The Greene County Democrat - October 7, 2026

Newswire Rulings leave questions lingering in Nolan Wells case By Chicago Crusader, BlackPressUSA

Greene County

The Democrat Wednesday, October 7, 2026 Vol. 135, No. 40

75¢ Serving West Alabama Like No Other Community Newspaper Greene County Health System approved for $3.9 million in health care projects in second round of Rural Health Transformation funding By John Zippert, Co-Publisher

A grand jury declines charges in the Nolan Wells case, a Jackson man pleads not guilty in Tasia Fortune’s hanging death, and a Maryland suicide ruling lands on raw nerves. A Mississippi grand jury has declined to charge anyone in the death of Nolan Xavier Wells, the 18-year-old Black college football player who disappeared during a July Fourth boat trip with a group of white friends and was found dead two days later off Horn Island. See Nolan Wells, p. 6

Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Everett Wess campaigns against long odds By Ralph Chapoco, Alabama Reflector

The Greene County Health System (GCHS) received notice last week that the State of Alabama had funded four of its projects, in the second round of funding for the Rural Transformation Health Fund. This is the $50 billion-dollar, 5-year program, included in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill” to help rural hospitals, who face significant cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, in the same legislation. Rodgerick Williams, GCHS Administrator, said “ I was disappointed that we were not funded for any projects in the first round of the Rural Health Trans-

formation process, but I appreciate the funding we received in the second round. I want to thank the State of Alabama officials, from Governor Ivey on down, as well our local legislative delegation and county commissioners, who helped make these

needed grants available.” The Greene County Health System was funded for four projects, in different funding focus areas for the second-round of funding: • $308,694 to establish a rural emergency care coornetwork to dination

Newly elected ANSC State Officers: President Vivian Davis Figures and 1st Vice-President Garria Spencer The Alabama New South candidates and opened the Coalition (ANSC) held its floor for other nominafall Membership Conven- tions. The ANSC members tion Saturday, September unanimously approved the 26, 2026, at the RSA Activ- following State Officers: ity Center, downtown President Vivian Figures, Montgomery, AL. A key Alabama Senator, Mobile component of the Conven- County; 1st Vice-President, tion was the selection of Garria Spencer, County Greene ANSC State Officers. The Commissioner ANSC Nominating Com- County; 2nd Vice-Presimittee presented a slate of dent, KC Crusoe, Mobile

County; Treasurer, Sharon Calhoun, Montgomery County; Recording/Corresponding Secretary, Eva Prewitt, Tuscaloosa County. The ANSC State Officers serve a two-year term and could be eligible for re-election. The Theme for the Fall Convention was Building Bridges, Not Walls: Our Path to Freedom. The luncheon speaker was the Honorable Kristen Clarke, Former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights and now Current General Counsel of the NAACP. The Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) was officially founded on January 25, 1986 in Birmingham. Citizens came from across Alabama to its organizing convention and voted unanimously to establish the organization. The pur-

strengthen how patients with suspected stroke, major trauma and other time-sensitive emergencies in 14 counties are identified, stabilized, referred and transferred to the appropriate level of care (Bibb, Choctaw, Dallas, Fayette, Greene, Hale, Lamar, Marengo, Marion, Perry, Pickens, Sumter, Tuscaloosa, Wilcox). • $750,000 to establish an Emergency Medical Services Treat-in-Place program that allows trained emergency medical personnel to assess and treat eligible patients under approved protocols and medical oversight (Greene County). See GCHS, p. 2

ANSC selects State Officers at Fall Membership Convention

Attorney Everett Wess, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, is in an uphill battle against Republican nominee Barry Moore. (Photo courtesy of candidate) Everett Wess has a very difficult road to being Alabama’s next U.S. senator. The Democratic nominee is trying to become the first person in his party to be elected to the Senate from Alabama in a general election since 1992. See Everett Wess, p. 6

Renee Good’s family files civil lawsuits against US Government By Joe Jurado, Newsone The family of Renee Good has filed two separate civil suits against the United States government over her shooting death by a federal immigration agent in Minneapolis earlier this year. The New York Times reports that the first civil suit names ICE Agent Jonathan Ross, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, along with several others, alleging a “conspiracy to interfere with civil rights by senior federal officials, federal immigration enforcement agents, and private actors.”

pose of the Alabama New South Coalition is to promote the general welfare of all people through independent focused organizadedicated to tions progressive ideals of freedom, justice and democracy. Our specific objectives are to effect solutions to social, economic and community problems by constructively promoting: •Community Focused Organization •Voter Registration and Education •Economic Development •Cultural Awareness •Leadership Development •Youth Development •Progressive Legislation and; to coalesce and assist organizations with similar objectives.

Community associates remind eligible voters that “the urgency is now”

See Renee Good, p. 6

Re-Opening of African American Civil War Museum to feature FormerFirst Lady Michelle Obama, a descendant of Civil War Heroes By Hazel Trice Edney, Trice Edney News Wire

BBCF and SRBWI associates with BBCF CEO Chris Spencer. L to R: Fatima Robinson, Mollie Gaines, Javonica Davis, Nancy Cole, Leah Fletcher, Mah’Kenzie Walker, Chris Spencer, Jakeria Bridgemon, Lucette Fletcher, Mollie Rowe, and Darlene Robinson

Dr. Frank Smith, founder and executive director of the African American Civil War Museum, stands at the entrance of the museum where a new exhibit on the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama is on display. The First Lady is the descendant of two members of the United States Colored Troops who fought in the Civil War. (Photo by Hazel Trice Edney) During her speech at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, then First Lady Michelle Obama famously declared, "I wake up every morning in a house that was built by slaves." See Civil War Museum, p. 8

It is no secret that Alabama has one of the lowest voter turnouts in the nation. The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) and the Southern Rural Black Women's Initiative (SRBWI) are working to change that. The organizations see a need for local

voter education events to ensure that the overall Black voter turnout increases as well. On Saturday, October 3rd, the BBCF Greene County Associates, in conjunction with SRBWI held a civic engagement brunch titled “The Urgency is

Now.” Women from both organizations, along with student organizers, passed out voter registration information and spoke on the importance of understanding the ballot for the upcoming election. It was reiterated numerous times how urgent it is

to encourage other Black voters to vote en masse so their voice is heard. Community Associate Darlene Robinson reminded attendees that, “We’re all in this together.” See Civic Engagement, p. 8

Sheriff reports four arrests and several incidents The Greene County Sheriff Department reports the following arrests. 9/23- Reggie Cook 30, of Gordo, AL was arrested for theft by deception 3rd degree 9/23- Precious Robert-

son 48, of Eutaw, AL was arrested for contempt of court 9/24- Aniya Clark 21, of Ralph, AL was arrested for contempt of court. 9/28- Deeric Gray 36, of Forkland, AL was ar-

rested for reckless endangerment and disorderly conduct. The Greene County Sheriff Department report the following incidents. 9/18- Candice Harris reported an incident

9/20- Shanta Brooks reported theft of property 1st degree, Item Stolen: See Crime, p. 6

GCHS

Page 2, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Carol’s Notes

• $575,000 to establish a permanent regional training center for healthcare workers serving west Alabama and the Black Belt by purchasing realistic adult, maternal, newborn and pediatric patient simulators, procedure-training equipment, portable resources and technology for recording and reviewing training exercises (Greene County).

Stopping Killers

• $2.28 million to establish the Black Warrior Rural Cancer Detection, Navigation and Early Diagnosis Network to improve access to cancer screening, early diagnosis, navigation and timely follow-up in five counties (Greene, Hale, Marengo, Pickens, Sumter).

We walk for awareness We walk to raise attention We walk to get resources We walk to mobilize others We pray and we walk Many diseases kill Guns by the hands of people kill Neglect and abuse maim And often kill Racism maligns and kills When we do nothing We enable the killing When people are no longer hungry Naked, homeless, sick, abused, Oppressed and lonely We will have stopped Killers So we walk to stop killers We pray and we walk To stop killers More people must pray and walk To stop killers Carol Prejean Zippert

-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.)

Carol Zippert’s Poetry Books Available 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

Williams, GCHS Administrator, said “I plan to implement the first three projects to train Emergency Management Technicians for the hospital, the county ambulance service and other medical transport systems in West Alabama. We need these skilled people, and we cannot find them or attract them to our rural area. This will give us a chance to train local people for jobs in our rural area. We will plan our first EMT training session before the end of the month.” “We plan to use these funds to purchase an ambulance and a 20-seat bus to transfer people from our hospital and nursing home to other medical facilities. We will also use the bus to transport people who lack reliable transportation to our health clinic and other healthcare facilities, like dialysis. We plan to operate these services in conjunction with, and not in competion with, the Greene County Ambulance Service,” said Williams. “We will also use the simulators to train our EMT and hospital nursing staff to better assist patients in the west Alabama counties. We will have adult, maternal, newborn and pediatric patient simulators to use in our training. These will be highly developed mannequins that will have systems, similar to human, for training our medical staff,” he said. “With the larger grant, we plan to purchase state of the art new ultrasound, mammography, bone density and other equipment to make early diagnosis of cancer and other chronic diseases. We will also purchase a self-driving, 38-foot mobile clinic, with two examining rooms, to go to rural communities in Greene County and surrounding counties that are not receiving adequate health care services,” Williams pointed out. “Over the next few years, we plan to use these resources to demonstrate the viability and economic contributions of our GCHS hospital, nursing home and physician’s clinic, to our rural historically low-income community,” said Williams.

Community Calendar

The Greene County Missionary Baptist District Association Annual Convention will be held on October 14-16, 2026, starting Wednesday Night (10-14-26), at 6:00 p.m., and Thursday and Friday (10-15-16-26), at 8:30a.m., at the Greene County Baptist District Center on Finches Ferry Road, Eutaw, Alabama . Rev.

Cedric D. Royal, Moderator; Joe L. Powell, Recording Secretary. October 18- Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church cordially invite you and your church family to join use as we celebrate our 97th Church Anniversary the Rev. Michael Lavender will be the guest speaker, at 2:00 p.m. Rev. Kenneth

Gilmore church pastor. November 1- Mt. Zion Missionay Baptist Church Boligee will host their 126th Anniversary Homecoming Service at 1:30 p.m. Rev. Randy Miller of Mt. Zion Mt. Hebron is the guest speaker along with his choir. Rev. Jefferey Kelly is church pastor. The Public is invited.

Greene County Children’s Policy Council Mentoring Program 2026-2027 The Greene County Children’s Policy Council will begin its mentoring program at Robert Brown Middle School on Tuesday, October 13, 2026. We will be working with fourth graders who have been identified by their teachers as needing additional help in reading, math, or other subject areas. As time permits, talk with students about acceptable classroom behavior and positive attitudes. Thank you for being a positive role model and a source of encouragement for our children. Please contact me if you are unable to assist this year. The schedule for the school year will be forwarded later. With gratitude, Katie Jones-Powell 205-372-9612(H) 205-919-9921(C)

--NoticeThe Greene County Association of Volunteer Fire Departments is hosting its Tenth (10th) Fire Fighters Award Banquet Ball on Friday, October 23, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. at the Robert Brown Middle School 720 Greensboro Street , Eutaw, AL For additional information, please contact Hodges Smith, President, at 205-657-1294. Geraldine S. Walton, Banquet Chairperson at 205-799-1394 or your local fire department located in Greene County. The seating is limited, and there will be no admission collected at the door. The doors will open at 5:00 p.m. Hodges Smith President

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

Culverhouse School of Accountancy

Lift Free Computer & Phone Tutoring Friday 9:30- 10:45 a.m. Eutaw Housing Authority 10/9,& 10/16/26 You will be tutored individually by a UA Student. Come by for questions that need to be answered, fun challenges, and fellowship To reserve a tutor, notify Mollie Gaines at 205-372-3926

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026 Page 3

United Purposes hosts Breast Cancer Awareness celebration: A Pink Day of community, care & connection

United Purposes recently hosted its Breast Cancer Celebration, Awareness bringing community members together for a meaningful Pink Day of Community, Care & Connection at the Eutaw Activity Center Senior Site. The program focused on breast cancer awareness, the importance of mammograms and early detection, survivor recognition, remembrance, fellowship, and encouragement. Several breast cancer survivors were in attendance, and two survivors courageously shared their personal experiences and journeys. Their heartfelt stories offered hope, strength, and inspiration to everyone present. A special moment of the program was the recognition of all breast cancer survivors in attendance. Survivors were celebrated as a gospel rendition of a

special song played, creating an uplifting and emoatmosphere of tional gratitude and triumph. The program also included a memorial tribute honoring those whose lives were lost to breast cancer. Guests enjoyed an entertainment segment that included the presentation of door prizes, adding fun and fellowship to the day. Prior to refreshments being served, Mr. Morton offered the blessing of the food. The celebration was made even more meaningful by the tremendous support of community leaders, organizations, businesses, and friends who attended and helped make the occasion special. United Purposes extends sincere appreciation to Commissioner Latasha Johnson; Mrs. Pinnia Hines, RN; City Councilwoman Carrie Logan; Tameka King

and Shenell Edwards, representing the Extension Service; Black Belt Community Foundation Board Member Darlene Robinson; Alabama Power Representative Leah Banks; Eutaw Senior Site Directors Cassandra Richardson and Lillie Brooks; the Greene County Chamber of Commerce; Attorney Scott Kelley; and Gwen Harris for their support of the program. Special appreciation is also extended to United Purposes members Mildred, Gloria, and Nadeen for their hard work, dedication, and assistance in helping bring the event together. “Today truly represented what we hoped it would be—a pink day filled with community, care, and connection. We are especially grateful to our survivors for allowing us to celebrate them and to those who shared their personal sto-

Support Our Advertisers OCT. 19 Voter registration deadline for the General Election OCT. 27 Last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail OCT. 29 Last day to apply for an absentee ballot in person

I, Carrie Dancy, am launching my write-in campaign for District 5 School Board Seat, for the November 3, 2026 General Election. I am a longtime servant of Greene County and a former member of the Greene County Board of Education, District 5.

NOV. 2 Last day for voters to hand deliver an absentee ballot NOV. 3 Absentee ballots returned by mail must be received by noon NOV. 3 2026 GENERAL ELECTION DAY! Paid Political Advertisement by Friends to Elect Carrie Dancy

ries. Thank you to our community for continuing to support United Purposes and the work we are doing.” The Breast Cancer Awareness Celebration served as a reminder that awareness should extend beyond the month of October. By encouraging regular screenings, supporting survivors, remembering loved ones, and continuing conversations about breast health, communities can help make a lasting difference. United Purposes thanks everyone who attended, participated, volunteered, donated, and helped make the celebration a memorable success. Together, we continue to spread awareness, hope, and love—one community at a time.

Page 4, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Greene County The Democrat

Hunger doesn’t end with September

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. 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 Julianne Malveaux

It's time for the Department of Education to stop destroying the dreams of the next generation

By Marc H. Morial, President and CEO, National Urban League (TriceEdneyWire.com) In a video that garnered 2,000,000 nearly views across social platforms, Howard University Dental School student Darian Bogie told his followers how the Big Beautiful Bill, and its new caps on graduate school loans, pushed him out of his dental program. Due to the reach of his story, Bogie was able to surpass his $66,000 fundraising goal on GoFundMe. But for millions of others, the decision is more dire. On July 1st, just over a year after the Big Ugly Bill gutted key government programs to fund tax cuts for the richest among us, the Department of Education issued its new student loan guidance. Under them, the Graduate PLUS, financial aid with higher loan limits to help students pursuing graduate and professional degrees, were eliminated. And new student loan caps took effect that in many cases do not cover the cost of attendance for millions of students. The result is more students either dropping out of college or unable to attend at all. It’s no secret that Black students leverage student loans more than their peers from White families. It’s also no secret that the largest growing population of young people attending college are Black. And make no mistake, it is no coincidence that under this administration, this year, education is becoming further out of reach. For many, critics of higher education have blamed universities for raising their tuition and fees to figures that have ballooned the federal deficit and left millions burdened with debt that they will never be able to repay. But the solution to skyrocketing student debt

shouldn’t be to punish students pursuing a better life. And neither is threatening to strip schools of much needed federal dollars for having diversity pipeline initiatives like this administration is actively trying to do. A discriminatory action that already follows illegal cuts to NIH research funding that that universities, from Harvard to Stanford, have sued to stop. No student should have their dreams deferred because the government would rather finance the dreams of the rich than support them on their education journey. And the federal government should not be allowed to tell someone the value of their dream by denying access to loans because of their major. In the latest slap in the face to America, the Department of Education released a list of college majors that it proposes cutting student loans that it deems “don’t pay off.” One of which is social work; a growing field that addresses the fallout of growing wealth inequality in our country and the spiking mental health crisis. In short, the Department of Education not only believes solving our greatest social and societal issues doesn’t pay off, by cutting access to jobs that pay a living wage it’s also creating an environment that contributes to them. If education is our tool to change the world, then we need it more than ever in this rapidly changing economy, ecosystem, and geopolitical climate. And it is clear that the Department of Education in this current administration is either blithely unaware of that fact, or intentionally a role in limiting the earning potential and economic freedom of millions of Americans. The National Urban League make a commitment through our programs, like Project Ready, to ensure that all students have an education the prepares them for college, work, and life. Now we’re pushing for the Department of Education to do the same by removing these discriminatory caps on student loans, restoring funding to institutions of higher learning, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and letting students decide what field of study is “worth it.”

(TriceEdneyWire.com) The White House was built in part by enslaved Black people. They quarried stone, hauled materials and did skilled work. The wages recorded for their labor went to their enslavers. That history ought to haunt every occupant of the building. It also ought to sharpen our attention to families struggling to put food on the table in the capital today. The Capital Area Food Bank reports that 38 percent of households across the Washington region experienced food insecurity during the past year. In Prince George’s County, the figure was 56 percent. Food insecurity means that families could not count on having enough food. Some stretched what they had; some sacrificed the quality of their meals; some went without. Where decisions about the nation’s food programs are made, those numbers should provoke more than a ceremonial food drive. As Hunger Action Month draws to a close, hunger shows no sign of doing the same. Nor does hunger stop at the Beltway. A new survey finds that 36 percent of Chicago households lacked consistent ac-

cess to enough food in June; nearly half of households with children were affected. In Los Angeles County, 24 percent of households experienced food insecurity in 2025. These studies cover different places and periods, but their message is unmistakable: too many Americans are making impossible choices at the grocery store. What does a parent put back when the total at the register is too high? The fruit? The milk? The medicine that must also be paid for this week? Meanwhile, in Washington, somebody can put another steak dinner on an expense account without asking whether it will crowd out the electric bill. Food insecurity is an economist’s term for brutally personal calculations. It is also an indictment of an economy that produces extraordinary wealth without assuring people enough to eat. Hunger is not evenly distributed. The Washington-area report finds that households of color face food insecurity at two to three times the rate of white households. In Chicago, the highest rates are on the South and West Sides. Unequal pay, insecure work, housing costs and the racial wealth gap determine who has a cushion when groceries become more expensive—and who has none. Consider that cushion. In the Federal Reserve’s 2022 Survey of Consumer Finances, the median white family held $285,000 in wealth; the median Black family held $44,900. That is roughly six dollars to one. Wealth lets a family

absorb a layoff, a rent increase or a medical bill without the grocery budget collapsing. When politicians tell people to tighten their belts, they ignore how many families have run out of notches. A wealth gap this wide is a policy failure. But families cannot wait for policy to catch up before they eat. Feeding America, the nationwide network of food banks that launched Hunger Action Month, asked us to “play your part.” We should keep doing so after September. Food banks and neighborhood pantries do indispensable work. Donate money. Volunteer. Make sure people know where to find help. But a volunteer cannot replace a paycheck, and a pantry cannot repair a national safety net by itself. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP, is part of that safety net. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities calculates that participation fell by more than five million people—nearly 13 percent—between July 2025 and June 2026. That figure alone cannot tell us why each person left. But the law expanded 2025 SNAP’s work-related time limits to adults ages 55–64 and parents whose youngest child is 14 or older, and ended exceptions for veterans, people experiencing homelessness and former foster youth. Congress should reverse those restrictions and ensure eligible families can get the benefits they need. American politics has a perverse habit of demanding proof that poor people deserve dinner while ask-

ing remarkably little of those who profit from their labor. The debate becomes a referendum on the shopping carts of SNAP recipients, as though policing purchases could solve low wages, high rents and inadequate benefits. It cannot. If we care what children eat, we must care whether their families can buy food throughout the month. The enslaved people who built the White House under bondage were denied the fruits of their own work. Their circumstances and todays are different, but this nation has long taken essential labor while resisting the obligation to provide a decent life to the people who perform it. That history calls for more than sympathy. It calls for economic justice. Hunger Action Month should leave us with questions for every elected official: Will you protect access to SNAP? Will you support wages that keep pace with the cost of living? Will you tackle the wealth gap that leaves Black families especially exposed to economic shocks? Will you treat a child’s empty refrigerator as an emergency, rather than a talking point? And will you listen to people facing hunger before writing policies in their name? The campaign may end with September. Families will still need breakfast. Our action must last longer than the month. Dr. Julianne Malveaux is a DC base economist and Julianauthor. nemalveaux.com. malvceauxnewsletter@gomail.com

The first Columbus Day was declared in the shadow of a lynching

By Ben Jealous (TriceEdneyWire.com) This month we mark Columbus Day. The first one was a Chicago story. In the Windy City, Frederick Douglass and Ida B. Wells spotlighted what Washington wanted forgotten. In the fall of 1892, the nation celebrated four hundred years since Columbus reached the Americas. Chicago was its grandest stage. The city dedicated the grounds of the World's Columbian Exposition. When the world arrived the next spring, Frederick Douglass was there. He was the most photographed American of his century. At seventy-five, he ran the Haitian Pavilion for the government of Haiti. Ida B. Wells worked beside him, putting a pamphlet into the hands of foreign visitors. She sent out 10,000 copies. When hecklers jeered one of his speeches, Douglass threw aside his notes and spoke right over them. The pamphlet asked why African Americans had been left out of the fair's exhibits and planning. Douglass had a place there only because Haiti gave him one. He wrote the pamphlet's opening as a wish list. Every item on it was something he could not honestly tell the world. He wished he could say

the national government "is not a rope of sand." A rope of sand looks strong. It holds nothing. Douglass meant a government too weak to protect "American citizens of whatever color, at home." He wished he could say it would send warships to punish "the murder of its citizens in New Orleans." Washington sent warships when Americans were harmed overseas. Douglass knew. He had been America's top diplomat in Haiti. At home, the government did nothing. Everyone who received their message knew what had happened in New Orleans. Two years earlier, the city saw one of the largest mass lynchings in American history. The victims were Italians and Italian Americans. On March 14, 1891, a lynch mob broke into the jail. It killed eleven men accused in the murder of the city's police chief. Three had just been found not guilty. Three had a trial end with no verdict. Five had never been tried. No one was ever punished for their murders. Italy's top diplomat in Washington said only three or four of the dead were Italian citizens. The rest were Americans, or on their way to becoming Americans. Italy wanted the killers tried. It wanted payment for the victims' families. Secretary of State James G. Blaine said Washington could not promise a trial. Murder was Louisiana's business. Italy called its diplomat home. President Benjamin Harrison admitted the problem to Congress. He asked Congress to let federal courts try crimes against

foreigners. Congress did nothing. So the government paid instead. In April 1892, the United States gave Italy 125,000 francs, about $25,000, for the victims' families. Blaine wrote that the President hoped the money would "efface all memory of the unhappy tragedy." In other words, forget it. Italy said the two nations were friends again. Three months later, Harrison proclaimed a national holiday for Columbus. That fall, Washington sent two warships to Genoa for Italy's own Columbus celebration. The same government that could not protect eleven men in a New Orleans jail sent warships to honor Italy. The first Columbus Day was declared in the shadow of the lynching. Italy had a king and a navy. The families of its citizens got paid. The families of the Italian Americans killed beside them got nothing. When a lynch mob turned on these European immigrants, smeared as criminals, the world took notice. African Americans lived with that danger every day. In 1891 alone, the Chicago Tribune counted 169 African Americans killed by lynch mobs. Their families got nothing. No foreign power spoke for them. No warship sailed. Congress waited 131 years to make lynching a federal crime. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act became law in 2022. Until then, the rope was sand. The first Columbus Day asked Americans to look away from a lynch mob and toward a hero. In one sense, it worked. Italian

Americans are safe today in ways their great-grandparents were not. But the terror did not end. It moved. In time, the Ku Klux Klan would come for Catholic immigrants of every kind. For African Americans, the danger changed shape. It did not end. Too often, the killers had friends in government. Douglass refused to let the world look away. He said what the government would not. Black Americans were being "tortured, shot, hanged or burned to death," he wrote. They died "without ever seeing a judge, a jury or advocate." In the same breath, he named New Orleans, reminding all that Black Americans were not the only ones whose rights and lives were put at risk by a weak federal response to lynch mobs. He also held out something better. Douglass asked whether America was "the better or the worse" for being made of many peoples. His answer was better. Every nation has a mission, he said, rooted in its "character and composition." America's was plain. It was to become the most perfect "national illustration of the unity and dignity of the human family that the world has ever seen." That is still our mission. This Columbus Day, let us remember the context of the first one. And let us reflect on how far we have come, or not, since then. Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.

Democrats are having the wrong debate about Working-Class Voters

By Kevin Harris (TriceEdneyWire.com) The 2026 midterm campaign is entering the final stretch. Democrats are poised for a big Election Night with the possibility of flipping both congressional chambers and several governorships. However recent polling from Politico shows some cause for concern. Democrats remain underwater with the working-class voters they need. While more working-class Americans trust Democrats over Republicans, Democrats still only hold a 6 point lead over the GOP. The party is still way under a majority of support at just 38 percent. Fiftyfive percent of Americans think politicians are just trying to win votes when they say they will help the working class, Politico found. This includes majorities who voted for Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. Democrats can’t afford to have their affordability message muffled by an internal fight over the party’s direction. The working class needs to hear a clear and direct message from Democrats on how the party will bring down costs. Should the party move left or toward the center? Should it embrace a more progressive economic program or emphasize moderation to win back working-class voters who have drifted away? Those are real disagreements. But they obscure the more important question working class Americans want answered. Does the policy make working people better off? That is a different test from whether a policy is progressive or moderate. Call it the paycheck test. A policy passes the paycheck test when an ordinary worker can reasonably see how it leads to higher wages, more hours at decent pay, greater bargaining power, lower unavoidable expenses or more economic security. A political party passes the test when voters can connect what that party does in office with an improvement in their daily lives. A progressive policy can be highly effective at raising living standards. Another progressive policy can be administratively cumbersome, poorly targeted or almost invisible to the people it is intended to help. The same is true of policies described as moderate. Some may produce tangible benefits while others may be politically cautious without producing much of anything. The labels tell us where a proposal sits in an ideological debate. They do not tell us whether it works. That distinction matters because political ideology and economic effectiveness are not the same thing. This is particularly important when thinking about working-class voters. Working class voters don’t care about left or right, progressive or moderate. They care about moving the economic needle in their own daily lives.

They know what their paycheck buys. They know whether overtime is available. They know what rent costs, what groceries cost, whether health insurance feels affordable and whether a job that once supported a family still does. They don’t care about the ideological packaging. Working class families want evidence that the government can make work pay. How that evidence is labeled is less important than if the policy actually works. The more useful question is what a policy actually accomplishes, not which faction of the party deserves credit. And, critically, can the government execute it? That last question deserves more attention. A theoretically generous benefit that takes years to build, requires an expert to navigate or disappears into an obscure government agency that voters barely encounter may have very different political and economic consequences from one that shows up directly in a paycheck. This does not mean that every government action needs to produce an immediate cash benefit. Governments build infrastructure, conduct scientific research, protect civil rights, regulate markets and provide public goods whose value cannot be measured by wages. But to rebuild economic confidence among working Americans, direct results deserve special weight. That reframes the progressive versus center intraparty argument. The choice should not be between a politics that is sufficiently progressive and one that is sufficiently moderate. If a progressive proposal raises real wages, makes substantially housing cheaper or gives workers greater leverage over their employers, ideology matters less than results. If a centrist proposal expands employment and leaves families with meaningfully more disposable income, the same standard should apply. There is also a communication lesson. Democrats cannot permanently message their way around disappointing economic experiences. A slogan about opportunity is not a substitute for opportunity. A speech about affordability does not make housing affordable. Calling an economy strong does not persuade someone whose paycheck no longer covers the same groceries. The most durable economic message is a policy result people can feel and experience in their daily life. Democrats will continue to have disagreements between progressives and moderates. But disagreement cannot become a substitute for measuring outcomes. To win back the working class, Democrats should remember that the more useful dividing line is not left versus center. It is effective versus ineffective. 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 state attorney and Executive Director of the Congressional Black Caucus.

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Page 5

Senate Sketches #2050.....by Hank Sanders

The Power of Our Vote

The Power of Our Vote. Our vote is very powerful but too many of us do not know the power of our vote. If our Vote was not powerful, the President of the United States of America would not be trying to stop so many of us from voting. The State of Alabama and other states would not be trying to make voting more difficult for us and thereby stopping us from voting. The Power of Our Vote. We could have voting by mail. We could have more than one day to vote at the polls. We could register and vote the same day instead of ceasing voter registration 14 days before election day. There is always somebody trying to stop us from voting by making it harder to vote because they know our voting power. The Power of Our Vote. The United States Supreme Court is moving to limit the power of the vote of certain peoples. It recently gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. It had previously gutted Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Even before these actions, it ruled that limitations on the amount of money corporations could donate to individual candidates was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court even treated corporations as individual citizens to allow corporations to spend money without any limits to influence elections, including through dark money contributions that purposefully hide the corporate donors’ identities. In actuality, corporations are more important and more protected by the law than citizen voters in the United States. The Power of Our Vote. The President is doing all in his power to prevent voting by mail because he seems to think poor people and peoples of color and Democrats are more likely to vote by mail. He has tried to utilize every conceivable measure including the U.S. Postal Service to prevent voting by mail. The Power of Our Vote. The President is raising the possibility that immigration officers may show up at polls in spite of multiple studies demonstrating that immigrants are not voting illegally. There is no widespread voter fraud. He is also raising the possibility of declaring a national emergency so federal troops can be placed at the polls on November 3rd to make it harder for us to vote. The Power of Our Vote. Some states are also attacking the right to vote through various legal tactics. Hundreds of pieces of legislation have been introduced in state legislatures across the country. Some have been enacted including one that made it a crime to give water or food to people standing in line for hours to vote. The Power of Our Vote. Pointing to those trying to take or limit the right to vote is one way to demonstrate the power of our vote. Yes, they fear our vote. But that is still a sort of negative approach. Instead, I want to shift to a positive approach which sustains life. Both approaches demonstrate the power of our vote. The Power of Our Vote. Virtually all things in our lives are impacted by voting in a democracy, however imperfect. Let’s start with the most basic of

life necessities: air. The air we breathe is the thing that we can live without the least amount of time. When all the air leaves our bodies, we live only about three minutes. Our vote helps determine the quality of the air. We have the Environmental Protection Agency that works to make sure we have clean air to breathe and live. The Power of Our Vote. The very next thing we can live without the least amount of time is water. We can live only three days when all the water leaves our bodies. Every city has a water department that is impacted by our vote. Every state has a department charged with ensuring that we have safe water to drink, use to cook, clean our bodies, etc. Some counties have departments to ensure safe water. Of course, the Federal Environmental Protection Agency works to make sure we have safe water as well as safe air. Our votes impact all these entities. The Power of Our Vote. The next thing that we can live without the least amount of time is food. We can live only three weeks after all the food, including food stored as fat, is exhausted from our bodies. The Food and Drug Administration works to ensure we have safe food. Cities and some counties check the safety of food in restaurants and other places. Our votes impact the safety of our food so we can live and not be harmed by food we ingest. The Power of Our Vote. Virtually everything in our lives is impacted by our votes—from conception to birth to parenting to health to transportation to education to work to play to religion to poverty to wealth to safety to justice to peace to war to death and beyond. Even after death, our votes impact the preparation of our bodies for funerals, burials and distribution of our material possessions. The Power of Our Vote. Voting is absolutely a matter of life and death. It impacts every matter in between life and death. The power of our vote is indeed central and pervasive. The Power of Our Vote. There were too many who did not vote in the last presidential election. Nearly 90 million eligible voters did not vote. Trump received 77.3 million votes. Harris received 75 million votes. However, a shift of 115,000 votes in the three battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin would have resulted in a Harris victory. However, too many said their voting would not make a difference. As a result, all of us ended up paying more in so many ways. The result of that one election demonstrates how much difference our votes can make. The Power of Our Vote. We are paying more in lives lost because of the war in Iran. We are paying more because of disruptions to oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. We are paying more because fertilizer shipments needed by our farmers have been disrupted. We are paying more because of crazy tariffs. We are paying more because of inflation. We are paying more for food and clothing and transportation and virtually everything. Whether we voted or not, we are living with the consequences. So many people sacrificed

and too many people died to secure our right to vote. Our vote is powerful when we use it. We give away that power and so much more when we fail to vote. The Power of Our Vote. Now on to the Daily Diary. Saturday, September 26, 2026 – I stayed over Friday night in Montgomery because of the Alabama New South Coalition (ANSC) and Alabama New South Alliance (ANSA) conventions scheduled for next day. I attended all convention sessions for ANSC and ANSA, presented a report at the initial ANSC Convention Session, introduced the Keynote Speaker at the Convention Luncheon and returned to Selma where I worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Community Builder and Executive Director of the Bridge Crossing Jubilee Faya Toure; Community Builder and Law Professor Emerita Martha Morgan; ANSC State Coordinator Shelley Fearson; ANSC President Everette Wess; Former ANSC Board Chair Robert Turner; Former Federal Deputy Attorney General for Civil Rights and Current General Counsel for the NAACP Kristen Clarke; Larry Mennefee and Dr. Laurie Dill of Montgomery; U.S. Congressman Shomari Figures; Rebecca Marion of Tallapoosa County; Greene County Commissioner Garria Spencer; Former Greene County School Board member Morris Hardy; and longtime Civil Rights Foot Soldier Dr. Viola Bradford. Sunday – I hosted the Sunday School Lesson with Dr. Margaret Hardy on Facebook Live, handled matters and various worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Sharon Wheeler of the Selma to Montgomery March Foundation; Former Alabama State Senator Malika Sanders Fortier; Ainka Sanders Jackson of the Selma Nonviolence Center and Bridge Crossing Jubilee; and Brenda Myles of Selma/Birmingham. Monday – I handled various matters, traveled to Montgomery, handled a matter, shared lunch with a fellow lawyer, returned to Selma and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Greene County School Board President Leo Branch; Lowndes County School Superintendent Samita Jeter; Selma Businessman Raymond Craig; Jonathan Raulston and Robert Baxley of Jefferson County; and Michael Strickland of Montgomery County. Tuesday – I handled many matters and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with

the following: Retired Deputy State Superintendent of Education Daniel Boyd; Marilyn Cosby and Karen Jackson of Selma; Lashunda Sheppard of Prattville; Jeannie Frasier of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Coumba Toure BA of Senegal, West Africa; Craig Field Airport and Industrial Authority Chair Dr. James Mitchell and Executive Director James W. Thomas; Federation of Cooperatives Southern CEO Cornelius Blanding; and Shirley Sherrod of Albany, Georgia. Wednesday – I chaired a 7:30 a.m. Zoom meeting, participated in other meetings and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Josiah Jackson and Ayannia Perkins of Atlanta, Georgia; Priscilla Mitchell of North Carolina; B. Marie Jones of Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Wallace Community College Selma President Dr. Donitha Griffin; and Geraldine Wofford, Lametrius Dillard, Junior Oliver and Karla Wright of Selma. Thursday – I handled many matters, participated in meetings, appeared in the SOS Connection podcast, participated in multiple conference calls and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Radio Personality Angel Faye Russell; Marilyn Hatcher-Daniels of Birmingham and New Jersey; Community Builder and Co-Publisher of The Greene County Democrat Newspaper Dr. Carol Prejean Zippert; Demopolis City Councilman Charles Jones, Jr.; Josephine Curtis and Reverend Jarmal Sanders of Selma; and Sheryl Threadgill-Matthews of Wilcox County about her birthday. Friday – I handled various matters, participated in meetings and worked into the night. Among others, I communicated with the following: Selma businessman Velton Moss; Former Alabama Attorney General Troy King; and Jessie Sanders of Selma. Epilogue – We show how we value certain things in all kinds of ways. We show how we value things by what we do and what we don’t do, by what we say and what we don’t say, by what we lift and what we push down. We must understand, value, and utilize our vote to protect lives and the lives of our children and generations to come. The Power of Our Vote.

Page 6, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026

EarthTalk® From the Editors of E The Environmental Magazine Old tires may be one of the biggest local pollution hazards all around the world. Credit: Pexels.com.

Dear EarthTalk: Old tire waste is a big problem. What are we doing to fix it? – D.R. via email

careful handling.

Tires often pose deadly health and environmental risks if not properly disposed of. Instead of being considered municipal solid waste, tire waste is classified as special waste because it has the potential to release dangerous chemicals and, therefore, requires

Each year, approximately 3 billion tires are produced worldwide. The production process requires large amounts of fossil fuels, water and space to grow natural rubber. In addition, the manufacture of tires itself releases chemicals, including 6PPD-quinone,

zinc, lead, copper and nitrosamines, that are toxic. As for their end of life, some 1.5 billion tires globally reach the destruction stage annually. At that point, tires are often either burned for fuel (releasing fine particulate matter) or recycled. While some tire waste is

Renee Good Earlier this year, Good was fatally shot by Ross while driving through her neighborhood and observing ICE agents. Good’s body wasn’t even cold before Noem and Miller began to publicly disparage her, framing her as a domestic terrorist who tried to run over Ross with her car. Anyone who sees the video of the incident and hasn’t drunk the Trump administration’s Kool-Aid can clearly see that Good was driving away from Ross when he began to fire. The suit says Ross violated ICE policies by failing to de-escalate the situation and placing himself in front of the vehicle. “She was killed on a public street, while doing what thousands of her neighbors were doing that winter: watching masked, armed men terrorizing her community and refusing to look away,” the lawsuit says. “The day of accountability has arrived for our own U.S. government and its governmental agencies ICE and CBP,” Antonio Romanucci, one of the attorneys representing Renee Good’s family, said at a press conference. “When government power crosses a line, there must be accountability.” Romanucci said that a private autopsy found that the bullet hit Good’s left temple from a 90-degree angle, meaning that Ross wasn’t at risk of being hit by Good’s car when he began to fire. Brent Ganger, Good’s sister, said it took her death “for white people like me to know what it feels like to not feel safe in this country.” Honestly, I’m not mad at Ganger for saying the quiet part out loud. It really feels like the shootings of Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents made the brutality of the Trump administration real for white folks. It’s why ICE has been moving far more quietly in the wake of those shootings, but make no mistake, they are still rounding up immigrants indiscriminately. According to CBS News, the second suit lists the United States government as a defendant.

Everett Wess

excessive unavoidable, amounts of it can cause negative environmental and human impacts. Most notably, large piles of rubber tire waste can catch on fire and burn and smolder for long periods, releasing toxic fumes into the air. They can also gather water due to their shape and as such becoming a breeding ground for unwanted wildlife, including mosquitoes and snakes. Not to mention, tires are difficult to recycle as they are made through a vulcanization process to maximize sturdiness, making it difficult to remold and melt. To combat excessive tire waste, there are already many current and emerging processes used around the world. Tire-derived fuel is used to generate power and manufacture materials such as concrete or paper. By doing so, it not only saves

carbon emissions for producing other kinds of fuel but also reduces the number of used tires. Another current strategy is rubber recycling, which can be divided into crumb rubber, which is used to make concrete and asphalt, or TDA, which is often used as backfill for walls and landfills as it is much larger. Currently, “there is a potential for up to 2,000 tire recycling plants around the world,” says Pascal Klein, CEO of Pyrum, a European recycling firm. As for future initiatives, many experts have recommended extended producer responsibility, which is when producers are responsible for products when they reach end–of-life, carried out by tire companies to create a more sustainable cycle. At the same time, there is continued research on looking for alternatives

to rubber in tires, which is the main hazardous material, as they ensure safety. In the future, government regulation can play an influential role in controlling the amount of tire waste allowed. As for ordinary citizens, they can play their role in reducing tire waste by ensuring their tires are properly inflated and rotated, which will decrease the number of tires they use. When tires reach their end of life, owners should recycle them rather than throwing them away or into wrong categories. When buying new tires, people can promote sustainability by supporting companies that publicly announce their use of sustainable materials, recycled tires, or retreaded tires.

Shelton Singers and Shelton State Jazz combo to perform at Greensboro Opera October 9 Tuscaloosa, Alabama – Shelton State Community College’s Shelton Singers and Jazz Combo will perform on Friday, October 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the Greensboro Opera House in

Greensboro, Alabama. (1215 Main Street, Greensboro, Alabama) The event is free, and all are invited to attend. Under the direction of Drs. J.F. Mark Brown and

Elijah Pugh, the concert will feature a wide variety of musical selections. To learn more about Shelton State Fine Arts, visit sheltonstate.edu/finearts.

Nolan Wells His parents rejected the decision on Sept. 22, telling reporters they do not believe their son simply drowned and vowing to keep fighting for answers. The grand jury’s report was made public late on Sept. 21, the same week a Jackson man pleaded not guilty to murder in the hanging death of Tasia Fortune and Maryland officials ruled that a Black man found hanging from a tree in Prince George’s County died by suicide. All three cases now join the Crusader’s ongoing “Lynchings by Suicide” investigation, which began after Demartravion “Trey” Reed, a 21-year-old Delta State University student, was found hanging from a tree on the Cleveland, Miss., campus on Sept. 15, 2025. The state medical examiner ruled Reed’s death a suicide within days, a finding his family continues to dispute. Nolan Wells: ‘We’ll Never Stop’

Republican nominee Barry Moore, a congressman from Enterprise, has name recognition and a solid war chest. Through the end of June, Wess raised slightly less than $4,000 in campaign funds compared to Moore, who has received almost $2.5 million in donations, according to the Federal Election Commission website. Both the Cook Political Report and Sabato Crystal Ball rate the seat as “Solid Republican” and “Safe Republican” respectively with about a month and a half until the election. “It is a tough state to start out with,” said J. Miles Coleman, associate editor for Sabato Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia, of the Democrats’ chances for winning the contest. “(President Donald) Trump carried it by 30 points in 2024. None of the main national parties really seem very invested in it.” Despite that, Wess continues to attend events to meet with voters to discuss the issues he believes are important for Alabama residents. “I am the type of individual where all I can do is work on winning this election for the people of Alabama,” he said in a recent interview. “That is what I am doing, meeting with the citizens of Alabama, speaking with the citizens of Alabama, listening to the citizens of Alabama, and in the end, they will make their decisions as to who they think is the best candidate to represent the state of Alabama.” The contest will determine the successor to U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who is the Republican nominee for Alabama governor. A message was sent to the Moore campaign on Tuesday seeking comment. Despite the structural disadvantages, Wess said he will continue to discuss the priorities he laid out for this campaign. He chose to be a candidate after he sensed that voters are dissatisfied with Trump’s performance. “That has been happening since Trump took office,” he said. “Prices have really not come down, and especially with the start of the (Iran) war. Gas prices are high, groceries are higher, prescription drugs are also high.” Democrats nationally have a favorable environment. But in Alabama, party advantage favors Moore. Alabama does not require voters to register with a political party to be eligible to vote, so membership numbers among the different parties are not publicly available. However, the Independent Voter Project, a nonprofit organization that promotes election reform, estimated almost 2 million people in Alabama, roughly 55% of the electorate, favor the Republican Party while about 1.2 million people in the state, about 36% tend to favor Democrats. “You have a bunch of strongly Republican exurbs and rural areas in Alabama,” Coleman said. “Yes, you have some Democratic beach heads in Jefferson County and Mobile, the area around Huntsville is slowly getting a little less red, but not enough to offset some of these really Republican parts of the state even in a year that is probably going to be good for the Democratic Party.” Republicans also outvoted Democrats during the primary election for this race in May, with about 340,000 voters casting a ballot for one of the Democratic candidates for senator. More than 480,000 people cast a vote for a Republican candidate to be the next U.S. Senator. Despite the long odds, Wess believes he has a path to victory. “I am on the ground working, listening to the people and listening to the needs and desires of the people, and I think that is going to make a difference in race,” Wess said. Wess currently works as an attorney for the Wess Law Firm in Birmingham. He has also served on the executive committee of the Jefferson County Democratic Party, taught classes at Faulkner University and served on the board of Legacy Works, an organization mentoring at-risk youth. Wess says he would prioritize healthcare, public safety and education as the issues he will prioritize should he be elected. He said he wants to bring federal dollars to the rural parts of the state to invest in rural hospitals and strengthen their emergency departments. He wants to recruit additional physicians and medical staff to the area and help make prescription drugs and healthcare more affordable.

Wells, a wide receiver at Southwest Mississippi Community College, went to Horn Island, a barrier island reachable only by boat, with high school friends on July 4. When the group returned to the mainland that afternoon, Wells was not with them. A park ranger found his body in the water off the island on July 6. Investigators have long said Wells chose to stay behind. His family never believed it, and an independent autopsy that attorney Ben Crump released in July at the NAACP National Convention in Chicago found an unexplained area of discoloration at the back of Wells’ head and ruled the cause of death undetermined. The grand jury, which heard from 43 witnesses, found Wells’ death “consistent with drowning.” Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath said there is “absolutely no evidence” that race played a role, according to NBC News. The state medical examiner, however, also ruled the cause and manner of death undetermined. “Elmore and I do not believe that Nolan simply and accidentally drowned,” Christine Wonsley, Wells’ mother, said, according to CNN. His father, Elmore Wonsley, reminded supporters that his son is “not a hashtag, he’s our son.” Crump said the district attorney wants the public to accept “We’ll never know,” while the family answers, “We’ll never stop.” The family is asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and demanding release of the full case file and the state’s autopsy report. Mississippi has no statute of limitations on homicide. Tasia Fortune: An Arrest, Not an Ending Fortune, a 29-year-old mother of four, was found Aug. 3 hanging from a tree behind a vacant house on Road of Remembrance in west Jackson. From the start, her family insisted she did not take her own life. After the state medical examiner ruled her death a homicide on Sept.10, Jackson police arrested Jarques “Jock” Ratliff, 51, the next day as he walked along Capitol Street and charged him with murder. Ratliff is African American, as was Fortune, according to Mississippi Today. Police said the two knew each other but have not said how. Ratliff pleaded not guilty on Sept. 14 and was denied bond as a flight risk. His attorney, Toney Baldwin, called him “a pillar of the community” and said his client made no confession. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney called the arrest “not the conclusion” and said more arrests are expected. “We understand this case is being viewed through a broader lens, a global lens,” Brackney said, according to ABC News. Christy Spivey, Fortune’s mother, said that when police told her about the arrest, “I just started crying and told them ‘thank you, thank you, thank you.’” Activists want more. Byron Brumfield of Medgar Evers Reloaded: A Mission and a Movement said Ratliff “should be charged with a hate crime also, just like anybody else,” according to WLOX. Ward 3 Jackson City Councilman Kenneth Stokes has asked U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger’s office for federal assistance. Prince George’s County: A Ruling in Hours In Upper Marlboro, Md., a Black man was found hanging from a tree outside a business on D’Arcy Road on the morning of Sept. 20. Within hours, the state medical examiner ruled his death a suicide with no other signs of trauma. He has not been publicly identified. Police Chief George Nader said the man’s family agrees with the ruling. Relatives asked that his name be withheld and said the public attention had made his death “more unbearable,” according to the Maryland Daily Record. County Executive Aisha Braveboy urged residents not to share images or spread speculation online. “This is a tragedy. A person is dead,” Braveboy said, according to WUSA9. A Pattern the Crusader Has Tracked

Crime Red 2017 Honda Accord Four Door Sedan Sport valued at $12,000. 09/24/2026 B r e n d a Bell reported theft of property 3rd degree, Item Stolen: Currency in the amount of $800. 9/28- Doris Scott reported theft of property 2nd

degree, Item Stolen: 9MM Hi-Point valued at $400. 9/28- Keneshia Tiller reported criminal mischief 2nd degree, Item Damaged: Passenger Side Window valued at $550. 9/29- Adrienne Wilson reported harassment. The Greene County Sher-

iff Department reports the following bonds. 9/24-Reggie Cook was released on a bond of $5,000 for theft by deception 3rd degree. 10/5- Fredrick Crawford was released on a bond of $135,000 for three count of Robbery 1st degree.

Mississippi is where Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Chicago boy, was abducted and murdered in 1955, and where Mack Charles Parker was dragged from a Poplarville jail and lynched in 1959. In February, JULIAN, the civil rights organization founded by attorney Jill Collen Jefferson, released “A Crimson Record,” a report documenting more than 70 suspected modern-day lynchings across seven Southern states since 2000. The report calls the federal Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act, signed in 2022, “toothless.” The Wells family is pressing for a federal investigation. Jackson police have promised more arrests in Fortune’s killing, and activists are calling for hate crime charges. More than a year after Trey Reed was found on the Delta State campus, his family is still waiting on answers of its own. Across these cases, families and advocates have made the same demand: release the grand jury findings, the autopsy reports and the evidence behind every ruling. Based on reporting by Chicago Crusader.

---Legal Notices--

4tcg 9/23, 3010/1, 8 IN THE JUVENILE COURT OF GREENE COUNTY, ALABAMA IN THE MATTER OF AUSTIN DANIELS, CASE NO. JU-25-17.02 A CHILD NOTICE OF PETITION FOR TERMINATION OF PARENTAL RIGHTS TO: TAWANNA DANIELS You are hereby given notice that a petition has been filed by the Greene County Department of Human Resources requesting your parental rights be terminated to Austin Daniels, born on August 25, 2025, in Birmingham, AL. You are hereby given notice that you are required to file an Answer with the Clerk of the Juvenile Court and with the Petitioner’s attorney, Katherine Parten, P.O. Box 766, Demopolis, Alabama 36732, within fourteen (14) days of the date of the last publication of this notice or a default judgment can be entered against you. A final hearing has been set for November 10, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. in the Greene County Courthouse in Greene, Alabama. You may appear and contest the same if you choose.

INVITATION TO BID Sealed bids will be received by the Greene County Board of Education at its Central Office, at 220 Main Street, Eutaw, Alabama 35462 for petroleum products. Bids shall be sealed and marked "BID on Petroleum Products 2026-2027" and delivered or mailed to reach said office by 9:59 a.m. on October 29, 2026. Bid packets may be obtained by visiting the Board's website, greenecoboe.greene.k12.al. us or by calling the Greene County Board of Education at 205-372-3109. If additional information is required, please contact: Dr. Timothy Thurman, Superintendent or Mr. James Gaines, Transportation Supervisor 4tcg 10, 7, 14, 21, 28 NOTICE OF SALE UNDER POWER FORECLOSURE NOTICE WHEREAS, default has occurred in the performance of the covenants, terms and conditions of a Mortgage from MARCUS WOODS, UNMARRIED to MORTGAGE ELECTRONIC REGISTRATION SYSTEMS, INC., AS MORTGAGEE, AS NOMINEE FOR LOW VA

RATES, on the 15th day of January, 2016, said mortgage recorded in the Office of the Judge of Probate of Greene County, Alabama, on January 25, 2016, in Deed/Mortgage Book 81, Page 159, Greene County, Alabama Records, said Mortgage having subsequently been transferred and assigned to NEWREZ LLC, by instrument recorded in the aforesaid Probate Office; notice is hereby given that the undersigned NEWREZ LLC, as Mortgagee/Transferee, under and by virtue of the power of sale contained in said mortgage, will sell at public outcry to the highest bidder for cash at the main entrance for the Greene county courthouse located at 400 Morrow Avenue, Eutaw, AL 35462 in Eutaw, Greene County, Alabama, on December 1, 2026, during the legal hours of sale, all of its right, title, and interest in and to the following described real estate, situated in Greene County, Alabama, to-wit: SITUATED IN THE COUNTY OF GREENE, STATE OF ALABAMA: PARCEL 1: A PARCEL OF PROPERTY LOCATED IN THE E ½ OF THE SE ¼ OF SECTION 33, TOWNSHIP 22 NORTH, RANGE 2 EAST, IN THE CITY OF EUTAW, GREENE

COUNTY, ALABAMA, AND BEING MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED AS FOLLOWS: FROM THE NW CORNER OF LOT 2, BLOCK C, FISHBURNE ANNEX AS SHOWN BY MAP OR PLAT OF THE SAME RECORDED IN MAP BOOK 1 AT PAGE 89 IN THE PROBATE OFFICE OF GREENE COUNTY, ALABAMA, RUN NORTH 14 DEGREES 42 MINUTES WEST FOR 316 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING OF DESCRIBED PARCEL; THEN FROM SAID POINT OF BEGINNING NORTH 2 DEGREES 20 MINUTES WEST FOR 429 FEET; THEN RUN SOUTH 87 DEGREES 15 MINUTES WEST FOR 292 FEET TO THE EAST SIDE OF HOWARD AVENUE; THEN RUN SOUTH ALONG THE EAST SIDE OF HOWARD AVENUE FOR 412.8 FEET; THEN RUN NORTH 89 DEGREES 40 MINUTES EAST FOR 302 FEET TO THE POINT OF BEGINNING. BEING ONE AND THE SAME PROPERTY AS DESCRIBED IN DEED BOOK 151, AT PAGE 160 IN THE PROOFFICE OF BATE GREENE COUNTY, ALABAMA, WHICH CONTAINS A TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR.

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Page 7

TAX ID NO: 18-08-334-007-010.000 0 (PARCEL NO.) 0000084990 (ACCT NO.) Said legal description being controlling, however the property is more commonly known as 125 HOWARD AVE, EUTAW, AL 35462. Alabama law gives some persons who have an interest in property the right to redeem the property under certain circumstances. 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. 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 in the county where the above-described property is situated. This property will be sold subject to the right of redemption of all parties entitled thereto and subject to any outstanding ad valorem taxes (including taxes which are a lien, whether or not now due and payable). This sale is made for the purpose of paying the indebtedness secured by said mortgage, as well as the

expenses of foreclosure. The Mortgagee/Transferee reserves the right to bid for and purchase the real estate and to credit its purchase price against the expenses of sale and the indebtedness secured by the real estate. This sale is subject to postponement or cancellation, and to purchaser’s tendering to Rubin Lublin, LLC, anti-money laundering information as required pursuant to the FinCEN Real Estate Report Rule. Failure to provide information, could result in rescission of the sale. NEWREZ LLC, Mortgagee/Transferee THE BELOW LAW FIRM MAY BE HELD TO BE ACTING AS A DEBT COLLECTOR, UNDER FEDERAL LAW. IF SO, INFORMATION ANY OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. Rubin Lublin, LLC, Attorney for Mortgagee/Transferee 3145 Avalon Ridge Place, Suite 100, Peachtree Corners, GA 30071 Telephone Number: (877) 813-0992 Case No. SHP-26-02176-2 Ad Run Dates: 10/07/2026, 10/14/2026, 10/21/2026 rlselaw.com/propertylisting 3tcg 10/7,14, 21 See Legal Notices , p. 9

--Statewide Amendments-STATE OF ALABAMA PROCLAMATION BY THE GOVERNOR WHEREAS the Alabama Legislature at its 2026 Regular Session enacted Act No. 2026-341 (SB271), Act No. 2026378 (HB380), Act No. 2026-379 (HB511), and Act No. 2026-424 (SB5), proposing amendments to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022; WHEREAS, in conformity with Section 284 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, as amended, the Legislature has ordered an election by the qualified electors of the state upon such proposed amendments; and WHEREAS notice of this election, together with the proposed amendments, is required by law to be given by proclamation of the Governor, which shall be published once a week for at least four successive weeks immediately preceding the day appointed for the election; NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kay Ivey, as Governor of the State of Alabama, do hereby give notice, direct, and proclaim that on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, an election will be held in the State of Alabama in the manner and form provided by law upon the following proposed amendments to the Constitution of 2022 of the State of Alabama: AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY ACT NO. 2026-341 PART I. Section 127 of the Constitution of Alabama of 2022, is amended to read as follows: “Section 127 (a) In case of the governor's removal from office, death or resignation If a vacancy occurs in the office of the governor, the lieutenant governor shall become governor. (b) If both a vacancy occurs in the office of the governor and the office of the lieutenant governor be removed from office, die or resign more than sixty 60 days prior to the next general election, at which any state officers are to be elected, a governor and lieutenant governor shall be elected at such election for the unexpired

term., and in the event of a vacancy in the office, caused by the removal from office, death or resignation of the governor and lieutenant governor, pendingDuring such vacancy and until their successors shall be elected and qualified, the office of governor shall be held and administered by either the president pro tem.tempore of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, or state treasurer in the order herein named. (c) In case of the impeachment of the governor, his or her absence from the state for more than twenty days, unsoundness of mind, or other disability or incapacity to serve, the power and authority of the office shall, until the governor is acquitted, returns to the state, or is restored to his mind, or relieved from other disabilityno longer incapacitated, shall devolve in the order herein named,described in subsection (b) upon the lieutenant governor, president pro tem.tempore of the senate, speaker of the house of representatives, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, and state treasurer. If any of these officers be are under any of the disabilities herein specified, the office of the governor shall be administered in the order named by such of these officers as may be are free from such disability. (d) If the governor shall be is absent from the state over twenty days, the secretary of state shall notify the lieutenant governor, who shall enter upon the duties of governor; if both the governor and lieutenant governor shall be are absent from the state over twenty days, the secretary of state shall notify the president pro tem.tempore of the senate, who shall enter upon the duties of governor, and so on, in case of such absence, he or she shall notify each of the other officers named in their the order of succession herein provided, who shall discharge the duties of the office until the governor or other officer entitled to administer the office in succession to the gover-

nor returns. (e) If the governor-elect fail or refuse from any cause to qualify, the lieutenant governor-elect shall qualify and exercise the duties of governor until the governor-elect qualifies.; and in the event both If both the governor-elect and the lieutenant governor-elect from any cause for any reason fail to qualify, the president pro tem. tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, and state treasurer, shall, in like manner, in the order named, administer the office until the governorelect or lieutenant governor-elect qualifies. (f) If a vacancy occurs in the office of the lieutenant governor more than 60 days before the next general election at which any state officers are to be elected, a lieutenant governor shall be elected at such general election for the unexpired term.” PART II. The following provision is added to the Constitution of Alabama of 2022 to read as follows: Notwithstanding any other provision of the constitution: (1) The Lieutenant Governor and officers of both houses of the Legislature shall be paid an amount set by joint resolution; and (2) Any expenditure of funds appropriated for use by members of the Legislature for travel shall be approved by an officer of the Legislature elected from the full membership of the respective chamber. AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY ACT NO. 26378 (a) Whenever two or more contiguous county boards of education deem it advisable to consolidate the administration of their respective county school systems under one remaining controlling multicounty board of education, each county board of education shall adopt and record within the minutes of each board an agreement providing for the consolidation. A formal resolution adopted by all members of the agreeing boards shall

detail and provide for the payment of their respective indebtedness, specify how the consolidation will take place, identify how the remaining controlling multicounty board of education will operate, provide for the roles and duties of the resulting multi-county board members, and designate the time frame during which the consolidation will be implemented. Subject to subsection (c), the consolidation shall be finalized as designated in the formal resolution. (b) Before a consolidation may occur, the State Board of Education shall conduct an impact study on the potential effects of the proposed consolidation, including, but not limited to, the impact on students, families, educational quality, educational programs, staff, facilities, transportation and operations, finances and taxes, community identity, and governance. At least 30 calendar days before adopting the formal resolution finalizing the consolidation, the State Board of Education shall post a copy of the impact study on the public website of the State Department of Education. (c)(1) If, within 30 days after the adoption of the formal resolution, 25 percent of the qualified electors residing within the boundaries of any of the school systems proposing consolidation submit a protest, in writing, to any of the affected county boards of education, the consolidation may not occur unless the consolidation is approved by a majority of the qualified electors residing in each county or counties wherein all affected county school systems are located who vote in a referendum election as provided in this subsection. (2) The consolidation shall become operative only if approved by a majority of the qualified electors who reside within the combined territory of the affected county school systems who vote in a referendum election to be held on the date of the next regularly scheduled general election. The order setting the election shall be en-

tered by the judge of probate of each affected county within one month after the expiration of the 30-day time period provided in subdivision (1). Notice of the election shall be given by the judge of probate of each county, and the election shall be held, conducted, and the results canvassed in the manner as other county elections. The ballots shall have printed at the top a statement of the purpose of the referendum election and directly underneath, in plain type and on different lines, the words, “For Consolidation,” and “Against Consolidation.” If a majority of the qualified electors voting in the combined territory of the affected county school systems vote to approve the consolidation, the consolidation shall be finalized as designated in the formal resolution. (d) The consolidation shall not operate to relieve any board of education, or other governing body, of liability for obligations previously incurred, or to impair rights existing before the consolidation. The agreement and formal resolution shall be binding on the combining county boards of education. If a consolidation occurs, the remaining controlling multi-county board of education shall have the right to compel the execution of contractual obligations made to any of the boards before the consolidation. (e) The State Board of Education shall adopt rules as necessary to provide for the implementation of this section. (f) The Legislature, by general or local law, may enact legislation to implement approved board consolidations pursuant to this section. AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY ACT NO. 2026-379 (a) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy requiring each public K-12 school under its jurisdiction, at the beginning of each school day, to conduct The Pledge of Allegiance to the United States flag and give all students the opportunity to voluntarily recite The Pledge of Allegiance to the

United States flag. (b) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy requiring each public K-12 school under its jurisdiction to allow a prayer to be conducted, provided that: (1) The prayer must be initiated by and led by a student; and (2) No student may be required to participate in a prayer. (c) Any policy adopted by a local board of education pursuant to this section shall ensure that students have the right to opt out of participation in the Pledge of Allegiance or the prayer based on their own beliefs. (d) Violations of this section may be reported to the local superintendent of education. The local superintendent of education shall review the violation. AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY ACT NO. 2026-424 (a) Each local board of education shall adopt a policy requiring each public K-12 school under its jurisdiction to broadcast The Star-Spangled Banner during school hours, at least once per week. (b)(1) A local board of education shall select for broadcast, pursuant to subsection (a), any recording of the first stanza of The Star-Spangled Banner that is archived within the Library of Congress and available on the Library of Congress website. (2) A local board of education, alternatively, may adopt a policy allowing, during school hours, for the performance of the first stanza of The StarSpangled Banner from original sheet music, archived within the Library of Congress and available on its website, by a schoolsanctioned band program, choral program, vocal group, or vocalist. FURTHER, I proclaim and direct that this proclamation shall be published once a week for the four successive weeks immediately preceding Tuesday, November 3, 2026, in every county as required by law. 4tcg 10/7,14,21,28

Page 8, The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026

Civic Engagement

Diane Giles from Greene County’s Registrar Office Community Associate Belt Community FoundaMollie Rowe welcomed at- tion, Chris Spencer. tendees, saying both organSpencer described the izations gather with one women who organized the goal in mind: “to make our event as “some of the hardcommunity better.” She est-working people across gave thanks to God for The Black Belt.” He spoke making it possible for mem- highly of their efforts to bers of the community to raise funds for community gather in their right minds events such as this, remindto advocate for voting rights ing everyone that “each one and change. “The urgency of the dollars that you give is now,” she stated fer- goes back to your commuvently, “because tomorrow nity.” is not promised to us.” He also stressed the imFollowing Rowe’s wel- portance of keeping those come, Pastor Michael Bar- around us informed and ton blessed the attendees aware of voting dates deand the leaders who gath- scribing the event as a famered to increase collabora- ily affair. “Voting is the one tion and cohesion in Greene day that we are all equal in County. Darlene Robinson America,” and “This is one then introduced the Presi- of the most important elecdent and CEO of the Black tions that we will ever par-

Mother teaching her teen how to read and fill out a ballot ticipate in. Your voice de- even if they have already fines tomorrow.” filled out a form to check Community Associate that it was not marked as inand main event organizer complete. Darlene Robinson thanked Attendees were then alSpencer for his encouraging lowed to view and practice words. “We want to make filling out the Alabama sure you can vote on No- sample ballot for Greene vember 3rd”, she stated be- County. Robinson told atfore introducing Diane tendees to write her in for Giles and Billie Williams one of the positions on a from the Greene County ballot to practice spelling a Registrar's Office. Mrs. write-in candidate's name Giles informed attendees correctly. After votes were that they can drop by the of- collected, she then asked fice or call (205) 372-6971 the crowd if they thought to ask any questions regard- she was qualified for the poing voting status or eligibil- sition. She told attendees to ity. She strongly ask the same question of encouraged voters to do so every candidate, emphasizbefore October 19th, the ing how imperative it was last day to register for the for voters to do their own upcoming election. She research before election cautioned voters to stop by day.

The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund appoints Richard Benderson as Interim State Coordinator for Florida

Atlanta, Georgia — The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (the Federation) is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Benderson as Interim State Coordinator for the Florida Field Office on a temporary assignment, effective Sep-

tember 1, 2026. Based in the Federation’s Florida office in Lake City, he serves on the Federation’s Executive Team, helping to advance strategic priorities and lead initiatives focused on cooperative economic development, land retention, and advocacy. A native of Demopolis, Alabama, Benderson comes to this role from the Federation’s Alabama Field Office, where he served as a Cooperative Development Specialist and previously as a DFAP Outreach Specialist. Benderson brings more than two decades of experience in urban planning and

community development, including work with municipalities and private development organizations throughout the Southeast. His background includes work in Winter Haven and Daytona Beach, Florida; Selma, Alabama; and with the South Georgia Regional Development Center. He has also supported civic efforts at the federal, state, and local levels focused on environmental justice, community development, the arts, and voter advocacy. Benderson is an alumnus of Alabama A&M University and also attended the University of West Alabama. His professional and civic affiliations include the

American Planning Association, Florida Redevelopment Association, Alabama A&M Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., Two Rivers Arts Council, and Southeastern Goat Cooperative. This appointment reflects the Federation’s continued expansion and reaffirms its commitment to empowering its membership of farmers, landowners, and cooperatives across the Southeast. The Federation looks forward to Benderson’s continued service and leadership as he works alongside Florida staff and members to advance the Federation’s mission.

Civil War Museum Ten years later, an exhibit about to be unveiled for the first time on Sept. 30 at 10 am at the newly renovated African American Civil War Museum on historic U Street in Northwest Washington, D.C. will tell the rest of that story. “From Slavery to the White House” will tell how Michelle Obama’s formerly enslaved forefathers fought in the Civil War for the freedom of all of America’s enslaved. And it will tell how America was transformed “from a slaveocracy to a democracy,” as described by Dr. Frank Smith, executive director and founder of the Museum and the Memorial across the street. The Museum is located at 1925 Vermont Ave. NW in DC's Shaw neighborhood at 10th and U Streets. “People will come in here. They will see the Michelle Obama feature exhibit. They will see freedom. And they will see enslavement,” says Smith. But that is not all they will see. The main exhibit, “Glorious March to Liberty: Civil War to Civil Rights”, tells the triumphant story of enslaved Black people who took their own destiny into their hands by taking up arms to fight for their own freedom during the Civil War. It is a refreshed exhibit in the museum, which has been visited by about 2 million people over 10-plus years, says Dawn Chitty, educational director at the Museum. “It will be seen in a light it has not been seen before.” An additional 200 new artifacts have also been added, she said. Dr. Smith, a former member of the D.C. City Council, describes the story behind his vision. “When the Civil War started, African-Americans had no pathway to citizenship in the United States. We were defined in the Constitution as being chattel slaves. And every court decision from that point up to the Civil War reinforced our position and our status in society. We don’t get a chance to fight for our freedom until Lincoln gets himself caught up in a war that he can’t win without doing something about slavery,” Smith told the audience at the groundbreaking seven years ago in 2019. “And so, he ended up enlisting two hundred thousand Blacks in the Union Army. The nation paid no attention to these soldiers until we built a monument to them.” Smith sees the Michelle Obama exhibit as the perfect illustration to show just how far Blacks have come since they were brought to this country. Pointing to the lines on the floor near the front entrance of the building, he told a reporter, “These lines will take you to different parts of her life, starting here.” From her humble beginnings, growing up with her parents and brother on the South Side of Chicago, to her graduation from Harvard University Law School, to her marriage to and family with America’s 44th President Barack Obama, the exhibit tells the story that started with freedom fighters Ceasar Cohen and Jerry Sutton. Cohen, her great-great grandfather, served in the 128th Regiment of the United States Colored Troops (USCT) of the Union Army, and Sutton, the stepfather of her great

grandmother, served in the USCT 55th Regiment. “We have 209,000 names of soldiers on that wall out there,” Smith said, gesturing toward the Memorial Wall across the street with names of the 209,145 former slaves and Black people who fought in the Union Army. “It's just a lot of names until you find one of them that tells the whole story. Those are probably the most famous names out there - her family. And it's a great story. It’s exciting to people because everybody knows how this is going to end. It's going to end in the White House.” It is the ultimate vision of Dr. Smith, who founded the museum and memorial 34 years ago in a building next door to where it now stands. “Our former Ward 1 Councilmember is making sure that we not only grow as a city, but that we grow together as a city and that we preserve the rich history that we’ve been blessed with. And this Memorial is certainly a testament and a commitment to how we do that for our city and for our nation,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at the 2019 groundbreaking of the $8 million expansion and renovation. Much has happened since that day; including muddy political waters, budget shortfalls and the COVID pandemic, all of which slowed down the construction. But gradually and consistently the project has progressed. On Sept. 22 last year, as the development continued, hundreds gathered to witness the unveiling and dedication of a 600-pound, six-foot-tall bronze statue of President Abraham Lincoln seated and signing the Emancipation Proclamation outside the front steps of the museum. The Lincoln statue faces across the street where another bronze statue is located, featuring three Black soldiers standing guard, encircled by the Memorial Wall. The scene tells a victorious story of a people who literally fought their way out of enslavement. The setting has brought hope to U Street, once a thriving business community, which became crime-ridden and dilapidated in the 1970s. Bordered by Howard University and anchored by restaurants, such as the historic Ben’s Chili Bowl, Smith’s vision; including the renovation of the museum, has drawn new development to the area. As Howard students, school children from DC, local residents and tourists from across the country and around the world view the exhibits, Smith believes the museum will not only educate, but inspire. “When we talk and think about slavery, we always think of a lot of suffering and a lot of crying, a lot of beatings and a lot of hard work, which it was indeed all of those things - no question about it,” Smith says. “But America is full of all kinds. We don't have any control over where we were born and whether we are black or white. But of course, we have some control over our lives. And I think this, the Michelle Obama story, is about two [soldiers] who took control of their lives and did something great for themselves and for this country.”

The Greene County Democrat, Wednesday, October 7, 2026, Page 9

Carolyn’s Tid Bits...by Carolyn Young

Endurance Life has many ups and

In the Matter of Charlies F. Swanson Deceased In the Probate Court of Greene Letters Testamenty under the last will and testament of Charlies F. Swanson, deceased having been granted to Bruce David Swanson, Executor on the 28th day of September 2026, by the honorable Rolonda Wedgeworth, Judge of Probate Court of Greene County, Alabama,

downs, The bitter and the sweet. Each day is filled with problems Which tend to make us weak. But through your faith and Jesus’ love. You will endure the trials, And you ‘ll find your burdens lightened As you walk another mile. -Helen Parker.

Happy Birthday to Atty. Willie Williams, Donald White, Tabitha Smith, DeAnthony C. Johnson, CurVonte’ Williams, Aaron Paige, Felecia Anderson, Gwendolyn Harris, Kimberly Carpenter, Essie Bloxon, Prescious Belton, Darwanette V. Levington, Marilyn Gibson, Diamond White, Deborah Bradley, Samuel Smith, Carl Smith, Aleah La’Nae Lockett, Bernice Smith, TaRhonda

Ryans, Joyce Armstrong, Calvin Knott, Nasana Atkins, Kayleigh Smith, Maxwell B. Cole, JaNyra Holman, Theodorsha Rhone, Elizabeth Ann Snoddy, Pierre Crawford, Althea Young, Wendell Crockett. Happy Anniversary to Mr. and Mrs. Keith McKendall, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Jr. & Sharenne Jeames and Mr. and Mrs. Daniel & Crystal Edwards.

--Legal Notice-notice is hereby given that all persons having claims against the estate of Charles F. Swanson, deceased, are hereby required to present the same within the time allowed by law or the same will be barred. Bruce David Swanson, Executor of the Estate of Charlies F. Swanson, Deceased

P.O. Box 230 Eutaw, Al 34562

Robert J. Lee, LLC

Copies 15¢

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 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, October 7, 2026

JOSHUA J. SWORDS

The Democrat

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Disclaimer These recoveries and testimonials are not an indication of future results. Every case is different regardless of what friends, family or other individuals say about what a case is worth. Each case must be evaluated on its own facts and circumstances as they apply to the law. The valuation of a case depends on the facts, the injuries, the jurisdiction, the venue, the witnesses, the parties and the testimony among other factors. Furthermore, No representation that the quality of legal services to be performed are greater than the services performed by other lawyers.