UPW - Urban Pro Weekly

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020 VOL. 9 NO. 12

Senate runoff turnout in Augusta is historic

J.R. Richards • Medical Associates Plus

Leader of community health center expands services during corona emergency

J.R. Richards, CEO of Medical Associates Plus, poses for a photo at the MAP headquarters building on Golden Camp Road.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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Early voting has begun for 2 Senate seats ADVANCE VOTING FOR RICHMOND COUNTY HAS BEGUN AND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY, DEC. 31.

Voting by Mail is in progress now. Interested persons must apply by submitting a written request to the Board of Elections Office, 535 Telfair Street, Suite 500, Augusta, Georgia, 30901, by fax at 706821-2814, by email at richmondelections@augustaga. govor online at ballotrequest. sos.ga.gov. Voters who cast an absentee ballot by mail do not have to provide a reason for voting by mail. The last day to apply for an absentee ballot by mail will be Thursday, December 31, 2020.

In order to be counted, voted mail in absentee ballots must be received by the Elections Office not later than the close of the polls at 7:00 PM on Jan. 5, 2021.

Absentee Ballot Drop Boxesare available now for

voters to use to drop off their voted ballot. Drop box locations are the Municipal Building at 535 Telfair Street, the Robert Howard Community Center at Diamond

Lakes Regional Park at 103 Diamond Lakes Way, the Henry Brigham Community Center at 2463 Golden Camp Road, the Warren Road Recreation Center at 300 Warren Road,

and Augusta Service Center at 3463 Peach Orchard Road.

Absentee ballot drop boxes will be closed at the close of the polls at 7 pm on Election Day, Jan. 5, 2021

ADVANCE VOTING INFO - RICHMOND COUNTY BELL AUDITORIUM, 712 TelfairStreet Saturday, December 19, 2020 from 9:00 – 4:00. (one day only) Monday, December 21 – Wednesday, December 23 from 8:30 –5:00 NO VOTING on Thursday, December 24 and Friday, December 25.

Monday, December 28 – Thursday, December 31, 2020 from 8:30 –6:00 NO VOTING on Friday, January 1, 2021.

ROBERT HOWARD COMM. CENTER, 103 Diamond Lakes Way Monday, December 28 – Thursday, December 31, 2020 from 8:30 –6:00 Friday, January 1, 2021 is a holiday. There will be no voting on thisday.

HENRY BRIGHAM COMMUNITY CENTER, 2463 Golden Camp Rd Monday, December 28 – Thursday, December 31, 2020 from 8:30 –6:00

A.R. Johnson students participate in Amazon Future Engineer Program Intro to computer science students at A.R. Johnson Health Science and Engineering Magnet School are participating in the Amazon Future Engineer Program to learn about technology careers.

Last week, during Computer Science Education Week, students interacted with Amazon solutions architect Braeden Quirante during a Virtual Classroom Chat. Quirante shared details about his education-

al journey and the career path to his current role at Amazon. He also dispelled some myths about tech jobs and offered his “top tips” on landing the first job.

The Amazon Future Engineer Program is designed to help middle and high school students overcome barriers to pathways to advanced studies in computer science.

City offers guidelines for public art The Arts Council worked closely with the City of Augusta to create a comprehensive guide to public art permitting. This guide is intended to be used by community members to take public art from ideation to completion. The guide outlines all necessary steps in great detail.

The public art permitting guide, created with the City of Augusta, has a dedicated landing site on the

UPW Publisher

URBAN PRO WEEKLY MEDIA info@urbanproweekly.com

URBAN PRO WEEKLY Editor FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 urbanpromedia@yahoo.com

Arts Council’s website, which can be found by following this link: https://augustaarts.com/for-artists/ creating-public-art/.

This landing page has information about the process of applying to create public art in addition to a downloadable PDF checklist, or guide, packed with information in steps that help artists move through the entire public art creation process.

Analysis

UrbanProWeekly • DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

VOTING

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December 11, 2020 (Augusta, GA) - U.S. Senate candidate Rev. Raphael Warnock speaks to a group of supporters during a drive-in rally held at Greater Young Zion Missionary Baptist Church. Warnock is facing Sen Kelly Loeffler in a run-off election for the seat on January 5th.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Advance-voting response is breaking records; Warnock boosts turnout at rally in Augusta

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA On Friday, (Dec. 11) Mayor Hardie Davis introduced Democratic Senate candidate Raphael Warnock to supporters in Augusta. Warnock is urging voters to return to the polls and vote ‘blue’ one more time.

The stakes are high.

If the two incumbent Republicans, David Purdue and Kelly Loeffler manage to lose their senate seats to the upstart Democrats, it would send shock waves across the nation and saddle the Georgia Republican Party with the most humiliating defeat in the state’s history.

It would be unthinkable, given the fact that the GOP has complete control of state government. It would mean that it is just a matter of time before their power withers away completely.

The recently certified Biden victory and Donald Trump’s unhinged, delusional dance with his chorus of sycophantic GOP cultists has plunged the nation into a surreal political daze.

And through all of this, Georgians are being asked to ­– once again rise up and – slay the dragon.

Well, if it can be done anywhere, it can be done here. Republicans best not sleep on motivated voters fresh off a taste of victory. Republicans should be worried.

Early voting in Augusta has been setting records and threatens to exceed turnout of the Nov. 3 Presidential election. Richmond County has set an all-time single-day, per-site record for advance voting with 2,022 casting ballots on Day 1 of advance voting.

King’s ransoms are being poured into the state’s digital, analog, and print platforms and voters in Augusta are being bombarded by dozens of mailed voting reminders, and political literature about the Jan. 5 runoff.

But, is it enough? Who is to say.

Confused thoughts and misinformation are in great supply. If millions are convinced that the voting system is rigged – why would they get excited about being duped a second time.

It is bizarre.

Republicans of all stripes are reload-

ing in time for more circular firing squads as they attack each other for failing to lick Master Trumps boots.

Just ask Brad Raffensperger, Georgia’s Secretary of State, Gabriel Sterling, top Georgia voting official, and Christopher Krebs, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, whether being a loyal, conservative Republican is worth a dime, if you don’t endorse the lies from Trump and his favored minions.

Raffensperger was attacked by Trump because he had the gall to endorse the election in which Trump was defeated. Likewise, Sterling defended the integrity of Georgia’s elections and Krebs vouched for the security of the presidential elections.

Both were demonized by Trump and Krebs was actually fired. All three have been subjected to death threats and harassment.

Georgia governor Brian Kemp, ran afoul of the chief executive when he refused to attempt to overturn the Georgia election.

And, even so, Kemp has called on vot-

ers to protect Trump’s legacy by voting for Purdue and Loeffler.

In Augusta, Warnock was on his game. His opponent, Kelly Loeffler, is an easy target. She is rich, a Trump sycophant and a politician unfamiliar with the truth.

I think Warnoff will take the seat.

Ossoff who also campaigned in Augusta recently is criss-crossing the state in his bus and is committed to conducting a comprehensive ground game.

Folks, this will be the mother of all elections – a real test for both sides.

“I’m deeply honored as a son of Georgia that as the nation is standing at this defining moment, it is rightly looking to Georgia to get it right, and I declare to you tonight that Georgia is going to get it right,” Warnock told his audience at Greater Young Zion Baptist Church.

Mayor Hardie Davis, a Democrat, introduced Warnock to the crowd and encouraged people to go out and vote in person or by mail.

“We turned Georgia blue in November. It’s time for us to finish our fight, and we have a fighter.”

UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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Local Arts group warns of scam emails soliciting charitable donations The Greater Augusta Arts Council and its supporters have recently been victim of a series of malicious email campaigns. If you receive an email from any member of the Arts Council staff, board or volunteer force asking for donations of gift cards it is a fraudulent request and should be ignored or reported to your email provider.

Since discovering this series of emails the Arts Council board and staff have worked diligently with Constant Contact, the email provider, and the website development team to tighten all security measures

“What you need to know about Taxes and Your Business” The CSRA Business League, Inc., will sponsor a “What you need to know about Taxes and Your Business” Virtual Seminar on Tuesday, 19 January 2021 via ZOOM Webinar.

We will open the Webinar portal at 5:45 pm, the Virtual Workshop will begin at 6:00 p.m. The program will last until 7:30 p.m.

This virtual seminar facilitated by Mrs. Tabitha Hollimon, the owner of Virtual Tax and Consulting LLC and local Accountant, will guide you through the Tax Code maze , as you prepare for a new Tax year. Mrs. Hollimon’s goal is to assist you in ensuring you are utilizing tax laws and codes to your advantage and doing so correctly.

Please make plans to attend our CSRA Business League “What you need to know about Taxes and Your Business Seminar”, which will take place on Tuesday, 19 January 2021, 5:45 - 7:30 p.m.

To register in advance for this webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/ W N_BW bdrZ8TRi6iG_ Sc-JNnfg After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Important Information for Voters January 5, 2021 General and Special Election Runoff Your Vote, Your Choice!

throughout the website and all software used by the Arts Council staff and board.

The Arts Council thanks all the patrons of the arts in our community for supporting our many arts nonprofit organizations in this season of giving. Please continue your generosity and care for the groups who share our hearts and souls through their work.

Be aware, at the same time, that while your goodness and giving is sustaining our art community, people with ill-intent are also busy. If you

receive an email or a phone call or a text that seems suspicious, don’t respond to it. Contact the arts organization that it claims to come from, via an email or phone number that you TRUST and know to be from that organization.

The Arts Council is currently hosting #ArtCityAUG, its 2020 end-of-year fundraising campaign. The Augusta community and the River Region are a booming arts destination and can be a more visible beacon of arts patronage with beautiful murals like the recently completed “Spirit of Funk.” This mural

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Bond Issue Program

has been widely embraced and the Arts Council has used the imagery from this piece to serve as a reminder of the amazing public art that’s locked inside members of our community and ready to come out in full force! For patrons who would like to donate to the #ArtCityAUG to make more public art a reality, we encourage you to visit the campaign landing page, found here https://www.gagives.org/ story/Supportarts. This landing page is a secure and safe way to donate to the Arts Council during this year’s giving season.

PROPOSAL NUM.: B-20-021-1602 PROJECT NAME: Hephzibah Elementary School HVAC

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Due to the closure of the Richmond County Board of Education building for Covid-19, sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the B-20-021-1602 - Hephzibah Elementary School HVAC Project via e-mail until 3:00 p.m. local time, Thursday, January 14, 2021, Please send the completed bid package to the e-mail address RCSSBIDS@rcboe.org and use in the subject line “<Your Company Name>, Terrace Manor Roof and HVAC Project”. No extension of the bidding period will be made. A bid tabulation will be made available to each contractor who submits a bona fide bid.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held Tuesday, December 15, 2020 @ 10:00 a.m. local time in the Media Center Conference Room, Hephzibah Elementary School, 2524 Hwy. 88 , Hephzibah, GA 30815 Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Bidding documents may be obtained at the Office of the Architect: 2KM Architects, Inc., 529 Greene Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901. Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $200.00 set should be filed promptly with the Architect. Bidding material will be forwarded (shipping charges collect) as soon as possible. The full amount of deposit for one set will be refunded to each prime contractor who submits a bona fide bid upon return of such set in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bids.

All other deposits will be refunded with deductions approximating cost of reproduction of documents upon return of same in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bid.

Contract, if awarded, will be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of 35 days after time has been called on the date of opening.

Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than 5% of the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates. Contact Jeanine Usry with GMK Associates at (706) 826-1127 for location to review and obtain this database.

Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw County Board of Education of Richmond County Administrative Office 864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 c/o: Mr. Bobby Smith, CPA

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A successful pandemic response for any future health crisis than any other nation by developing a National Response Team and creating a well-developed plan.

UPW: Has the current crisis caused you to reflect on what changes MAP may need to make to prepare for the next stage of the battle – virus distribution?

RICHARDS: The current crisis has definitely caused our Board of Directors and Senior Leadership to consider what changes need to be made in regards to vaccine distribution and its implementation. MAP has created a Pandemic Vaccine Distribution Team made up of members from different departments to analyze and come up with effective ways to distribute the vaccine to staff and the public. One major decision that must be made is whether to make the vaccine mandatory for all staff working directly with patients.

UPW: Would you like to see a significant increase in federal funding for agencies like MAP in the new administration?

RICHARDS: I would like to see the HRSA appropriate funds for facility acquisition and improvements as they are much needed. I addition, increased funding would definitely assist centers to increase the level of services provided to include such services as cardiology.

J.R. Richards, CEO of Medical Associates Plus, poses for a photo at the MAP headquarters building on Golden Camp Road.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs For J.R. Richards, CEO of Medical Associates Plus, the COVID-19 pandemic presented some sobering challenges. For agencies like his, community-based entities that serve the most vulnerable and disenfranchised populations, any disruption in the healthcare system could be disastrous.

The delayed and uncoordinated federal response to the pandemic underscores the need for health centers like Medical Associates Plus (MAP) to step up and fill in service gaps which were unprecedented. All at once, MAP, and other federally qualified health centers, found themselves on the front lines of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, essential medical services were continued for those who relied on MAP for care. We contacted Mr. Richards to find out how he is coping with the continuing healthcare emergency.

UPW: How did your center adapt to COVID-19?

RICHARDS: Our center was able to adapt by providing telehealth services as well as in-person visits, conducting questionnaire screenings and temperature checks of all attending any facility by the use of tents at the front of its facilities. CARES Act funding as well as the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan also allowed us to maintain all of our staffing (with some eligible staff working remote) and continue to provide all of our services.

With the help of the Georgia Primary Care Association, we were able to purchase or had donated required Personal; Protective Equipment (PPE) for all staff and patients. We also installed air fil-

tration systems through a grant from Direct Relief and took other safety measures to protect our staff and patients.

UPW: How do you think that the current COVID-19 pandemic will impact the way MAP does business from this point forth?

RICHARDS: We will be providing more telehealth visits for our patients as opposed to in-person face to face visits.

UPW: Do you think that the federal government should make efforts to create a national response to the next severe health crisis?

RICHARDS: I believe the federal government should be better prepared

UPW: What is a federally qualified health center? How do they differ from other types of health centers?

RICHARDS: Federally Qualified Health Centers are community based and patient directed organizations that deliver comprehensive, culturally competent, high quality primary and in some cases specialty care services to underserved communities. Services are typically provided in an outpatient setting and all services and operating procedures are dictated and governed by the performance expectations of the Bureau of Primary Care, Health Resources and Services Administration .FQHC’s differ from other health centers by offering services on a sliding fee scale and serve patients regardless of their ability to pay. No one is turned away based on financial status. In addition, FQHCs are able to provide discounted prescription medications.

UPW: How does MAP compare to other federally qualified health centers in the state? in the area?

RICHARDS: Of the 34 FQHCs, MAP is the fastest growing, have the 6th largest budget, 3rd highest privately insured population and the 3rd highest Medicare population. MAP also provides some specialty services that many other FQHCs do not provide such as Infusion Therapy, Dermatology, Pulmonology, Infectious Diseases clinic and Endocrinology. There is one other local FQHC that is much smaller in size and budget but collaborates with MAP on many fronts including sharing membership on the local Greater Augusta Healthcare Network which is a network of health facilities serving the uninsured and underinsured populations.

The Mobile Health Unit of Medical Associates Plus offers medical, dental, pediatrics and behavioral health services. It will begin COVID-19 testing in Jan. 2021. (December 15, 2020 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Medical Associates Plus at a glance . . .

MAP has 10 facilities MAP has sites in Richmond County, Jefferson County, Burke County and (2) mobile health vans.

SERVICES OFFERED Internal Medicine, Pediatric Medicine, Geriatric Medicine, Tele-health, HIV Counseling and Testing, HIV/AIDS Primary Care, Mental Health, Substance Abuse Treatment, Oral Health, Medication Assisted Treatment, School Based Health, Health Education, Family Practice Medicine, 340B Discounted Pharmacy Services, Infectious Diseases, Infusion Therapy, Dermatology, Pulmonology, Endocrinology, OB/GYN, Nutrition, Immunizations, Physical Exams, EKGs, Social Services, Case Management, Community Outreach, Entitlement/Eligibility Screening Services STAFFING MAP currently have 200 employees that includes 23 physicians, 4 Nurse Practitioners, 4 Physician Assistants and 2 Dentists.

CONTACT: 877.205-5006 • info@mapbt.com

UrbanProWeekly • DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

HEALTHVIEW J.R. Richards, CEO, Medical Associates Plus

UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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MEDIA

Why are black fiction books rarely published?

By Richard Jean So and Gus Wezerek Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah had just turned 26 when he got the call in 2017 that Mariner Books wanted to publish his short-story collection, Friday Black.

Mr. Adjei-Brenyah suspected that the contract he signed — a $10,000 advance for Friday Black and $40,000 for an unfinished second book — wasn’t ideal. But his father had cancer and the money provided a modicum of security.

Mr. Adjei-Brenyah’s uneasiness over his book deal became more acute last summer. Using the hashtag #PublishingPaidMe, writers had begun to share their advances on Twitter with the goal of exposing racial pay disparities in publishing. Some white authors disclosed that they had been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for their debut books.

Mr. Adjei-Brenyah wanted to share his contract. But he knew that doing so could make his publisher look bad and hurt his career. “It’s scary when it’s your life,” he said.

Reticence gave way to action, though, when he thought about Jesmyn Ward’s tweet about how she “fought and fought” for a $100,000 advance, even after one of her novels won the National Book Award.

Mr. Adjei-Brenyah started to type.

As #PublishingPaidMe spread online, more than a thousand people in the publishing industry signed up for a day of action to support the Black community.

Publishing executives responded by releasing statements expressing support for racial justice, announcing antiracism training and promising to put out more books by writers of color.

If they follow through, last summer’s activism could diversify the range of voices that American readers encounter for years to come.

But measuring progress isn’t easy, and requires a baseline to compare against: How many current authors are people of color? As far as we could tell, that data didn’t exist.

So we set out to collect it. First, we gathered a list of English-language fiction books published between 1950 and 2018. That list came from WorldCat, a global catalog of library collections.

We wanted to focus on books that were widely read, so we limited our analysis to titles that were held by at least 10 libraries and for which we could find digital editions.

We also constrained our search to books released by some of the most prolific publishing houses during the period of our analysis: Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Doubleday (a major publisher before it merged with Random House in 1998), HarperCollins and Macmillan. After all that we were left with a dataset containing 8,004 books, written by 4,010 authors.

To identify those authors’ races and ethnicities, we worked alongside three research assistants, reading through

Krishan Trotman will lead the Legacy Lit, the first imprint dedicated to publishing books by people of color at Hachette Book Group.Simbarashe Cha for The New York Times biographies, interviews and social media posts. If the team couldn’t come to an agreement about an author’s race, we omitted those authors’ books from our analysis. By the end, we had identified the race or ethnicity of 3,471 authors.

Of the 7,124 books for which we identified the author’s race, 95 percent were written by white people.

Author diversity at major publishing houses has increased in recent years, but white writers still dominate. NonHispanic white people account for 60 percent of the U.S. population; in 2018, they wrote 89 percent of the books in our sample.

This broad imbalance is likely linked to the people who work in publishing.

The heads of the “big five” publishing houses (soon, perhaps, to become the “big four”) are white. So are 85 percent of the people who acquire and edit books, according to a 2019 survey.

“There’s a correlation between the number of people of color who work in publishing and the number of books that are published by authors of color,” said Tracy Sherrod, the editorial director of Amistad, an imprint of HarperCollins that is focused on Black literature.

That correlation is visible in our data, exemplified by Toni Morrison’s career as an editor at Random House from 1967 to 1983. Random House’s first female Black editor, Ms. Morrison championed writers such as Toni Cade Bambara, Henry Dumas and Gayl Jones. During her tenure, 3.3 percent of the 806 books published by Random House in our data were written by Black authors.

The number of Black authors dropped sharply at Random House after Ms. Morrison left. Of the 512 books pub-

lished by Random House between 1984 and 1990 in our data, just two were written by Black authors: Ms. Morrison’s Beloved (through Knopf, which was owned by Random House) and Sarah Phillips, by Andrea Lee. In 1967, the same year that Ms. Morrison joined Random House, Marie Dutton Brown started as an intern at Doubleday and eventually rose to the rank of senior editor. Now a literary agent, Ms. Brown said that she witnessed how ephemeral gains for Black writers can be.

“Black life and Black culture are rediscovered every 10 to 15 years,” said Ms. Brown. “Publishing reflects that.”

Ms. Brown attributed the fluctuation in publishers’ support for Black writers to the news cycle, which periodically directs the nation’s attention to acts of brutality against Black people.

Publishers’ interest in amplifying Black voices wanes as media coverage peters out because “many white editors are not exposed to Black life beyond the headlines,” Ms. Brown said.

The lack of diversity among authors might be obscured by a small number of high-profile nonfiction books written by athletes, celebrities and politicians of color, according to Ms. Brown. “It gives the appearance that there are a lot of Black books published,” while publishers’ less famous “mid-list” authors are overwhelmingly white, she said.

Literary prizes may also make publishing appear more diverse than it actually is. Over the past decade, more than half of the 10 most recent books that were awarded the National Book Award for fiction were written by people of color; Colson Whitehead has won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction twice in the

past four years.

Look at the books that appeared on The New York Times’s best-seller list for fiction, though, and a different picture emerges: Only 22 of the 220 books on the list this year were written by people of color.

L.L. McKinney, an author of young-adult novels who started the #PublishingPaidMe hashtag, wasn’t surprised by the statistics on how few Black authors have been published relative to white authors.

“I’ve heard things like, ‘We already have our Black girl book for the year,’” said Ms. McKinney. She also remembered comments suggesting books wouldn’t sell well if they had a Black person on the cover.

In a 1950 essay titled “What White Publishers Won’t Print,” Zora Neale Hurston identified the chicken-or-egg dilemma at the heart of publishers’ conservatism. White people, she wrote, cannot conceive of Black people outside of racial stereotypes. And because publishers want to sell books, they publish stories that conform to those stereotypes, reinforcing white readers’ expectations and appetites.

“It’s amusing to me when publishers say that they follow the market,” said Ms. McKinney. “They’re doing it because of tradition. And the tradition is racism.”

Michael Strother, a former editor at Simon & Schuster, remembers the meeting in 2016 when he realized how limited his white colleagues’ imaginations were when it came to Black authors.

Mr. Strother was trying to persuade executives to authorize a large bid for The Hate U Give, Angie Thomas’s youngadult novel about the fallout from a police shooting.

Co-workers in the meeting praised the book; others teared up as they discussed its importance. “It was not only a good book, but a marketable book and an important book,” Mr. Strother said. “It should have been an easy yes.”

Some of Mr. Strother’s white colleagues were hesitant, though. One asked, “Do we need Angie Thomas if we have Jason Reynolds?” (Mr. Reynolds is another Black author of young-adult novels.)

“Their books are not similar at all except they both have Black characters,” said Mr. Strother, who is now a law student at New York University.

Mr. Strother, whose account of the meeting was corroborated by one other person who was present, said he was authorized to bid far less than what he knew he would need to win the auction. Since it was published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins, in 2017, “The Hate U Give” has spent 196 weeks on the Times young-adult bestseller list.

Asked to comment on the acquisitions meeting, Simon & Schuster provided the following statement: “At Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, we are proud of our long and continuing history of publishing Black voices. While Continued on next page

BOOKS from p10 we typically do not comment on the acquisition process, each potential acquisition is considered based on its own merits. In 2016 we made a six-figure bid for Angie Thomas’s debut novel The Hate U Give (plus a follow-up novel) in a heated auction between multiple publishers and the book eventually went to another publisher.”

A few days after Mr. Adjei-Brenyah tweeted his book deal, he received a message from his agent: Mariner Books wanted to restructure his contract and pay him “a lot more” for his second book.

Mr. Adjei-Brenyah viewed his publisher’s reaction to his tweet as a small step toward dismantling decades of racism in publishing. “I’ve been growing into my courage,” he said. “Now I have to carry that energy forward.”

A number of signs indicate that publishers are also carrying forward the energy from the summer’s protests.

In October, Hachette Book Group announced the creation of Legacy Lit, one of several imprints started this year that are devoted to publishing books by writers of color. Krishan Trotman, who will lead the imprint, said she’s seen waves of support for Black authors come and go, but that Legacy Lit represents a real commitment to diversity by Hachette.

“There will be a huge boom of books — all of a sudden Black women are hot or urban fiction is hot — and then there will be a backslide,” said Ms. Trotman. “That’s why we need these imprints. They’ll be here even after all the hoopla dies down.”

Along with Dana Canedy at Simon & Schuster and Lisa Lucas at Pantheon and Schocken Books, Ms. Trotman is one of several Black women who were named to senior publishing jobs this year. Like Ms. Morrison 50 years ago, they may be able to clear the way for more writers of color to flourish.

The bottom rungs of publishing are also a source of hope. When Ms. Brown started at Doubleday in 1967, she was the only Black intern in her year’s cohort. In 2019, almost half of all publishing interns identified as people of color.

Whether those interns can grow into careers like Ms. Trotman’s or Ms. Brown’s will depend on publishers’ continued willingness to hire, promote and listen to people who they have historically sidelined. Our data suggests that progress toward diversity can be as short-lived as a single editor’s tenure.

“The presence of Black editors is really important,” said Ms. Brown.

“But you need more than one at the table.”

AMERICAN VOGUE

Stacey Abrams Ethan James Green Photographer Edward Lampley - Hair Stylist Fara Homidi - Makeup Artist Source: vogue.com Published: September 2019

Strategist in Georgia’s fight against voter suppression

UrbanProWeekly • DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

PEOPLE

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Commentary

UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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In Georgia it will be voter turnout vs. Republican voter suppression Voters purged are likely to be “young voters, voters of lower income and citizens of racial groups that have been denied their sacred right to vote in the past,” a report from the Georgia American Civil Liberties Union states.

BY JESSE JACKSON

When Republicans assumed total control of the state in 2010, the resulting gerrymandering was, as Rep. John Lewis stated, “an affront to the spirit and the letter of the Voting Rights Act.”

assumed total control of the state in 2010, the resulting gerrymandering was, as Rep. John Lewis stated, “an affront to the spirit and the letter of the Voting Rights Act.” What has been happening in Georgia has been happening in states under Republican control across the country. Increasingly a minority party in a diverse and young nation, Republicans have been perfecting ways to gain power without capturing a majority of the votes.

In Georgia, a hearing on the lawsuit — backed by a record of independent and authoritative expert analysis of the voters purged from the rolls — was slated for Dec. 10. Hopefully, this injustice can be corrected before the runoff in January.

Donald Trump’s false claims about voter fraud have captured the front pages and immediate attention of courts across the land. Ironically, the authoritative challenge to brazen voter suppression has received far less attention.

In Georgia and elsewhere, it will take constant attention, citizen mobilization and litigation to challenge the increasingly sophisticated efforts to suppress the vote.

Now that Donald Trump’s baseless lies about voter fraud have been summarily dismissed by the courts, perhaps some attention can be paid to the true threat to free and fair elections: systemic and massive voter suppression.

Voter suppression, not voter fraud, could have critically important effects in Senate runoff elections in Georgia that will determine which party controls the majority in the U.S. Senate.

In Georgia, voting rights groups, including the Rainbow Push Coalition and the Black Votes Matter Fund, have filed a lawsuit challenging the wrongful purge of nearly 200,000 voters from the voting rolls over the last two years. They are seeking, with the aid of counsel provided by the National Bar Association, injunctive relief to reinstate these voters prior to the Jan. 5 Senate runoff races.

Increasingly a minority party in a Georgia voters battle voter suppression promoted by state G.O.P. diverse and young nation, Republicans have been perfecting ways to gain to get the Georgia secretary of state to launched a second career. Meet James power without capturing a majority of agree to meet to review the proof of Crow, Esquire.” the votes. unjustified purges. After receiving no Georgia has employed all of the As a September report from the reply, voting rights groups decided they modern techniques of voter suppresGeorgia American Civil Liberties had no choice but to file the lawsuit. sion. It has closed polling places disUnion states, the voters purged are Georgia has a long history of voter proportionately in areas of Black conlikely to be “young voters, voters of suppression, dating back to the centration, forcing voters to wait in lower income and citizens of racial post-Civil War period when the Ku lines for hours to cast a vote. It has Jesse Jackson is an Africangroups that have been denied their Klux Klan used widespread violence repeatedly purged the voting rolls, American civil rights activist and sacred right to vote in the past.” to intimidate Black and Republican striking far more voters off than the Baptist minister. He was a candidate With Republicans in control of the voters in order to re-establish white average state across the country. It for the Democratic presidential nomstate, it isn’t surprising that these are supremacy. Georgia was one of the required “exact match” voter signa- ination in 1984 and 1988 and served voters who are likely to vote over- states that perfected Jim Crow laws to tures on registrations, with up to 80% as shadow senator for the District whelmingly for Democrats. Nor is it limit Black votes. Now, as Rev. William of those disqualified people of color of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He surprising that the state chose not Barber II notes, “Jim Crow did not (a lawsuit brought that ploy largely to was the founder of both entities that to use a licensee of the U.S. Postal retire; he went to law school and an end in 2019). When Republicans merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. Service — as required by law — to carry out the mailing designed to confirm that the voters were no longer at the address. Instead, it was done by a one-person firm located in Nebraska.

An independent analysis of over In the first 3 days of advance voting in Richmond County, record num300,000 voters purged from the rolls bers of voters participated despite ongoing efforts to suppress the vote. On after 2018 showed that over 60% wrongfully lost their right to vote Monday, the Richmond County Elections Board sent this message: “Today because of an incorrect assumption that they had changed their address. was a momentous day. We set an all-time record for the number of voters Too often, these voters never discover voting on a single day at a single facility. 2022 voters cast their ballot they have been purged until the time to vote, when it is too late. at the Bell Auditorium today. It has been a great day, despite the rainy The ACLU and Greg Palast, the indeweather this morning.” pendent investigator who discovered the wrongful purges, tried repeatedly

U.S. Senate Race UPDATE:

STIMULUS PACKAGE FALLING SHORT

“Congress cannot continue to ignore the hunger, pain, and economic uncertainty that millions of people are facing,” argues a grassroots coalition.

BY JULIA CONLEY Common Dreams The top leaders in the U.S. House and Senate met Tuesday afternoon to discuss a new coronavirus relief package as demand intensified for a bill that includes direct relief for American workers and families, nine months after the federal government sent means-tested $1,200 payments to many households after passing the CARES Act. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) met as Democrats and Republicans face a disagreement over including aid for state and local governments, which Democrats have demanded, and corporate liability protections that McConnell and McCarthy insist are necessary but which critics say would allow companies to harm—even kill— their workers and costumers with impunity during the pandemic.

In a letter sent over the weekend and publicized Tuesday, progressives in Congress demanded the leaders include direct payments of at least $2,000 for workers and families, as well as the return of enhanced unemployment benefits, which Republicans allowed to expire over the summer even as millions remained out of work.

Members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus including Reps.

Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.), and Katie Porter (D-Calif.), wrote that enhanced unemployment benefits included in the CARES Act “had an enormous impact in alleviating poverty, increasing food security, replacing income, and raising aggregate spending levels that are crucial for stimulating the economy.”

“Additionally, we know that direct cash payments provide real economic support for individuals and families, and they put this money right back into the economy,” added the lawmakers. “Studies on the impact of the CARES Economic Impact Payments showed that within the first 10 days, households spent an average of 29 cents from every dollar received, and

Senate progressive Bernie Sanders: “Pass relief for working families.”

“Studies on the impact of the CARES Economic Impact Payments showed that within the first 10 days, households spent an average of 29 cents from every dollar received, and that the majority of their spending went towards paying for basic necessities, such as food, rent, and bills.”

—Congressional Progressive Caucus that the majority of their spending went towards paying for basic necessities, such as food, rent, and bills. This was especially the case for low-income individuals and households. A relief package should include direct payments of at least $2,000 for all working individuals and families.”

Khanna noted that by simply following “the economic data,” leaders can provide much-needed assistance to struggling families.

“We are fighting for direct cash relief because it helps people cover basic expenses like groceries and rent, in tandem with unemployment benefits,” said Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) on social media. “We can’t adjourn without it.”

As the Congressional Progressive Caucus appealed to the leaders, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) said lawmakers must listen to the demands of more than 60 grassroots groups also calling for direct cash stimulus.

Sanders on Tuesday afternoon posted to social media the groups’ letter which was sent late last week to the top congressional Democrats and Republicans. The senator has repeatedly issued his own calls in recent weeks for another round of $1,200 checks for American workers, and was joined last week by Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) in demanding that Congress provide the aid before going on recess.

“It is time for Congress to listen to the will of the people and pass relief for working families,” Sanders tweeted.

The letter was signed by organizations including People’s Action, Public Citizen, the National Domestic Workers Alliance, and Indivisible. The groups collectively represent millions of Americans.

A poll released in September by Gallup and Franklin Templeton showed that seven in 10 Americans— including 82% of Democratic voters,

64% of Republicans, and 66% of independents—support additional relief checks.

The organizations noted that as they wrote the letter, 92 million Americans were uninsured or under-insured—a crisis that’s been exacerbated by mass unemployment and the loss of employer-sponsored benefits for tens of millions of people. More than 20 million people have been unemployed since the pandemic began, they added.

“Congress cannot continue to ignore the hunger, pain, and economic uncertainty that millions of people are facing,” the letter reads. “People need access to cash to survive the next round of job losses, to pay for rent and food, and to keep their families alive. In order to meet the gravity of this crisis, Congress must prioritize providing direct economic relief that families and workers desperately need right now.”

As Common Dreams reported last week, millions of Americans are “headed for absolute disaster” after the new year, as the eviction moratorium put in place in September by the CDC is set to expire. Twelve million renters owe an average of $5,850 in back rent and utilities, and many landlords have begun filing eviction paperwork, according to the Washington Post.

Nearly 26 million Americans also reported having insufficient food last month, and nonprofits that run overwhelmed food banks across the country are counting on Congress to pass a Covid-19 relief bill that includes food assistance as well as direct relief for workers, millions of whom have relied on food banks for the first time in their lives this year as a result of pandemic-related job loss.

The grassroots groups’ letter notes that another round of $1,200 checks is less than ideal for the millions of people who, through no fault of their own, have suffered job loss and reduced income as a result of a pandemic that Republican leaders—through months of denials of the seriousness of the crisis, dismissal of public health guidance to mitigate the outbreak, and insistence that state economies reopen—allowed to spin out of control.

“Considering the duration of the crisis, and the fact that millions of people have months of unpaid rent and bills, what would help families recover economically would be ongoing relief of $2,000 per month until this pandemic is over,” the groups wrote.

Until lawmakers pass a bill that will “meet the scale of the crisis that workers and families are facing,” they added, “it’s clear that securing $1,200 in direct relief in the current package must be a line in the sand.”

Tlaib joined Sanders in demanding that the Senate include direct payments in any relief bill it passes.

UrbanProWeekly • DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

U.S. Progressives call for ‘direct payments of at least $2,000’ for working families

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UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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CITY GALLERY WINTER ART SALE Open Through January 31, 2021 in new 3D gallery space The Winter Art Sale at the City Gallery will be available from December 1 to January 31, 2020, in person at the City Gallery in the Municipal Building.

This gallery will also be available in a new 3D gallery space created and managed by the Greater Augusta Arts Council. The pieces are all available for sale with curbside pickup at the Municipal Building.

There are several local and regional artists who will be showcasing work. In past years this show was set to have works under $200, but this year the Arts Council staff and selection committee have decided to open the show up to all price points for work large and small. Each piece is available for

Richmond Cty School Board of Education recognized as 2020 Exemplary School Board The Richmond County Board of Education (RCBOE) is proud to announce the achievement and status of the Georgia School Boards Association’s (GSBA) 2020 Exemplary School Board recognition.

“As President of the Richmond Board of Education and the District 10 Georgia School Board Association Director, I want to congratulate my colleagues of the Richmond Board of Education on receiving the Georgia School Board Association Exemplary Board award for the second year in a row. This is proof of all of the hard work our school system has done especially during these unprecedented times,” says Jimmy Atkins.

The recognition program was designed to showcase best practices in school governance and leadership.

GSBA recognizes school board governance to foster educational community cultures in order to advance student learning and achievement.

The RCBOE has earned this distinction for the second consecutive year.

The GSBA Governance Team Recognition Program was developed

by Georgia superintendents and board members based on the standards set for effective governance to recognize distinguished leadership by the state board of education. In 1998, the Georgia School Boards Association was one of the first school board associations in the nation to develop a program of standards for local boards of education.

The GSBA Board recognition program is a three-tiered program. For more information on the program, please visit the GSBA website for awards and recognition.

purchase and will be given to the buyer at the time of the sale, an arrangement with holiday gifting in mind. The Arts Council is also proud to offer curbside pickup at the Municipal Building after email or telephone arrangement. Patrons can buy the pieces on the Arts Council website at https://augustaarts. com/art-in-augusta/city-gallery/ or can arrange payment via phone.

The online gallery will allow patrons to view and shop the artwork from the comfort of their homes. Artsteps, the 3D gallery program, is an open-source platform that allows VR gallery space creation. These galleries are bespoke virtual spaces

that allow users to appreciate the size and shape of each artwork as if they were in the same room with the piece. The virtual gallery is available at this link https://www.artsteps.com/embed/5fbd2eb24156a011fbea98db/560/315.

Participating artists for this show include: Francie Klopotic, Rhian Swain, Sindhu Pillai, Ronda Bryce, Alexis White, Mary McCullah, Abstract Alexandra, Melissa Cearley, Jessica Crowe, Laurie Algar, Lea Rigdon, Angelika Bondar, Melody Collins, Zoey Green, Rose Castleberry, Paul Bailey, Delaney Gay, Si-Long Chen, Karen McCuller, Kaleyah Turmon, Terrance Washington and Charmane O’Berry.

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PROPOSAL NUM.: B-18-012-4330 Bond Issue Program PROJECT NAME: Terrace Manor Elementary School Roof & HVAC

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Due to the closure of the Richmond County Board of Education building for Covid-19, sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the B-18-012-4330 - Terrace Manor Elementary School Roof & HVAC Project via e-mail until 2:00 p.m. local time, Thursday, January 7, 2021, Please send the completed bid package to the e-mail address RCSSBIDS@rcboe.org and use in the subject line “<Your Company Name>, Terrace Manor Roof and HVAC Project”. No extension of the bidding period will be made. A bid tabulation will be made available to each contractor who submits a bona fide bid.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held December 17, 2020 @ 2:00 PM local time in the Media Center Conference Room, Terrace Manor Elementary School, 3110 Tate Road., Augusta, GA 30906 Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Bidding documents may be obtained at the Office of the Architect: 2KM Architects, Inc., 529 Greene Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901. Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $200.00 set should be filed promptly with the Architect. Bidding material will be forwarded (shipping charges collect) as soon as possible. The full amount of deposit for one set will be refunded to each prime contractor who submits a bona fide bid upon return of such set in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bids.

All other deposits will be refunded with deductions approximating cost of reproduction of documents upon return of same in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bid.

Contract, if awarded, will be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of 35 days after time has been called on the date of opening.

Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than 5% of the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates. Contact Jeanine Usry with GMK Associates at (706) 826-1127 for location to review and obtain this database.

Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw County Board of Education of Richmond County Administrative Office 864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 c/o: Mr. Bobby Smith, CPA

Family YMCA of Greater Augusta will have free shelf-stable meals and snacks available at area YMCA locations throughout the holiday season.

In an effort to support families amidst school closures and the upcoming winter break, the Y is ramping up efforts to provide more food to children in need. Meal bags with 3 breakfasts, 3 lunches and 7 snacks will be available while supplies last at Augusta South Family YMCA, Wilson Family YMCA, Thomson Family YMCA and Family YMCA Team Headquarters.

The Y also has Blessing Boxes with shelf-stable groceries for 7 days of meals (breakfasts, lunches and snacks) for children. Boxes are 1 per child and

Richmond School Closings Update Richmond County School System has transitioned several schools to Face to Face Learn@Home instruction due to increased coronavirus activity at the schools. The school system is committed to ensure the safest environment for its students and staff. As a result, the following schools will transition to the Learn@Home model effective now through January 12, 2021, following winter break: C.T. Walker Traditional Magnet School will reopen on January 12, 2021.

Belair K8 School will reopen on December 18, 2020 Richmond County Technical Career Magnet School will reopen on January 12, 2021.

Wheeless Road Elementary School will reopen on January 11, 2021.

There is no impact to virtual learners. Notification was sent home with face to face students today about Face to Face Learn@Home instruction. Face to Face and virtual parents with students at these schools who would like to order meals for pick up, should call 706-826-1122.

The Richmond County School System will continue to follow the guidance of public health officials to ensure the proper recommendations are followed to clean and disinfect our school facilities and act in the best interest of our students, teachers and staff.

Important Information for Voters January 5, 2021 General and Special Election Runoff Your Vote, Your Choice!

MEDICAL VILLA PHARMACY

must be reserved in advance on the Y’s website for pick-up on the following days: December 19 at YMCA Team Headquarters December 22 at area YMCA branches December 26 at YMCA Team Headquarters December 29 at area YMCA branches January 2 at YMCA Team Headquarters January 5 at area YMCA branches Reserve a Blessing Box and view addresses at www.thefamilyy.org.

WE TAKE

• Georgia medicaid • Insurance plans • Charge cards • WIC vouchers

Marshall Curtis, Pharmacist/Owner Baron Curtis, Pharmacist

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Bond Issue Program

FREE DELIVERY SERVICE

706-722-7355

PROPOSAL NUM. B-19-017-5566 LANEY HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS PROJECT

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Due to the closure of the Richmond County Board of Education building for Covid-19, sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the LANEY HIGH SCHOOL RENOVATIONS PROJECT via e-mail until 2:00 p.m. local time, Thursday, January 7, 2021, Please send the completed bid package to the e-mail address RCSSBIDS@rcboe.org and use in the subject line “<Your Company Name>, LHS Additions Project” No extension of the bidding period will be made. A bid tabulation will be made available to each contractor who submits a bona fide bid.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held 2:00 p.m. local time, Tuesday, December 15, 2020 at Laney High School, 1339 Laney Walker Blvd. Augusta, GA 30901.

Drawings and project manual on this work may be examined at the Department of Maintenance and Facilities, Richmond County Board of Education, 1781 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901.

Bidding documents may be obtained at the WOODHURST ARCHITECTS, LLC 1407 Monte Sano Ave. Augusta, Georgia 30904, (706) 724-4343 Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $150 per set should be filed promptly with the Architect. Bidding material will be forwarded (shipping charges collect) as soon as possible.

The full amount of deposit for one set will be refunded to each prime contractor who submits a bona fide bid upon return of such set in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bids. All other deposits will be refunded with deductions approximating cost of reproduction of documents upon return of same in good condition within 10 days after date of opening bid.

Contract, if awarded, will be on a lump sum basis. No bid may be withdrawn for a period of 35 days after time has been called on the date of opening.

Bid must be accompanied by a bid bond in an amount not less than 5% of the base bid. Personal checks, certified checks, letters of credit, etc., are not acceptable. The successful bidder will be required to furnish performance and payment bonds in an amount equal to 100% of the contract price.

The Owner reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

To promote local participation, a database of Sub-contractors, Suppliers, and Vendors has been developed by the Program Manager, GMK Associates. Contact Jeanine Usry with GMK Associates, Inc. at (706) 8261127 for location to review and obtain this database.

Bids shall be submitted and addressed to: Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw County Board of Education of Richmond County Administrative Office 864 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 c/o: Mr. Bobby Smith, CPA

11 UrbanProWeekly • DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

Free meals, snacks available at YMCA locations

UrbanProWeekly DECEMBER 17 - 31, 2020

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