fax: 205-372-2243 Website:greenecodemocrat.com & facebook
By Marc Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League
Message to Non-Voters
(TriceEdneyWire.com) “The plain and simple fact is that until we went into the streets, the federal government was indifferent to our demands. It was not until the streets and jails of Birmingham were filled that Congress began to think about civil rights legislation. It was not until construction sites were picketed in the North that Negro workers were hired. We here today are only the first wave. When we leave, it will be to carry on the civil rights revolution home with us into every nook and cranny of the land.” A. Philip Randolph's 1963 March on Washington On August 28th, thousands of people from every
corner of this country will descend on the Lincoln Memorial for the 63rd anniversary of the March on Washington. As they climb the steps of the monument, much of the setting remains the same as it did those six decades ago, but we are living in a different America. The Washington Monument still stands in the distance, slightly obscuring the dome of the United States Capitol, but today the halls of power are much more diverse. The waiting pool, now coated in chipped blue paint commissioned by the White House, still reflects crowds of Americans who visit the nation’s capital every year. And Abraham Lincoln’s face still carries the gravitas of this precarious moment in history. Just as the Lincoln Memorial served as home to a resilient Marian Anderson after being denied the right to perform at Constitution Hall because of her race and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. reshaped America with his “I Have a Dream” speech, we intend to make this year’s March on Washington more than a symbolic moment. We intend to change the course of history and this country.
I will join the National Action Network and a coalition of labor, faith, and civil rights groups to defend the vote, protect equal opportunity, and demand economic dignity. This year’s March, Cochaired by Rev. Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, and Arndrea Waters King and co-convened by the National Action Network and the Drum Major Institute, is a call to action for all Americans to act in the face of growing threats to our progress. It took two years after the 1964 March on Washington for Congress to pass and codify the Voting Rights Act into law. Today, we’re demanding that Congress restore what has been stripped from us in Shelby v. Holder, roll back the damage done by Louisiana v. Callais, and enshrine the right to vote for Americans so deeply into our Constitution that challengers cannot attack it in the future. But make no mistake, we are not in any position to wait. We need action taken now. Unlike in the 1960’s when public pressure forced Congress to act with dignity and recognize the harm of ignoring statesanctioned racism and seg-
regation, we live in a world where technology is moving our attention and moods at lightning speed. What gets attention in the news this morning may be eclipsed by another outrageous headline by lunch. And what generates public outrage today gets contorted into narratives that support fragmented opinions on the direction of the country tomorrow. This March isn’t about reflecting on the past by showing up one day; it’s a continuation of a legacy and another action of sustained pressure from our coalition to demand change. The Urban League movement, comprised of affiliate CEOs and our auxiliary groups like our Urban League Young Professionals and Urban League Guild, is marching in solidarity for the future of our country. We are calling on you to be part of this movement. Sign a petition and share the March online if you can’t join us on the 28th in Washington, D.C. Get involved today by visiting and watch the livestream on nul.org.
down by the men who owned us. In November of 1836, a man named Richard escaped near Morganton, North Carolina. He got away while the brother of the man who claimed him was hauling him to Alabama. The enslaver bought newspaper space to get him back. His advertisement did not guess where Richard was headed. It told readers exactly where to look. Richard had a wife, a free woman of color named Jane Tucker. She was arranging to return to Raleigh. The ad said there was no doubt her husband would try to get to her. The man who owned Richard was not speculating. He put money behind it. He had seen enough men run toward a wife or a child to know where to send the search party. He expected his readers to know it too. Historians have been collecting those advertisements for years. The Freedom on the Move project indexes close to ninety thousand. They name wives. They name children. They name the road the man was likely taking to reach them. Capture meant brutal punishment. Escape itself could be deadly. They ran anyway. They did not wait for the war to end, either. On December 27, 1862, Henry Christian placed a notice in a Philadelphia newspaper. He was search-
ing for Richard, Rebecca, and Rachel Christian. His children. Last known to be traveling out of Winchester, Virginia. Historians at Villanova University have recovered nearly five thousand notices like it. Freed people paying for newspaper space, year after year, hunting for family sold away. Judith Giesberg, who leads that project, estimates the success rate may have been as low as two in a hundred. They kept paying anyway. Many of those notices were placed by men. Fathers. Husbands. Brothers. Herbert Gutman went through the records community by community. In the places he studied, most Black families had two parents in the house. In some rural areas it ran above eight in ten. Now come forward to our own time. Among fathers living with their small children, Black fathers were the most likely of the groups the study counted to bathe, dress, and change them every day. Seventy percent did. For White fathers, 60 percent. For Hispanic fathers, 45. Among fathers of school-age children, 41 percent of Black fathers helped with homework or checked it daily. For White fathers, 28 percent. That study covered 2006 to 2010. It is still the most recent we have, because the government stopped asking. A later look at federal
data, from 2017 to 2019, found the pattern holds for fathers living apart from their children. Nearly six in ten Black fathers saw their children weekly. For White fathers, about four in ten. That survey also has the hard number, and I will not skip it. Forty-three percent of Black fathers have at least one child living somewhere else. For White fathers it is 14%. That is not a shortage of men who want to father. Black fathers who live with their children are among the most involved in this country. The ones living apart report showing up more than anybody. Something keeps pulling them out of the house. Work left those neighborhoods. Violence rose. Prisons filled. Researchers have spent forty years untangling how the three feed one another. None of it is new. None of it is only ours. It hit Black neighborhoods first and hardest, then kept going until it reached everybody. Next week I will show you those numbers. They belong to every man in America. My friend and I did not talk about any of this over lunch. We talked about our kids. That is what fathers do.
What two fathers talk about at (TriceEdneyWire.com) - I am sure you have noticed by lunch
now that the President, some of you elected by not voting , cares nothing about you. He has not only said it over and over,but has shown you daily that he doesn't. He is incapable of telling you the truth. He does show you every day how much he cares about himself--not you!
His vanity and his cares are all about himself. I don't care how many people yell and scream at his every word he says, most of them can't even understand what he says. All they know is he allows them in his presence to see what a fool they make of themselves. If you ask them what they are cheering for, most of them couldn't tell you what he said. Many have their signs upside down! All they know is they are expected to jump up and scream when he says just anything without even knowing what the man has said. There is always one Black male down front at all of the rallies who probably just attended the event for a Tshirt that says "Blacks for Trump", a hot dog and a soda. I can't blame the one brother who is always down front if he's hungry and just needed a clean shirt. Now for the rest of our people who don't vote, you are traitors to our people. You don't know your history, and the hard-fought battle some of our people had to fight for your current rights. Some even died to give us the right to vote, and now, some are disrespecting them if they don't get up and go to the polls to do what their sacrifices gained for us--the right to vote. What we got most recently because too many otherwise eligible-to-vote people didn't, is a man who has personally benefitted from your choice not to vote. That's why we have almost daily increases in food prices, gas prices, housing prices, travel prices and everything of which you can think. Your not voting is what put him in the White House. Now what are you planning to do in November when you can make a difference in who will be elected to put the brakes on, and even overturn some of the craziness we are dealing with now. So, I hope you will accept your responsibility for what you allowed to happen in 2024. As for me, I will do everything I can to help in bringing out every voter, including you, who knows their vote matters. It can be in the number that makes life better, but that not voting almost always prevents making life better. My good friend, the late Dick Gregory, saw that hunger in this country was prevalent. He didn't sit around and say 'Ain't that a shame!" He walked from California to New York to call proper attention to the problem. You may think that was a small thing, but think instead what you are willing to do to make this nation better for all: women, children, immigrants, poorly paid teachers, young people who want to go to college, but don't have the money, for the jobless--especially for the thousands of people who lost their jobs for no reason under the current administration. Putting your name on the Kennedy Center and other buildings around town, on our passports, on certain denominations of money, on Penn Station in New York, renaming Dulles Airport or the one in Palm Beach are things of vanity for one man, and do nothing to improve the lives of Americans. If this administration is causing so many problems for so many people, doesn't it make sense for non-voters in the last election, to now feel obligated to vote so that caring about others, honesty, non-violence efforts, fairness, thoughtfulness, sharing, peace, equality and such words can return to our daily discussions and activities? Dr. E. Faye Williams is President of The Dick Gregory Society.
By Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire.com) - The slander against Black fathers is as old as the country. The men who owned us knew better. So does modern social science. In that regard, last week I had lunch with an old friend. He is a Black Republican and a popular commentator, which means we have spent twenty years disagreeing in public and liking each other in private. He would be welcome in any barbershop in America. He keeps it real in the way men in any true community require of one another. We talked about our kids. That was most of the lunch. Nothing about that would surprise any Black man reading this. Nothing about it would surprise most Black people. But every Black father carries something else around with him. We know the stereotypes: that we do not stay, that we do not provide, that we are not there. Those stories are as old as the country itself. So is the proof against them. And the proof was written
Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.
Democrats need to talk more about the economic crisis facing Black Men and Boys By Kevin Harris (TriceEdneyWire.com) Democrats aspire to be the party of working people. But if they want that message to resonate with one of their most loyal constituencies, they need to speak more directly—and more consistently—about
the specific economic challenges confronting Black men and boys. A new report from the Virginia State University John Mercer Langston Institute for African American Political Leadership provides a sobering reminder of why. The Economic State of Black Men
and Boys in the United States, authored by Dr. Wes Bellamy, establishes what its authors intend to be an annual national benchmark measuring education, employment, earnings, wealth, and economic mobility. Its findings are difficult to ignore. Black men’s enrollment at historically
Black colleges and universities has fallen to just 26 percent. Black men continue to experience some of the nation’s highest unemployment among major racial and ethnic groups. See Kevin Harris, p. 5
Kevin Harris And Black men earn roughly 77 cents for every dollar earned by White men. Yet Black men rarely receive sustained attention in national political messaging from either political party, most notably Democrats. Democrats often frame economic inequality through broad discussions of the working class. And too often Democrats operate as though Black voters are not equally apart of the working class as white voters in the South and Midwest. The party does not always recognize broad language can sometimes obscure the unique barriers facing Black men and boys. A Black man hearing about “economic opportunity for everyone” may not hear an acknowledgment of the distinct obstacles documented in reports like this one. That doesn’t mean Democrats should abandon a economic universal agenda. It means Democrats must recognize targeted problems deserve targeted attention. Imagine Democrats talking as frequently about increasing Black male college completion as they do about student debt. Imagine campaign platforms specifically highlighting the need to reduce persistently higher unemployment among Black men, expand apprenticeships and workforce training, strengthen pathways into high-paying skilled trades, and support entrepreneurship in underserved communities. Imagine party leaders regularly discussing why young Black men are disappearing from college campuses and filling up prisons and what policies could reverse that trend. There is also a political reality Democrats cannot afford to ignore as well. Black women remain the party’s most reliable voting bloc, consistently turning out at higher rates than Black men and supporting Democratic candidates by overwhelming margins. Women overall have voted at higher rates than men in every presidential election since 1980, and that pattern extends to Black voters. In the 2024 election, exit polling found that Black women continued to support the Democratic ticket at higher rates than Black men, while at the same time Republicans made measurable gains among Black men. Democrats
cannot win elections with erosion among Black men. The party is strongest by boosting Black male turnout to match Black women. Democrats shouldn’t abandon Black men or assume their concerns mirror those of every other Democratic constituency. If economic data show Black men lagging in college enrollment, employment, wages, and wealth accumulation, Democrats should address those challenges directly—not because of electoral strategy alone, but because they represent real barriers to opportunity. Speaking candidly about these issues, offering measurable solutions, and treating Black men’s economic mobility as a national priority would strengthen both public policy and the party’s ability to win elections. Black men remain a cornerstone of the Democratic coalition, but their support cannot be taken for granted. Many Black men have expressed frustration that conversations about race often overlook their economic concerns. Addressing those concerns directly is not about dividing white and Black constituencies or creating competition among coalitions that Democrats equally need to win. It is about recognizing that effective policymaking begins by honestly identifying who faces which challenges and that winning elections requires coalition building. The report itself offers recomevidence-based mendations to improve educational opportunity, workforce participation, and long-term economic success for Black men. That kind of research should become a more prominent focus of the national policy conversation as well as Democratic messaging. Stated more bluntly: Democrats should work as hard for Black male votes as they do to win “working class white” voters in the South and Midwest. Kevin Harris is a Democratic strategist who has advised over 100 campaigns and ballot measures, including the past five presidential elections, served in the Obama Administration, as a cabinet member for two big city mayors and Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.
With Heartfelt Thanks The family of Cynthia Pecolia Beckwith Smith would like to express our deepest and most heartfelt gratitude to the people of Greene County and the surrounding communities for the tremendous outpouring of love and support shown to our family during the loss of our beloved mother, wife, grandmother, and friend. Mom lived in Greene County for many years, and throughout that time she touched the lives of so many people. She was loved by many, and the kindness shown to her and to our family during this difficult time has meant more to us than words can truly express. To everyone who called, texted, visited, brought food, sent flowers, offered prayers, shared memories, attended her services, or simply took the time to let us know that you cared — thank you. Every act of kindness, no matter how big or small, helped carry us through some very difficult days. We especially want to thank everyone who has continued to check on and support J.C. Smith (Hook), Mom’s beloved husband, as he learns to navigate life without his wife by his side. Your love and kindness have not gone unnoticed. It is during times of loss that we truly see the strength of a community, and Greene County showed our family just how much love a community can give. We are incredibly grateful that Mom was surrounded by so much love during her life and that her memory continues to bring people together. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you. We will never forget the kindness, prayers, love, and support you have shown our family. With sincere gratitude,
The Family of Cynthia Pecolia Beck with Smith
The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Page 5
Senate Sketches #2042.....by Hank Sanders
Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August “I am going to Greeneville next week for the Eighth of August Celebration if I can get someone to ride with me.” These words were spoken by Faya Rose Toure, also known as Rose M. Sanders and originally known as Rose Mary Gaines. We were sitting around the table in the Oscar Adams Conference Room reviewing the Law Office Calendar for the next month. I knew I had a lot to do on Friday, August 7th and a lot on Monday, August 10th. August 8th was on Saturday this year. Greeneville, Tennessee is between 400 and 500 miles from Selma. I could tell Faya was very determined from the rhythm and tone of her voice. It was clearly very important to her. I volunteered to drive Faya to the Eighth of August Celebration. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Faya’s Father and Mother were born and raised in Mobile. Her father was an AMEZ (African Methodist Episcopal Zion) minister for more than 50 years. The AMEZ Church determines where Pastors are assigned. Faya’s family moved from place to place because Faya’s father, Reverend D. A. Gaines, was assigned to Pastor various churches in North Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee and Alabama. Greeneville was the place that Faya’s family stayed the longest during her youth. The family moved there when she was in the third grade and remained there until she graduated from George Clem High School and went off to college in North Carolina. Her deepest roots were in Greeneville. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. They did not celebrate July 4th in Greeneville; they celebrated Eighth of August. I will tell you how that came about. Andrew Johnson was a U. S. Senator from Tennessee when the American Civil War commenced. When Tennessee succeeded from the Union in 1861, he was the only U.S. Senator from a Southern State that did not resign. He was committed to the Union although he held enslaved persons. When the Union Army was victorious in Tennessee in 1863, President Abraham Lincoln appointed Andrew Johnson as Military Governor for Tennessee. Johnson held enslaved persons who worked in his home. Eastern Tennessee did not have farmland conducive to plantations since it is in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. After being appointed Military Governor of Tennessee, Andrew Johnson decided to liberate the enslaved persons working for him. He did so on August 8, 1863. He lived in Greeneville, Tennessee. Subsequently, Abraham Lincoln selected Andrew Johnson as his Vice Presidential running mate in 1864, in an effort to hold on to votes in border states. Lincoln was reelected President, and Johnson became Vice President. When Lincoln was assassinated on April 11, 1865, Johnson became President of the United States. I always thought that Andrew Johnson set the Freedom of African Americans back through his political actions as President. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Andrew Johnson did not seek an elected term of the Presidency in 1868 and returned to Greeneville, Tennessee. General Ulysses Grant succeeded him as President. In 1871, Sam Johnson, who had been en-
slaved by Andrew Johnson, initiated the first celebration of Freedom from Slavery in Greeneville. It was called Emancipation Day and was set on August 8th. There was a parade with a program at the end. Former President Andrew Johnson attended the program and spoke to the gathering. It eventually became known as Eighth of August Celebration, shortened to just Eighth of August. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. The celebration spread to other locales in Eastern Tennessee. Then it spread to parts of Kentucky and Missouri. This is the celebration that Faya Rose participated in as a youth. The Eighth of August was important in her roots. That’s part of the reason that Faya wanted to return and part of the reason I wanted to help her return to her roots. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Faya was salutatorian of her graduation class. Some of the teachers said that she really was the valedictorian, but status determined that position. She was a star basketball player averaging 28 points a game. Greeneville is a place filled with special memories for her. Some years ago, the girls basketball coach told me that he had coached football, track, boys’ basketball, girls’ basketball and other sports. He said in all that time he only had one player that you could not tell whether the team’s score was 2 points behind, 2 points ahead, 20 points behind or 20 points ahead. He said that player was Rose Mary Gaines who went all out on every play of the game. He also said that if he had two players like that on every team, he would have won state championships in every sport every year. While Faya was leading the team, they won two girls’ state basketball championships. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Eighth of August was very big this year, 2026. There were thousands in attendance. The numbers of attendees surprised me. What surprised me even more was that it appeared to be as many White people and Latino people as Black people at the celebration. The celebration commenced on Thursday and continued through Sunday. Some of Faya’s schoolmates from the 1950s and early 1960s returned for the Eighth of August, which added to her root connections. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. I had heard so many stories springing from Greeneville, Tennessee. The Black population at that time was just one percent or so of the total population. Faya’s parents could vote without problems even though the usual segregation existed. One time the mayor called Faya’s father to tell him that some of his children were engaged in a sit in at the drug store. He somehow expected Reverend D. A. Gaines to make his children stop protesting segregation. Instead, Reverend D. A. Gaines said, “Tell me where they are so I can go join them.” The mayor hung up. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. One of my favorite stories is about Gypsy Montgomery, a schoolmate who stayed at Faya’s family home a lot. The following event may be exaggerated. As told to me, a big strong football player was the school bully. He bullied lots of students. Gypsy refused to be bullied, so the football player knocked her down.
Gypsy got up, and he knocked her down again. This happened over and over. Finally, the bully started begging Gypsy not to get up so he would not have to knock her down again. Gypsy kept getting up. The bully started crying and hugging Gypsy. He never bullied anyone again. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Our roots are powerful. When seeds germinate, they grow in two directions: one direction is up and the other direction is down. One direction produces roots and the other produces vegetation. The roots are not seen, but they steady us against the winds of life. They also nourish us as we grow up and out in life. What we see above ground depends on what is below the ground. Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August. Now on to the Daily Diary. Saturday, August 8, 2026 – I was still in Greeneville, Tennessee for the Eighth of August Celebration. I attended Saturday’s Eighth of August activities at George Clem High School. Among others, I communicated with the following: Faya Rose Toure of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee; Gypsy Montgomery of West Virginia; Demopolis City Councilman Charles Jones, Jr.; SCLC President Emeritus Dr. Charles Steele; and Dr. Margaret Hardy of Selma. Sunday – I was still in Greeneville, Tennessee. I hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Faya Rose Toure on Facebook Live and Z105.3 FM 50,000 Watt Radio Station and drove between 400 miles and 500 miles back to Selma. Among others, I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of the Selma to Montgomery March Foundation; Josephine Curtis of Selma; David Gaines and Ursala Stripling of Birmingham; Charles Sanders of Baldwin County; and Dr. Fannie McKenzie of McDonough, Georgia. Monday – I handled various matters, traveled to Wilcox County, handled additional matters, returned to Selma, participated in a birthday event and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Fourth Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Marvin Wiggins; Retired Circuit Judge Collins Pettaway, Jr.; U.S. Congressman Jonathan Jackson; Marion Mayor Dexter Hinton; Andrew Marks of Washington, D.C.; Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier; and Franklin Fortier, Ayira Fortier, Ayanna Fortier, Asa Fortier and Asha Fortier of Selma. Tuesday – I walked, handled many matters, participated in conference calls and worked deep into the night. Among others, I
communicated with the following: Marilyn Cosby, Karen Jackson and KC Bailey of Selma; Johnny Chambers and Beverly Chambers of Wilcox County; Judy Stevens of Bay Minette; Retired College President and Current Chair of the Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority Dr. James Mitchell; Craig Field Authority Vice Chair Amos Moore; Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) State Coordinator Shelley Fearson; and Earlene Arnold of Wilcox County. Wednesday – I handled various matters, participated in meetings and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Lowndes County School Samita Superintendent Jeter; Dr. Sonya Webb of the Lowndes County School System; Former Lowndes County Administrator Jackie Thomas; Geraldine Wofford, Jessie Sanders, Lametrius Drillard and Charlene Williams of Selma; and Steve Thomason of Montgomery. Thursday – I handled various matters, participated on an SOS Conference call, traveled to Lowndes County and returned to Selma well into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Dr. Hari Naga Garapati of Montgomery; Bertha Walker of Selma; Law Professor Emerita Martha Morgan; Reverend Jarmal Sanders and Queen Tate of Selma; Karen Jones of Montgomery; Greene County School Superintendent Dr. Timothy Thurman; and Lowndes County School Board members Steve Forster, Travis Rogers, and Brant McCray. Friday – I handled many matters and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Dr. Carol Prejean Zippert of Lake Charles, Louisiana; Selma Businessman Raymond Craig; Greene County School Board President Leo Branch; Rosie Whiting of Lowndes County; and Mary Coleman of Ohio. Epilogue – History has a way of growing itself. The Eighth of August is such an example. One man acted. Another man lifted that action in celebration. The celebration grew to involve thousands over several days each year. The Sojourn to Roots: Eighth of August.
Page 6, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026
EarthTalk From the Editors of E The Environmental Magazine Dear EarthTalk: How is Bulgaria moving away from coal and toward cleaner energy, and what challenges are standing in the way? —Ivan Dimitrov, Mount Prospect, IL For decades, Bulgaria’s domestic energy landscape has been anchored by its nuclear capabilities and vast lignite coal reserves, particularly at the Maritsa East complex—one of the largest open-pit coal opera-
Bulgaria is struggling to move away from coal and toward renewables. Credit: Pexels.
tions in Europe. However, escalating costs for European Union greenhouse gas emission certificates and shifting geopolitical dynamics have forced a structural reevaluation. The country is moving away from traditional state-guaranteed feed-in tariffs toward a highly competitive, subsidy-free merchant market. However, the primary bottleneck to Eastern Eu-
rope's green transition is no longer a lack of investment capital, but rather insufficient grid absorption capacity and regulatory red tape. Bulgaria’s aging electricity network was not designed to handle large amounts of variable solar and wind power. To prevent speculative developers from hoarding grid capacity without building projects, Bulgaria introduced reforms to its
Bree Carroll In a self-help landscape saturated with high-vibe cheerleading and vague motivational fluff, Bree Carroll’s All Things EPIC: The CARE Blueprint for Designing a Life with Purpose, Impact, and Community arrives as a grounded, refreshing structural intervention. Written for high-capacity women who are quietly navigating the friction of living a life that looks enviable on paper but feels hollow in practice, Carroll offers something far more durable than temporary inspiration: she offers an engineer’s blueprint for sustainable personal transformation. Carroll, a civil engineer, entrepreneur, military spouse, and mother of three, draws directly on her background in structural design to diagnose a pervasive cultural phenomenon. High-achieving women are rarely failing; rather, as Carroll observes early in the text, they are compensating. They are white-knuckling success, managing households and careers, and settling for the "familiarity of fine" while quietly setting aside their own ambitions. All Things EPIC is built on the premise that wanting more out of life does not require burning down your current reality or ignoring past trauma. Instead, it requires structural alignment. The CARE Blueprint: Engineering Personal Alignment is the core of the book. It centers on the CARE Blueprint, a repeatable framework designed to move readers through the emotional and practical hurdles of personal expansion. Where Carroll’s methodology excels is in its refusal to treat personal growth as an abstract exercise. Across eight methodically structured chapters, the book guides readers from internal permission to concrete execution: Reclaiming the Narrative: Early chapters confront the internal friction that stops women from taking action. Carroll places the burden and opportunity of vision squarely on the
Renewable Energy Sources Act. These changes mandate a financial guarantee of roughly €25,500 per MW for new grid applications and establish fast-track, 12month administrative pipelines for priority wind and solar infrastructure. Simultaneously, the integration of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has emerged as a critical technical defense against grid instability. Supported by the EU’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), the country is working to commission over 1,000 MW of co-located storage alongside 2,660 MW of new renewable capacity. In an energy security briefing for the Center for the Study of Democracy, analyst Martin Vladimirov emphasized that the grid requires storage assets to prevent midday congestion. These utility-scale batteries are de-
signed to capture excess midday solar generation and discharge it during peak evening hours, mitigating grid congestion that stifles regional energy trading. Transitioning to a clean energy economy also carries socioeconomic risks. The Maritsa East mining region supports thousands of livelihoods. To prevent economic marginalization, the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy is utilizing the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) Just Transition Mechanism. This strategic framework focuses on land reclamation, economic diversification, and retraining programs to pivot skilled coal miners toward positions in green hydrogen development, grid digitalization, and sustainable manufacturing. The challenge reflects a dilemma across Eastern Europe: countries must cut carbon emissions without
sacrificing reliable electricity, affordable energy or the economic security of communities that have depended on coal for generations. Everyday people can advance progress by encouraging local authorities to establish regulatory frameworks for rooftop solar cooperatives, allowing neighborhoods to generate and share power locally. Citizens can collaborate with technical universities and trade schools to support curricula for green energy infrastructure jobs. Ultimately, Bulgaria’s experience shows that replacing coal is not a matter of installing more solar panels and wind turbines. The harder task is modernizing the grid, adding storage and ensuring that workers and communities tied to the old energy economy have a meaningful place in the new one.
reader, noting that while a lack of initial dreaming may not be entirely our fault, choosing to start is entirely our responsibility. Assessing the Foundation: True to her engineering roots, Carroll insists on a candid evaluation of what lies beneath the surface. From unhealed wounds and personal boundaries to financial discipline and social ecosystems, the text makes it clear that unaddressed foundational issues will inevitably cap personal growth. Reinforcing and Engaging: Moving past vision boards, Carroll demystifies the selfmade narrative, advocating instead for sustainable support systems and personal boundaries. The emphasis remains on consistent, aligned action, reminding readers that progress requires honesty and momentum rather than flawless perfection. What makes All Things EPIC a standout read is Carroll's direct, actionable cadence. She bridges practical financial wisdom, spiritual grounding, and rigorous self-accountability without shifting into preachy territory. Her insight that "EPIC isn’t doing more, it’s choosing better" serves as a vital standard for readers drowning in over-commitment. By pairing structural metaphors with deeply relatable insights, Carroll has crafted a guide for those who have done the journaling, read the classic self-help titles, prayed the prayers, and yet find themselves overthinking and under-executing. All Things EPIC is a compelling, pragmatic read that refuses to offer easy platitudes. For any woman ready to trade the comfort of "fine" for a life designed with deliberate purpose, impact, and community, Bree Carroll’s blueprint provides the exact framework needed to build it. A must-read and a wonderful gift for anyone forging a path, All Things EPIC is a necessary chapter in self-development for all.
GCHS As GCHS increases revenue through patient care, insurance reimbursement, grants, and other outside sources, local resources can remain available for other community needs. "Every dollar we can bring into Greene County from outside sources is a dollar we don't have to ask somebody here for," Williams said. "That gives the County Commission, Sheriff's Department, and other organizations more ability to use their resources for the other responsibilities they have to the people of Greene County." Creating Healthcare Professionals—and Reasons to Stay GCHS is developing and expanding educational partnerships with Wallace Community College, the University of West Alabama, the University of Alabama, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Several education and workforce pipelines are already active, with additional opportunities being developed. GCHS wants Greene County to produce healthcare professionals who can work within the local Health System and throughout the surrounding region. "We want our own citizens to have the opportunity to compete for these careers," Williams said. "We want the people of Greene County to have access to the education that allows them to qualify for good healthcare jobs." Healthcare that serves the community Community utilization of the hospital has increased substantially, and it has operated at
Africa Investment Summit
Nana Agyeman Prempeh, president of the Millennium Excellence Foundation, which is organizing the Africa Business Investment Summit, said it includes projects actively seeking financing as well as deals already in negotiation that are being curated for investors attending the Aug. 27-28 gathering at MGM National Harbor. “It’s not just capital that is already committed, but it’s an addressable opportunity that we’re putting in front of the investors that are coming,” Prempeh told Black Press USA. Prempeh argues that conditions for doing so have changed considerably. “Over the past few years, we’ve seen stronger regulatory institutions, more sophisticated blended finance instruments that pair public and private capital, and policy reforms across multiple African markets,” he said. “The risk-to-return looks materially different from what it was a decade ago.” Prempeh’s argument comes amid a broader rethink of how African development should be financed—one increasingly centered on investment and the continent’s own financial resources rather than dependence on traditional foreign aid. But the debate over whether foreign aid should remain central to Africa’s development is much older. In her 2009 book Dead Aid, Zambian-born economist Dambisa Moyo argued that even well-intentioned assistance can undermine local economies. She illustrated the point with a hypothetical African mosquito-net manufacturer employing 10 workers: flooding the community with 100,000 donated nets might meet an immediate public-health need, she reasoned, but could also put the local producer out of business, eliminating jobs and future production capacity. Moyo’s argument for trade, investment and greater access to capital markets sparked considerable debate. Nearly two decades later, as traditional aid flows shrink, African institutions are increasingly looking to private investment and domestic resources to finance development. “De-risking the opportunities using guarantees … unlocks domestic capital, and domestic capital leads the way for global capital to come in,” Banji Fehintola, head of financial services at the Africa Finance Corporation, told Reuters. For Prempeh, ABIS is intended to put that argument into practice. Rather than organizing the summit primarily around speeches and panel discussions, he said the program has been structured around curated deal rooms, sector-specific investment sessions, government roundtables and private meetings between investors and project sponsors. “Most African investment conferences have been built around panels and photo opportunities,” Prempeh said. “I think it’s less a conference and more of a two-day convening designed to move capital, and not just discuss it.” Prempeh identified Ghana and Nigeria as the countries currently “leading the pack,” pointing to projects in infrastructure, mining and oil and what he described as a strong appetite for American capital. Nigeria, in particular, is “really, really looking for investor capital,” Prempeh said, pointing to the level of Nigerian participation expected at the summit as evidence of that interest. But Prempeh said attracting money alone will not determine whether the summit succeeds. Asked what billions in investment would mean for Africans outside the summit’s private deal rooms, Prempeh pointed to jobs, local ownership, infrastructure and opportunities for African businesses. The goal, he said, is for communities to see “better roads, more employment, and more local businesses.”
or near capacity in recent days. Patient demand at the Physicians Clinic, however, has declined. GCHS leadership is working to reverse that trend by improving scheduling, access, and the overall patient experience. The health system hired a new Physician’s Clinic director and an additional nurse practitioner as part of a revamp of clinic operations. "The community is using us, and we are extremely grateful for that," Williams said. "But increased utilization means we have to respond. We don't want more patients to simply mean longer waits." The additional provider capacity is also expected to improve Emergency Department efficiency by increasing the clinic's ability to accommodate primary care, walk-in, and lower-severity patients. This allows physicians greater availability in the Emergency Department and the hospital. "We're not asking people to lower their expectations because they live in Greene County," Williams said. "The standard shouldn't simply be what's acceptable for rural Alabama. We want to measure ourselves against healthcare across the United States." In closing, Williams wants to thank the citizens of Greene County for their continued support and trust in the health system’s staff. "We thank the people of Greene County for noticing the upgrades and improvements we're making," Williams said. "Our elderly citizens deserve to be treated with the same dignity, respect, and quality of care they would expect anywhere else. Growing older in Greene County should never mean accepting a lower standard of care."
Prempeh said the Millennium Excellence Foundation intends to follow deals beyond the summit, tracking capital ultimately deployed and jobs created over the following six months and year. When pressed for a specific dollar amount or number of completed deals that would define success, however, he did not set a numerical benchmark. Who Defines African Investment Risk? As the continent’s most populous nation and one of its largest economies, the country offers enormous opportunities across infrastructure, energy, technology, and other sectors. Yet international perceptions of Nigeria are also frequently shaped by reports of terrorism, kidnapping, and political instability. Prempeh argued that those distinctions can become lost when Nigeria is viewed primarily through the lens of insecurity. He pointed to international companies that have successfully operated in Nigeria for years and said that Nigerian officials attending ABIS are expected to address investor concerns directly. Representatives from Lagos and other states, he said, will outline measures they say have been put in place to provide greater security and certainty for investors. The question for ABIS organizers is whether they can persuade American investors to evaluate opportunities project by project and market by market rather than through generalized perceptions of risk. The growing use of guarantees and other financial protections across the continent suggests African institutions themselves are not arguing that risk does not exist. Instead, they are increasingly trying to identify, price, and mitigate it in ways that make projects attractive to institutional capital. A Call to the African Diaspora Prempeh’s pitch is not directed solely at Wall Street or institutional investors. For Black Americans and the broader African diaspora, he framed Africa’s economic development in more personal terms—as an opportunity for ownership, entrepreneurship and reconnection. “I think the time has come where African Americans [come] to Africa to own what is rightfully theirs,” Prempeh said. “This is the time that African Americans start coming back home and partner with your brothers and sisters in Africa,” he said. Prempeh also acknowledged that such a relationship is not automatic. Cultural barriers between Africans and African Americans remain, he said, and overcoming them will require greater understanding on both sides. The summit will be held under the patronage of Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, King of the Asante Kingdom, who is scheduled to deliver the opening royal keynote. Ghana’s Vice President Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, government representatives from several African countries, and business leaders are also expected to participate. Prempeh said details of individual projects within the $4 billion pipeline were still being curated and would be released as the summit approaches. Asked what Black Press USA should look for if it called him a year from now to determine whether ABIS had succeeded, Prempeh did not respond with a dollar figure. “I’m very optimistic,” he said. “I believe that what we’ve started is going to be one that is going to make waves.” Then he invoked Wakanda, the fictional African nation home to the Marvel superhero Black Panther, to describe the future he hopes the summit can help set in motion. “Wakanda … has started.”
The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 12, 2026, Page 7
Political Prisoners It was nearly impossible to remain oblivious to Black political struggle while living in Philadelphia, a city mired in a brutal history of police terror aimed narrowly at the Black community. Under the reign of former Philadelphia police commissioner Frank Rizzo, Black neighborhoods were targeted and regularly brutalized by his police force. The first Black political prisoner in Philly I learned about was Mumia Abu-Jamal, the incarcerated journalist convicted of murdering a Philadelphia police officer whose dispatches from the bowels of Pennsylvania’s carceral system exposed the state’s incessant war against Black liberation in general and Black prisoners in particular. His name was written into the very fabric of the city, with “Free Mumia” posters lining storefront walls and plastered on trees. At the same time, I was introduced to lesser-known Black women political prisoners through Ramona Africa’s activism. Africa was a member of the MOVE family, a radical, back-to-nature group that lived communally and fiercely resisted technology and state intervention. Africa was a regular fixture on campus, organizing and protesting to bring recognition to her comrades who had been locked away since the August 1978 police siege of the group’s Powelton Village home. Following a shootout during that military-style raid, a single bullet killed a police officer. Even though the MOVE members claimed the officer was killed by friendly fire and ballistics could not trace the shot to a specific weapon, the state found nine members of the commune guilty of third-degree murder. Much of the coverage was focused on the five men who were locked away, and very little media attention was given to the four women who were found guilty and imprisoned. One of the women, Debbie Africa, gave birth to a son while in prison. Two of the other women, Janine and Janet Africa, would go on to spend more than four decades in prison before their 2019 release on parole. Janine’s losses stretched across those decades on both sides of her sentence. Two years before the 1978 raid, during a scuffle between the police and MOVE, Janine was knocked over while holding her baby, Life. The infant died shortly after. While she was behind bars, Janine tragically lost another son, 12-year-old Lil Phil, in 1985 when Philadelphia police dropped a bomb on the collective’s new communal home, situated just three miles away from my college dorm. As evidenced by Janine’s experiences of having lost two children at the hands of the state, Black women political prisoners face distinct layers of reproductive and psychological injustices. The targeted warfare on Black women is a terrifying pattern that repeats across American carceral history. To be a Black woman revolutionary meant risking your own freedom while simultaneously having to protect your children from the state. We see this in the story of the late hip-hop star Tupac Shakur’s mother, Afeni. Afeni Shakur was a brilliant strategist and member of the New York Black Panther Party, arrested in 1969 as part of the Panther 21 conspiracy case. Facing a seemingly insurmountable 300 years in prison, Afeni spent much of her pretrial detention inside the oppressive walls of the Women’s House of Detention in Greenwich Village while pregnant with Tupac. The carceral conditions inside the facility were notoriously inhumane, defined by spoiled food and a lack of basic necessities like toilet paper. Afeni and her co-defendant Joan Bird reported prison doctors who seemed keen on subjecting women to invasive, non-consensual examinations. While behind bars awaiting trial, she faced severe malnutrition and obtained a court order that allowed her one glass of milk and a hard-boiled egg a day. While she successfully defeated the state’s charges against her, Shakur’s story is a reminder of the added psychological and physical torture designed specifically to break the resolve of pregnant Black women revolutionaries, who also faced pressure from men within the movement to procreate and produce the next generation of revolutionaries and freedom fighters. While Afeni Shakur gave birth to Tupac one month after being released from prison, Black women political prisoners like Debbie Africa, who gave birth to her son Mike Africa behind bars, often did so under surveillance and duress that rarely made it into the record, a detail advocates and historians alike say gets lost because the official story
of Black political imprisonment centered Black men and their experiences with incarceration. The male-centered focus similarly obscures the deep relationships some of these women formed, such as the rumored romantic relationship Afeni is believed to have built with fellow political activist Carol Crooks. The two women were incarcerated together, and after Tupac was born, Shakur briefly gave him the last name Crooks. Years later, in August of 1974, just three years after the infamous, male-led Attica prison uprising, Crooks sparked a rebellion of her own from inside a women’s prison in Bedford Hills, New York. The rebellion at Bedford Hills began after Crooks successfully challenged the facility’s practice of throwing women into solitary confinement without advance notice of the charges against them. Guards retaliated by beating her and locking her back in solitary. More than 200 women rose up in response, taking over sections of the prison and holding guards hostage. The August Rebellion still stands as one of the biggest women’s prison uprisings in U.S. history and effectively forced New York to guarantee due process rights for incarcerated people, a protection that holds today. Crooks won her fight from inside prison. One of our more well-known Black political revolutionaries, Assata Shakur, broke free from prison walls, only to trade one confinement for another, exiled for the rest of her life from the country that bore her and never stopped hunting her. As the one-year anniversary of Shakur’s death approaches, I have found myself reflecting deeply on the four and a half decades she spent in exile. Convicted of murdering a police officer and freed by Black Liberation Army members who visited her in prison and helped her escape, she resurfaced five years later in Havana, Cuba. Staying free for Assata meant remaining in hiding there and staying careful, watching who she trusted, and how she moved around the country. She was never fully able to let her guard down in a country that granted her asylum but couldn’t erase the reach of a government still hunting her. It’s hard not to imagine what Shakur might have offered us had she made her way back to America as a free woman. A public return for Assata Shakur would have been a monumental victory for global Black liberation movements and served as a living testament to survival. Perhaps we can still hold out hope that a posthumous literary offering surfaces the same way we still get surprise archival music drops from our musical icons who have gone on to glory. In the meantime, we have Black women activists like Angela Davis to learn from. Angela Davis spent more than a year in prison after being charged with kidnapping, murder, and criminal conspiracy for a courthouse shootout she wasn’t present for that killed a judge and three others. While she was ultimately acquitted of all charges, her experiences in prison led her to a lifetime of work on prison abolition and advocacy for political prisoners. Women like Angela Davis were the backbone of these Black liberation movements. In fact, women made up more than 60% of the Black Panther Party at its height. More of our remembrances of Black August need to recall that when the state targeted Black women, their imprisonment placed them among the most vulnerable people inside, subjected to severe reproductive injustice, forced family separations, and intense medical exploitation designed to break their spirits and resolve. In a letter to Davis during her imprisonment, writer James Baldwin articulated the collective stakes of this reality, saying that “we must fight for your life as if it were our own.” That solidarity fueled Davis’ long-held belief that all of our stories and lives are inextricably bound together, a reminder that the perimeter of our shared freedom is only as safe as the most vulnerable among us. Or, as both Baldwin and Davis once warned about when it comes to the vulnerability of Black women freedom fighters, if they come for me in the morning, they will come for you by night.
Liz Wills-O’Gilvies O’Gilvie, 63, also a member of the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force in Massachusetts, stopped eating over a week ago because “I couldn’t sleep at night, with a full belly knowing that children and their families across the State were hungry.” She is calling on Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey and all Governors across the country to immediately “find any loose change in their [state] pockets,” to expand state agency staffing and take action to reach all SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients who have lost SNAP benefits “through no fault of their own,” but due to the draconian rule changes, and to immediately restore them to the program. O’Gilvie explained that it started like this: “My neighbor came to my house and asked if she could borrow some food. She told me that her kids had been playing with some neighbor kids and their mother gave her own kids sandwiches. Her kids told the neighbor that they were hungry too, but the mother did not offer them a sandwich – instead she called the Department of Children and Families.” “My neighbor told me that DCF was coming by to visit her house but that the pantries that usually open on Friday did not open that Friday. I told her ‘You don’t borrow food’, and that I would buy her some food. Liz read DTA correspondence and helped her to set up an online account with DTA. Her lapse in SNAP benefits was all paper – her signature was needed on one document and a birth certificate was not on file for one of her children. “The idea that DCF might be coming to her house due to paperwork was horrifying for me,” said Liz. “I understood that this was happening in every single city and every single state. I had to do something.” “I am standing in hunger out of love for my neighbors—I am sad and mad that people don’t have what they need,” O’Gilvie continued.
She noted that she worked closely legislators and advocates Massachusetts Healthy Incentives Program (HIP), a state-funded SNAP matching program that is automatically added to every SNAP recipient’s account each month, and accessed when their EBT card is used to buy healthy, local fruits and vegetables from HIP-approved farm vendors. The program was first piloted in Springfield, Mass. These HIP benefits are accessible to every SNAP recipient, even if they have only one cent left on their SNAP benefit card. The HIP benefit ranges from $40-$80 per month depending on family size, helping to fill the gap until the family's next SNAP benefit arrives. A farmer herself, Liz works with a network of producers across the state. She noted that, as this program grew since its formal enactment in 2016, farmers in Massachusetts have expanded their markets with over $100 million in additional SNAP sales. That is another key point she, and Rural Coalition, want policy makers and the public to understand. SNAP is not just a critical and effective food program. It also expands the economic viability of farm and ranch operations and local grocers and retailers, and benefits rural communities and their livelihoods, and the health of our overall national economy. Passage of a strong Farm Bill is essential to addressing the dire economic conditions farmers and ranchers nationwide are facing, including impacts of tariffs and lost markets, high input costs, disruptions in federal funding, extreme weather conditions, inflation, and much more. As an organization representing thousands of farmers and ranchers across the U.S., Rural Coalition members join O’Gilvie’s call for full restoration of SNAP funds at the national level. These cuts are hurting not just hungry communities, but also producers, because the dollars invested in SNAP and related programs support a critical market for producers in Massachusetts and across the nation.
SNAP crisis arises as a result of H.R. 1 cuts Rural Coalition calls for immediate action at the State and Federal levels The current crisis emerged due to changes enacted in the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”, also known as H.R.1, which took effect on July 4, 2025. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, H.R.1 made “deep cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)…shifting significant new costs to states…We expect these harms to grow as states fully implement eligibility restrictions and take actions to lower their error rates.” (see SNAP Tracker- Center for Budget Policies and Priorities) Since then, over 64,000 children have been dropped from SNAP rolls in Massachusetts alone. The total number of Massachusetts families who lost benefits through these attempts to bring down payment error rates is over 160,000, which includes eligible families who shouldn’t have been terminated. Behind those numbers, families are being forced to make impossible choices about how to put food on the table, at a time when food costs remain high and community food systems are under immense pressure. In their consideration of the long-delayed renewal of the 2018 Farm Bill, Congress has thus far failed to restore cuts made to the SNAP Program in H.R 1. On August 6, 2026, the Senate Agriculture Committee considered only partial delays to the deep cuts to the program already going into effect, cuts which will force states to cover more of the costs administering SNAP and other program costs based on SNAP payment error rates in each state. O’Gilvie’s action is directed at bringing increased attention to the causes and reallife consequences families can face when so-called “error rates”—which encompass administrative barriers, paperwork problems, staffing limitations or delays—interrupt access to nutrition assistance. As the impact of these changes grows, O’Gilvie reflected that “I needed to do something to help them to understand what is happening.” For the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget, Massachusetts’ Anti-Hunger Task Force recommended $147.7 million in funding to bolster staffing at the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA), the state agency responsible for administering SNAP. Only $122 million was approved—more than $25 million below the Task Force’s recommendation—was signed into effect. Community members across Massachusetts continue to report widespread disruptions to program services as a result of staffing shortages at DTA. For O’Gilvie, this funding gap has significant consequences for families navigating an already strained system. In the second week of May 2026, she assisted a 70-year-old woman with setting up her online SNAP account and uploading required recertification documents. That same woman notified her that her SNAP benefits were finally reinstated in late July 2026. “Elders at 70 years old can’t travel to the offices to recertify or correct errors in addresses and often don’t have the ability to access online systems” said O’Gilvie. “At the Department of Transitional Assistance, only one in 5 calls is now being answered. And because elders often have special health needs, they can’t find the food they need at food pantries.” Farmers are losing critical markets as SNAP access declines
Rural Coalition members across the nation ask you to join us in calling on policy makers and the public to support and amplify O’Gilvie’s call for immediate action at the State and Federal level to restore SNAP benefits to children and families. This includes concerted cooperation and action to provide states more time and funds for staffing to assist the additional populations, including elders up to age 65, veterans, caregivers of children over age 14, people experiencing homelessness, and those living in areas with few job opportunities who under H.R. 1 were newly added to the groups who must submit detailed documentation to meet the program’s work requirements. We further call on you to reach out to your own state leaders and members of Congress to examine what is happening in your own states and determine to what extent eligible residents are losing or struggling to recertify their SNAP benefits because of administrative barriers, and what funding and action is necessary to meet these needs. Finally, during last week’s Senate Agriculture Committee Farm Bill Mark-up Senator Cory Booker noted that the Agriculture Committees have heard from so many constituencies who benefit from this nation’s Farm Bill, but not the voices of the people who need and use SNAP and other federal food programs. As Members of Congress return home for town halls, State Fairs, and other public events in the coming weeks, we encourage you to reach out to SNAP recipients, farmers and ranchers, advocates, and rural community members and to help ensure their experiences and needs are uplifted and widely shared. We stand in solidarity with O’Gilvie as she calls attention to families struggling to access Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and urges leaders to recognize the broader consequences for families, farmers and local economies. We urge supporters across the country to call their Governors and demand action to protect families who have lost or are at risk of losing SNAP benefits. We also call on Congress to hear directly from families, farmers and ranchers, and rural communities affected by these cuts and to restore SNAP funding through the Farm Bill. Stand with Liz: Take action to protect SNAP and those who need and use the program As we reach the end of the month, as SNAP benefits run out for many families, Rural Coalition joins Ms. Wills-O'Gilvie in her call to the public to commit to taking additional actions to help our neighbors including: Rushing support to your local Food Banks. Donating half of your CSA share to someone who needs it. Asking producers to open your fields to faith communities willing to glean and distribute foods after the harvest. Making sure policymakers know of your actions and concerns. Finally, please share this message widely on social media and in your community. Liz Wills-O’Gilvie has chosen to go without food because too many of her neighbors are being forced to do the same. Her choice is a call to action. We cannot allow her to stand in hunger alone. Please join us.
Page 8, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026
Greene County Housing Authority youths receive uniforms, shoes, hair cuts and socks through community generosity
Eutaw, AL — Youths at the Greene County Housing Authority are beginning the school year with greater confidence and the essential supplies they need, thanks to the generosity of dedicated community supporters. Attorney John Stamps, III recently donated brand-new school uniform shirts for students ages 4 to 11. They received a total of 105 pairs of brand-new shoes and matching socks. The donation was made possible by Ms. Susan Kirkpatrick and Mr. Kyle Alexander, representing Samaritan’s Feet of Hoover, AL. The Clipper King Barber Shop and The Men of Valor provided awesome haircuts to the young men. Providing proper uniforms helps young learners across grade levels feel a sense of belonging, pride, and readiness as they begin the new school year. Proper footwear is essential to a child’s health, comfort, and ability to participate fully in daily school activities. These meaningful contribution were a tremendous blessing to local children and their families. “When our community comes together to support our young learners, it helps build a foundation for lifelong success,” representatives from the Greene County Housing Authority said. “We extend our deepest gratitude to Atty. John Stamps, Ms. Susan Kirkpatrick, Mr. Kyle Alexander, and Samaritan’s Feet for their kindness, leadership, and unwavering commitment to our children.” The smiles on the students’ faces as they received their new shirts, shoes, hair cuts and socks served as a powerful reminder of the lasting difference a caring community can make. The Housing Authority of Greene County sincerely thanks every donor for investing in the youth of Greene County.
Congratulations
Rosa S. Davis Avon for the whole family
26305 County Rd 20 Boligee, Al 35443
Congratulations to Pastor Jeffery Kelley and First Lady on your 5th Pastoral Anniversary held Sunday August 16 at Mt. Zion Baptist Church Boligee. Pastor Robert Chaldlier of Second Baptist Church in Brooksville, MS served as the guest speaker. A wonderful time was had by all in attendance, who came to pin flowers on the undersheppered.
205-372-3820 home 205-826-8448 cell If no answers, please leave messages
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The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026, Page 9
Carolyn’s Tid Bits...by Carolyn Young
Don’t Give Up When the clouds are
hanging low, And days seem bleached and drear; When your heart's feeling saddest And your spirits full of fear, When along the way you stumble, And your hopes look dark as night That’s notice to quit, my friend But a very good time to fight. Happy
birthday
to
Kenya Gordon, James Chisolm, Arthur Jeames, Teresa Carpenter, Mary Bryant, Ashanti Crawford, Tyrone Lester, Sr., Antonie Donald, Valera Smith, Asia Quinnie, Alexus Cooper, Amelia Johnson, Jonathan Lewis, Kenton Carpenter, Lykendreick Sandford, Equilla Hoskins, Calvin Bryant, Sheronda Williams, Katlyn Johnson, Sharon Washington, Ethan Williams, Kwasi Branch, Shirley J. Noland,
"I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. That each of them may eat and drink and find satisfactions in all their toil- this is the gift of God." Happy anniversary to Mr and Mrs. Jasper and Gloria Morrow “ Do not wish to be anything but what you are, and try to be that perfectly.’
---Legal Notices--
MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALE Default having being made in the payment of the indebtedness secured by that certain mortgage dated October 12, 2022 executed by Autumn Kelley Tidwell and Dustin Lane Tidwell, a married couple, in favor of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., said Mortgage being recorded October 26, 2022, in Book 0092, Page 913, in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Greene County, Alabama. Said default continues and notice is hereby given that the undersigned, Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash or certified funds at the main entrance to the County Courthouse, Greene County, Alabama on 09/08/2026, during the legal hours of sale, the following described real estate situated in Greene County, Alabama, to-wit: Lot 3 of Two Rivers Subdivision, a map or plat of which is recorded in Map Book 3, at Page 67 in the Probate Office of Greene County, Alabama, reference to which is hereby made in aid of and as a part of this description. Together with that certain 1988 Brilliant mobile home Model No. 6126 VIN 0836 For informational purposes only, the property address is: 806 Bass Dr, Eutaw, AL 35462. Any property address provided is not part of the legal description of the property sold herein and in the event of any discrepancy, the legal description referenced herein shall control. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD ON AN “AS-IS, WHERE-IS” BASIS, SUBJECT TO ANY EASEMENTS, ENCUMBRANCES, AND EXCEPTIONS REFLECTED IN THE MORTGAGE AND THOSE CONTAINED IN THE RECORDS OF THE OFFICE OF THE JUDGE OF PROBATE OF THE COUNTY WHERE THE
ABOVE-DESCRIBED PROPERTY IS SITUATED. THIS PROPERTY WILL BE SOLD WITHOUT WARRANTY OR RECOURSE, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED AS TO TITLE, USE AND/OR AND ENJOYMENT WILL BE SOLD SUBJECT TO THE RIGHT OF REDEMPTION OF ALL ENTITLED PARTIES THERETO. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under circumstances. certain Programs may also exist that help persons avoid or delay the foreclosure process. An attorney should be consulted to help you understand these rights and programs as a part of the foreclosure process. Federal law requires that certain residential real estate transactions purchased with all cash or without institutional lender financing, where at least one buyer/transferee is a legal entity, LLC, Corporation, Partnership, trust, trustee or other non-natural person, be reported to the United States Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCen). This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by mortgage as well as the expenses of foreclosure, including a reasonable attorney’s fees and other purposes set out in said mortgage.
and Finance, Inc. Paul K. Lavelle, Esq. Attorney for Mortgagee Spina, & Lavelle, P.C. One Perimeter Park South-Suite 400N Birmingham, Alabama 35243 (205) 298-1800 45-FC-26-01273 08/12/2026, 8/19/2026 and 8/26/2026. Valuation Notice The appraised valuattions of all property listed for taxation in Greene County have been fixed as provided by law and filed in my office according to Sec. 40-30-20, 1975 Code of Alabama. The Board of Eqalization will hear protest on any of these valuations provided these protests are filed in writing by September 7, 2026. Arnelia L. Johnson, ACTA Revenue Commissioner Board Secretary Greene County 1tcg 8/12, 19, 26 Legal Notice in the Probate Court of Greene County Beverly Prince Spencer Deceased Letter Testamentary of said deceased having been granted to Virginia Ann
Williams and Roy Beverly Spencer, Personal Representaives , on the 13th day of August, 2026, by Rolonda M. Wedgeworth, Judge of Probate of Greene County, notice is hereby given that all personshaving claims against said estate are hereby required to present the same within time required by law or same will be barred. M. Wedgworth Roland Judge of Probate Cockrell, Cockrell, Rithcey & Ritchey, LLP 1409 Univerity Blvd. Tuscaloosa, A 35401
Copies .15¢
3tcg 9/19, 26, 9/2 Legal Notice Notice of Public Auction of Abandoned Motor Vehicle Pursuant to Alabama Law notice is hereby given that the following motor vehicle 2018 Nissan Altima VIN : 1N4AL3AP3JC220019 160 Weston Circle Forkland, AL 36740 will be sold at Public Auction. The vehicles is being sold as an abandon motor vehicle sale will be at the highest bidder on September 17, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Ronnie Young. 2tcg 8/19, 26
If the highest bidder is an entity, such as an LLC, corporation, partnership, or trust, federal FinCEN rules require the purchaser to provide ownership information to the attorney handling the sale. This includes the entity’s details and its beneficial owners. Entity purchasers will have 7 days to provide a fully completed FinCen form providing the required information. The deed will not be delivered to the purchaser until a fully completed FinCen form is received. These requirements do not apply to individual bidders. Vanderbilt Mortgage
NOTICE
The Greene County Highway Department is seeking:
HEAVY EQUIPMENT MECHANIC •Drivers License Required •Repairs Automotive & Heavy Equipment •Performs Maintenance on Automotive & Heavy Equipment
TEMPORARY WORKERS FOR HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT •Driver License is required •Semi-Skilled Work •Operates Light to Heavy Equipment
---Announcement--August 28 & 29, 2026 Ann Abraham Lindsey and family will host
The Abraham Family Reunion
at the Boligee Community Center (Paramount School). Family and friends are invited to come share in the celebration. For more information call Lorenzo Lewis at 404-394-6215 or Stella Sashington at 678-485-3110.
Apply at Greene County Highway Department 521 Prairie Avenue Eutaw, Alabama 35462 (205) 372-3302 Hours of Operation: 7:00 am-3:00 pm Monday –Friday Timeline to Apply: Ongoing Greene County Highway Department Is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Page 10, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, August 19, 2026
The Democrat
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For Rent: Building in town Great for parties, meetings, etc. For more information call 205-496-0096
Law Office of
Glen McCord, Esq Licensed Engineer Licensed Land Surveyor 311 North Street Livingston, Al 35470
(205) 718-4047 gmccord@glenmccordlaw.com
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JOSHUA J. SWORDS Attorney at Law Tuscaloosa County Office 600 Lurleen B. Wallace Blvd S. Courthouse Plaza, Suite 120 Tuscaloosa, AL 35401
Greene County Office Oliver Scott House 329 Prairie Ave Eutaw, Al 35462
JSwords@Swordslaw. com Phone: 205-409-0673 Facsimile: 205-409-0672 Tuscaloosa, Al 35401
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ACCIDENTS & INJURIES AUTO & TRUCK ACCIDENTS, WRONGFUL DEATH, SLIP & FALL Office-205-933-7533 Cell – 205-901-6129 “I like Big Bucks and I cannot lie” 24 HOUR SERVICE – FREE CONSULTATION OVER 100 YEARS COMBINED EXPERIENCE FRANK S. BUCK P.C. ATTORNEY 2160 14TH Ave South BIRMINGHAM, AL 35255 NO REPRESENTATION IS MADE THAT THE QUALITY OF THE LEGAL SERVICES TO BE PERFORMED IS GREATER THAN THE QUALITY OF LEGAL SERVICES PERFORMED BY OTHER LAWYERS