UPW Urban Pro Weekly

UPW

Tears for Charleston News • Commentary • Satire

URBAN PRO WEEKLY JUNE 25 - 30, 2015 VOL. 4 NO. 40

A dance life in bloom The kinetic intelligence of Jena Davis Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Eddie Bussey 706-772-9800

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

2

Calls to drop Confederate From the editor’s desk: icons spread nationwide

By Campbell Robertson, Monica Davey and Julie Bosman - NYT.com COLUMBIA, S.C. What began as scattered calls for removing the Confederate battle flag from a single state capitol intensified with striking speed and scope on Tuesday into an emotional, nationwide movement to strip symbols of the Confederacy from public parks and buildings, license plates, Internet shopping sites and retail stores.

The South Carolina legislature, less than a week after nine parishioners were shot to death in a black church in Charleston, voted overwhelmingly on Tuesday to debate removing the Confederate flag from its State House grounds.

In Charleston, the board that governs the Citadel, the state’s 173-yearold military academy, voted, 9 to 3, to remove the Confederate Naval Jack from the campus chapel, saying that a Citadel graduate and the relatives of six employees were killed in the attack on the church.

In Tennessee, political leaders from both parties said a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest, a Confederate general and an early Ku Klux Klan leader, should be moved out of the State House. In Virginia, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Democrat, ordered that the Confederate flag no longer appear on license plates, and political leaders in Maryland, North Carolina and

Tennessee vowed to do the same.

And in Mississippi, the state’s House speaker, Philip Gunn, a Republican, called for taking a Confederate battle cross off the upper corner of his state’s flag, the only remaining state banner to display the emblem.

“We must always remember our past, but that does not mean we must let it define us,” Mr. Gunn said in a statement that stunned many in Jackson, the capital, and was seen as adding a highly fraught issue with statewide elections there this year. “As a Christian, I believe our state’s flag has become a point of offense that needs to be removed,” Mr. Gunn said.

For decades, images of the Confederacy have been opposed by people who viewed them as painful symbols of slavery, racism and white dominance, and supported by those who saw them as historical emblems from the Civil War, reminders of generations-long Southern pride. Yet the new calls, after the church massacre last week, came with surprising force and swiftness. The demands straddled lines of partisanship and race, drawing support even from Southern conservatives who for years had defended public displays of the flag as a matter of regional pride. The movement also reached far beyond the political sphere, and beyond the South itself.

In Minnesota, activists demanded that a lake named after John C. Calhoun, a senator and vice presi-

This is our first opportunity to comment on the recent events in Charleston, South Carolina. Things are progressing at breakneck speed — from the swift apprehension of the gunman to the spellbinding ‘forgiveness’ overtures from the family in the initial bond hearing for the gunman and then to the stunning renunciation of symbols of oppression that are happening nationwide.

Just as the bombing of the Birmingham Church, the Selma campaign, and the countless acts of nonviolent response to terror and racial tyranny during the Civil Rights movement nudged the nation to adopt corrective measures, so will the senseless act of hate of a frightened youth move the nation in the direction of increased awareness of the dangers posed by extreme right-wing terrorists.

In this edition, our readers and contributors comment on the events as they see them along with some updated national pieces.

We are witnessing the birth of a new generation of racial justice adherents.

They are young, they are old and they are of all races. The defining image of this tragedy lies not with the victims nor the perpetrator. It is the dignity, humility and love with which the survivors responded that galvanized widespread support for the assault on the symbols of oppression typified by the confederate battle emblem and the countless Confederate monuments that blanket the deep south states.

In the 2015 America, when the choice was made between ideology and humanity, humanity appears to be winning.

Ironically, the emergence of Isis and their penchant for extreme cruelty figures into this narrative. The senseless and arbitrary beheadings of innocents at the hands of Isis prompted a visceral reaction of revulsion on the part of many Americans and there was no way that the slaughter of innocents in the sanctuary of a church wouldn’t evoke the same reaction. dent from South Carolina who was a proponent of slavery, be renamed.

Amazon and eBay announced on Tuesday that they would no longer allow the sale of Confederate flags and similarly themed merchandise, joining Walmart and Sears, which had already done so. And messages were painted on Confederate statues in Charleston; Baltimore; and Austin, Tex., that read: “Black Lives Matter.”

Dylann Roof, 21, the white man from South Carolina charged in the shootings during a Bible study last

Wednesday inside Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church, had espoused a white supremacist philosophy, his friends said, and posed for photographs with the Confederate battle flag. The massacre combined with those images of Mr. Roof helped set off the nationwide re-examination of Confederate symbols.

On Tuesday, the vote in the South Carolina legislature was procedural, allowing lawmakers to consider a Continued on the next page

By Kristie Robin Johnson

“It seems that all were gathered at Mother Emanuel’s feet—black and white, young and old, gay and straight, native and foreign. No race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion was absent from this outpouring of sorrow and haunting solemnity in the dusk’s unbearable heat about which not a single soul complained.” bill, not yet introduced, in the coming weeks. But in a legislature that had previously resisted passionate calls to remove the flag, its passage by huge margins was a watershed.

Senator after senator invoked the memory of the Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney, a pastor and state senator who was killed in the church. His Senate desk was draped in black cloth, a single white rose atop it.

“Our ancestors were literally fighting to keep human beings as slaves, and to continue the unimaginable acts that occur when someone is held against their will,” said State Senator Paul Thurmond, a Republican, explaining that he would vote to remove the flag.

“I am not proud of this heritage,” said Mr. Thurmond, the son of Strom Thurmond, the former governor and United States senator who was a segregationist candidate for president in 1948.

Yet as proposals emerged to remove Confederate imagery in state after state, members of Confederate veterans’ organizations voiced concern about the flood of demands and said they felt misunderstood.

The Confederate statues, the battle flag, even the naming of streets were a matter of remembering family members who had fought in the Civil War, they said.

“This is a feeding frenzy of cul-

tural cleansing,” said Ben Jones, the chief of heritage operations for the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a Tennessee-based group. “It’s an hysteria — we just want to fly this flag for family, for Grandpappy. This whole thing is basically insulting and demeaning our respect for our ancestors.”

Some opponents of removing all Confederate symbols from public places also tried to draw a distinction between flying the battle flag at a capitol, and displaying a statue or naming a park to commemorate individual soldiers. “People are calling for removing monuments and boulevard names in the name of racial sensitivity? Where does this end?” said Mr. Jones, who was a member of the United States House of Representatives and an actor on “The Dukes of Hazzard” television show. “This is just dividing people like crazy.”

Efforts to remove images came from both parties, and some Republicans were among the most outspoken, including Gov. Nikki R. Haley of South Carolina. In Tennessee, Gov. Bill Haslam, also a Republican, favors ending specialty plates with Confederate symbols and would not choose to keep a statue of Forrest in the Capitol given the limited number of Tennesseans honored there, his spokesman said.

This was supposed to be typical summer vacation marked with ocean views, fresh seafood, adult beverages, an abundance of sun, and an even greater abundance of laughter. My close friend and I planned this getaway for more than a month—a weekend trip to charming Charleston, South Carolina.

The Wednesday prior to our scheduled jaunt changed everything.

That Wednesday night, a demented white supremacist traveled more than 100 miles to murder, in cold blood, nine black worshippers at the historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church located in the heart of Charleston. The first inclination is to pray, then cry, but never cancel the trip.

The reality was inescapable upon arrival as we were greeted by the hotel’s flags hovering at a miserable half-staff.

It was a reminder that this escape would be more than simple revelry and relaxation; it would include a lesson in collective suffering and compassion like we’d never experienced in our lives.

Friday evening was steamy. It was the kind of heat that could only be tolerated, much less enjoyed, on a vacation. Turning onto Calhoun Street, the mood was immediately palpable. One could almost taste the interrupted jubilation that should have been.

Normally, this street would have been bustling with horse-drawn carriages loaded with tourists and sidewalks overwhelmed with curious visitors as native Charlestonians buzz about completing the remaining tasks of their day. But not this Friday.

From several blocks away, in every direction, hundreds (perhaps thousands) of mourners and sympathizers descended upon Mother Emanuel.

Some came in large groups, some in twos, holding hands. Fathers accompanied their young children holding bouquets larger than themselves.

Some held single long-stemmed roses while others offered balloons and stuffed animals. All came with a heavy heart.

The moving scene of perfect strangers weeping and consoling each other was momentous and unforgettable. Drawing closer to the sanctuary, the crowd swells; but so does the silence.

If not for the surrounding news trucks, media personalities, and law enforcement officers managing the traffic, there may not have been a sound at all at the steps of the church. It seems that all were gathered at Mother Emanuel’s feet—black and white, young and old, gay and straight, native and foreign. No race, ethnicity, nationality, or religion was absent from this outpouring of sorrow and haunting solemnity in the dusk’s unbearable heat about which not a single soul complained. This mosaic gathered on one low accord represented the millions still reeling from Wednesday night’s attack.

With all of the questions that linger, it is important that we speak the truth about this tragedy at every opportune moment. It does not suffice to say that this was an attack plotted by a disturbed man on a group of Christians. No, that will not do. We must call it what it is in order to combat the illness. This was an act of domestic terrorism executed by a racist, white supremacist upon an unsuspecting group of AfricanAmericans.

Any person, politician, or news reporter who describes this event any differently is afraid of or unwilling to admit the truth. Every time that one fails to acknowledge the truth about the Charleston attack, they do a monumental disservice to the slain, to the survivors, to the countless mourners who stand in solidarity with the Emanuel A.M.E. family, and to the legacy of Mother Emanuel itself. Rooted in the struggle for liberation, this temple has a history of healing. She’s been targeted and burned to the ground; but she rises again and again.

Even today, in the shadow of the unthinkable, she will not only survive, she will thrive.

KristieRobinJo@gmail.com; @ KristieRobinJ on Twitter; http://kristierobinspeaks.wordpress.com/

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

Tears With Strangers: A Visit to Charleson

3

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

4

e

d

”

COMMUNITY

HAPPENINGS

Governor tours proposed site for Camp Lakeside multi-million $ upgrade

By Vincent Hobbs There’s a spiffy new campground on the way for CSRA children to enjoy during the summer.

The Family YMCA of Greater Augusta and Children’s Hospital of Georgia at GRU have collaborated and raised the initial funds to begin construction on Phase One of refurbishment and new construction at Camp Lakeside in Lincolnton, Georgia. The camp upgrades include a multi-purpose room/gym/performing arts stage, a medical facility, an accessible outdoor pool with splash pads and 15 new adaptive cabins for overnight visits. The adapted cabins will be able to serve children with disabilities or chronic health conditions in a medically-safe environment.

“The partnership with Children’s Hospital of Georgia and the Family Y will enable sick and physically challenged children to have a typical summer camp experience, a treat that these special patients often miss. These children will have camp memories to last a lifetime, something every child deserves,” said Kimberly Eury Allen, Camp Rainbow director for the Children’s Hospital of Georgia.

Monday’s groundbreaking ceremony at the site featured local and state government officials, including Georgia governor Nathan Deal and his wife, as well as Danny McConnell, CEO and President of the Family YMCA of Greater Augusta.

“Camp memories are special and we are here today because we believe all children deserve the opportunity to go to camp,” McConnell expressed at the groundbreaking.

“Once built, this place will become one of only a handful of camps located in the Southeast that are adaptive-friendly throughout the property.”

The Family YMCA continues to make efforts to raise $3.5 million to complete the Camp Lakeside campaign.

“I can’t wait to get this camp built. Today is a big first step to do just that. With some hard work and God’s blessing, this camp will get built and become a place for children to fill the air with laughter for many years to come,” McConnell said.

A sign with a canoe on top marks the entrance to Camp Lakeside, which is situated on the shores of Lake Thurmond in Lincoln County.

The Family YMCA of Greater Augusta and Children’s Hospital of Georgia at GRU have collaborated and raised the funds to begin construction on Phase One of refurbishment and new construction at the camp, which will include a multi-purpose room/gym, a medical facility, an outdoor pool and ten adapted cabins.

Proposed Water Park Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Proposed Multipurpose Room

GRU hosts Cyber Sciences Summer Academy for high school students

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

AUGUSTA This summer, GRU is one of 29 universities and college campuses across the country to organize and host the Cyber Sciences Summer Academy. The program will take place from June 28 - July 2 on the Summerville Campus.

The program is designed to teach 80 high school students about cyberattacks and cybersecurity.

With the number of cyberattacks increasing and major security breaches costing big companies and the U.S. government billions of dollars a year, investing in cybersecurity is a timely decision.

“Cyber affects everyone,” said Joanne Sexton, Director for Cyber Security Educational Initiatives at Georgia Regents University. “If you are connected to the Internet, this is

5

an issue for you.”

This summer academy is the result of GRU’s work with GenCyber, a program funded by the National Security Agency in partnership with the National Science Foundation.

GenCyber offers young people interested in cybersecurity careers the opportunity to participate in a weeklong program to learn first-hand about the latest technology in a university setting.

GRU has made cybersecurity a major strategic priority because of the subject’s importance for the Augusta area and the nation, said Gretchen Caughman, Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at GRU. The U.S. Army Cyber Command is moving its headquarters to Fort Gordon in Augusta.

Oratorical Competitors on display High School students from four states who have completed their junior or senior year will compete for the title of Regional Oratorical Winner on Saturday, June 27 at the Doubletree by Hilton, 2651 Perimeter Parkway in Augusta.

The event is being sponsored by the Region Four Education Department of The Improved Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the World.

Thelma White, a local Elks President says ‘ the 115 year old organization whose primary objective has always been to assist with education of our youth, that involves the community commitment of its more than 300.000 members nation-wide.

Past winners of the competition include Martin Luther King, Jr. and Oprah Winfrey.

Final stop is Las Vegas at the August 2015 Convention to vie for the $10,000 Scholarship Certificate.

Urban Pro Weekly LLC 3529 Monte Carlo Drive Augusta, GA 30906

HEALTH INSURANCE SERVICES BY ELOISE, INC The Difference Is Service

Eye exams are an important part of overall healthcare for your entire family, from children to grandparents, and everyone in between

Executive Publisher / Sales BEN HASAN 706-394-9411 bzhasan54@yahoo.com Executive Managing Editor FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 editor@urbanproweekly.com Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media

Contact me to enroll in individual vision insurance today!

Eloise Meardith 706-771-9522 emeardith@hisbyeloise.com

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

6

ORIENTATION FOR THE ENTREPRENEUR MICRO ENTERPRISE NETWORK will be held on June 25, 2015 @ 6:00pm.

Classes will be held @ Antioch Ministries, Laney Walker Enterprise Center, 1378 Laney Walker Blvd., Augusta, Ga. 30901 Contact Person: Mrs. Black - 706-724-0995

Ronnie Spry Roast & Toast Augusta Mini Theatre Community Arts and Life Skills School is announces its 6th Annual Sunshine’s Roast and Toast roasting Coach Ronnie Spry, Thursday, July 16, 7:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist

Church Family Life Center at 1230 Laney Walker Blvd, Augusta, GA To purchase tickets, table or an ad, call 706-722-0598 or visit www. augustaminitheatre.com.

facebook.com/

Since 1969

EBT Wayne Lanier

Quick Response Flat Rates

•Emergency Response •Water heater repair and replacement •Sewer Inspection and repair •Installation of bath & kitchen fixtures •Re-pipe for low water pressure

Call Today • (706) 738-4424

7

Jump Start Weight Loss with Colon Hydrotherapy

Shanta Johnson

First Colon Cleansing Center In Augusta Removal of Toxins and Impurities for Optimal Health

706-733-5000 2045 Central Avenue Augusta, Ga 30904 EssentialCleansingCenter.com

Providence Place 706-793-2180

2205 Southgate Dr. • Augusta,GA 30906 $200.00 OFF FIRST MONTH’S RENT * SELECTED UNITS 1 bedroom/1 bath starting at $449 2 bedroom/1 bath starting at $499 energy efficient

2 bedroom/ 1 1/2 bath Townhome starting at $575 * Certain restrictions may apply Call office for details

•Fully equipped kitchens •Mini-blinds • Pool • Laundry facilities •Total electric central heat and air •Washer/dryer connections in some •On-site courtesy officer

•Near Ft. Gordon •Gas heat/hot water heaters •Playground •Picnic area/grills

DIRECTIONS

Road. Property is on the left.

Take I-520 to Deans Bridge Road North. Turn right on Richmond Hll

OFFICE HOURS Mon-Fri 9-5:30; 1st Sat of month 10-3

SELECTED UNITS

gru.edu

I chose

I chose GRU. GRU was the perfect choice for me. Small class sizes, affordable tuition, and a great campus in a friendly town - it’s got everything especially opportunity. I’m glad I chose to come here. At GRU, I can choose to be whatever and whoever I want.

Kenietha, Reidsville, Ga. Business

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

Apartments starting at $449

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

8

jena davis

by Vincent Hobbs

Dance student Jena Davis (R) is instructed by Sharon Mayfield (L) in the dance studio at Jessye Norman School of the Arts. Davis, a Davidson Fine Arts School honors graduate, will be pursuing a degree in Dance at Valdosta State University in the fall.

Photo by Vinent Hobbs

Every great artistic Renaissance has a “Mama” or “Poppa”, a great visionary who turns things upside down and sideways. Rock music has Jimi Hendrix, landscape photography has Ansel Adams - and modern dance has Martha Graham.

Generations of young dancers have felt the influence of this icon of modern dance. This is “trickle-down theory” in full effect. Scores of dancers and dance companies, including Garth Fagan Dance, have trained in her technique. Fagan studied directly under Graham herself. The movement of the body across a horizontal plane in a rhythmic interplay of self-interpretation, fused into a physical symphony of human motion – this is the influence of visionary Martha Graham.

Now for the trickle-down” part - Davidson Fine Arts School honors graduate Jena Davis, 18, has trained under Sharon Skepple Mayfield – a Bessie Award recipient under Garth Fagan Dance (this is considered to be the dance equivalent of the Oscar®).

Mayfield has trained Davis for the past five years in modern dance technique.

“She personally inspires me,” Davis shared with UPW. “Her experience with the internationally renowned Garth Fagan Dance Company led her on an amazing path of grace, strength, and beauty. She now passes that on to me, through her tutelage in dance.”

Mayfield is equally complimentary. “Jena is a very focused student who is passionate, hard-working and versatile. Her presence at Davidson Fine Arts and Jessye Norman School of the Arts is a positive reflection of her work ethic that sets a wonderful example to her peers.”

Reflecting on her teaching experiences at DFA and Garth Fagan Dance, Mayfield added, “There are occasionally students who come into your classroom with whom you are convinced that they are gifted. Jena Davis is one of those students. She possesses a kinetic intelligence well beyond her years.”

This summer, Davis will be spending most of July in New York City, studying dance technique at the prestigious Summer Movement Institute at Garth Fagan Dance on a full scholarship. Davis will be immersed in Continued on next page

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

a dance story

9

Motion from page 9

10 UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

classes on the Fagan technique and philosophy, composition and repertory.

Davis was just a toddler when she began dancing at age three at her church, Strong Tower Christian Fellowship. Parents Helen and Maurice Jones encouraged the youngster to hone her skills.

“My parents are extremely supportive of my career in dance,” she expressed. “They help me in any area from costuming, to patching up injuries, to being my biggest fans at performances!”

One such performance garnered critical acclaim for Davis at Davidson Fine Arts School. In the solo dance “Lucynda”, she portrayed a woman who suffers from mental instability, stunning the audience with its raw emotion. Davis choreographed the piece. Her performance, along with her other dance accomplishments, garnered Davis the recognition as “Top Dancer” and she was awarded the Ruth St. Dennis Dance Award. Other awards for the creative scholar included the National Honor Society and Leadership in the Arts.

“Dance is my way of sharing my experiences and emotions. Typically, I am dancing with thrill and happiness, but even in times of sadness, I am able to communicate with others through my expressiveness.”

Preparation is vital for an aspiring dancer like Dance student Jena Davis (R) is instructed

by Sharon Mayfield (L) in the dance studio at Jessye Norman School of the Arts.

Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Turn Back The Block Presents the 4th Annual Harrisburg Clean

Jennifer Norman-Dixon Independent Cruise & Vacation Specialist

Trowell Builders & Associates

and Green Day Saturday, June 27th, 2015 9 am to 1 pm Headquartered at the old Martha Lester School 1688 Broad Street

TBA

Hephzibah, GA 30815 Phone 706-925-2929 Toll Free (877-790-6082 Fax 404-601-4492

Email:jdixon@cruisesinc.com www.cruisesinc.com/jdixon

Got News?

Call 706-306-4647

Designers • Builders Planners

Sanctuary Multi-Purpose Buildings Renovations P.O. Box 211886 Augusta, Ga 30917 1.800.546.2685 Fax 706.738.6328 email: tbamakedreams@aol.com

Davis. “Beginning from the moment I wake up, I am practicing dance mentally and physically.

Through the course of the day, I go through dance exercises, rehearse choreography, and help teach dance to younger children. I practice about 10 hours a day!” Davis said.

Observers can see the love that Davis has for expressive movement. As she goes through her various dance motions, a confident smile appears and an atmosphere of determination flows into the room.

“I thoroughly enjoy modern/contemporary dance. That is the form I have been dancing all of my life. However, I can say that if I had to be any other type of dancer, I’d be a tap dancer. I find it intriguing how they are able to both dance and make music at the same time!”

“If I wasn’t a dancer, I think I would be a physical therapist,” Davis shared. “It’s so beautiful to be able to give people the gift of movement, in any way possible!”

Davis sees a bright future for herself, working toward the goals of dancing in a professional dance company and eventually putting on the entrepreneur’s hat to open her own all-ages dance studio. She believes that her personal adaptation of her mother’s advice to “Show up and show out” will guide her path.

In the fall, Davis will be attending Valdosta State University as a Dance major. She recently launched a GoFundMe account to help with tuition and expenses (her page can be found under http://www.gofundme.com/jenafordance).

Supporters can contribute via this page.

11 UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

Classic Knots Haberdashery Affordable Men’s Clothing

Suits • Slacks • Shirts • Ties Sam Hickson (706) 589-7491

Tender Care Training Center Accredited and State Approved

Train to become a Certified Nurse’s Assistant (CNA) Phlebotomy Technician or Pharmacy Technician 1755 Gordon Hwy, Suite E • Augusta, GA 30904 For Enrollment Information,

Call (706)736-9225

Fax: (706) 736-0995

Visit www.tendercareschool.comcastbiz.net

Maryland

FRIED CHICKEN Now hiring all positions, all locations.

Apply online at marylandfc.com 12 Broad Street Augusta, Georgia 30901 706-722-2051

4465 Washington Rd Evans, Georgia 30809 (706) 496-8632

6001 Clarks Hill Rd Appling, Georgia 30802 (706) 541-0704

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

12

UPW FORUM COMMENTARY

Armed with the word of God, we can go forward

by Thurman K. Brown When I heard and read about the tragic shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, SC last week, I felt beyond disbelief and shock. It is a sad reality, and it is evident that there is no sacred respect for any house of worship anymore.

Where is one’s conscience, compassion, and conviction these days? I’m wondering if there is even any respect or reverence for the things of God. I think of the church as a sanctuary of ref-

uge, replenishment, strength, encouragement, and healing. More importantly, we the people, are the church.

How could anyone develop such a deeply rooted stench of hate toward another human being? What a cruel, cowardice, sadistic act in targeting and assassinating innocent souls.

Is it ignorance? It’s simply a malicious, depraved, and ruthless mindset.

A person who hates has intense feelings or strong dislike or animosity toward someone or something. Biblically, Cain’s hatred for his brother Abel

Love is stronger than hate

by Abby Zimet Proclaiming “Nine lives, one love,” Charleston has responded to the racist murders of nine of its own with a series of extraordinary acts of grace, hope and solidarity. The first was the stunning spectacle of victims› weeping families coming forward at the bond hearing for Dylann Roof to offer forgiveness to the hollow-eyed racist standing before them via video

screen. «You took something very precious away from me,» said the daughter of 70-year-old Ethel Lance.

«But I forgive you and may God have mercy on your soul.»

Sunday morning, about 1,200 worshipers of Emanuel AME Church, fondly known as Mother Emanuel, gathered in faith and community to pray, sing, grieve and declare, “We are bent but not broken.” “The doors of the

like Dylann Storm Roof to murder 9 African-Americans in a church. That is why words which incite hate and violence must not be memorialized in a civilized society.

Augusta, Georgia ought to feel shame, not pride. The public display of white supremacist rhetoric is indefensible. The memorial honoring Confederate soldiers can stay, but the hate inspired inscription must go. It’s not history, its hate.

Kevin Palmer, Martinez, GA,

On Sale Now

Z Z Best Tees

(706) 945-7913 zzbesttees@gmail.com

so. No one is better than anyone else.

It›s okay to be different ,but everyone should be treated fairly and equally. We all are to be loved and respected.

We must use our god-given minds, and not buy into or accept the stupidity of ignorance. After all, knowledge is power. It is said that we are not safe anywhere these days. Yes we are. We don’t need stronger gun control laws, better security measures, or stiffer punishments. All we need is for our hearts to be fixed, and are bodies armed with the Word of God.

church are open,” said the Rev. Norvel Goff during an emotional service.

“No evildoer, no demon in hell or on Earth can close the doors of God’s church.” That night, further proof of Charleston’s strength came to Ravenel Bridge, named for a Confederate hero, in the form of a Unity Chain and Bridge to Peace.

Organizers had said they hoped for 3,000 people, enough to meet in the

middle of the two-and-a-half mile span. But up to 20,000 turned out to vow, “Hate won’t win.” Joining hands, they shared nine moments of silence — for Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Cynthia Hurd, the Rev. Clementa Pinckney, Tywanza Sanders, Depayne Doctor, Myra Thompson, Ethel Lance, Daniel L. Simmons, Susie Jackson.

Then, they sang “Amazing Grace.”

Which it was.

MEDICAL VILLA PHARMACY

Monument’s message is hate The white supremacist mentality which inspired the Charleston, South Carolina massacre is on public display in Augusta, Georgia. Located in downtown Augusta on Broad Street stands a Confederate Soldier Memorial. The inscription on the memorial reads, “No nation rose so white and fair. None fell so pure of crime”.

The words are a reminder of white oppression over African-Americans. In addition, they are a reminder of what motivates a hateful white supremacist

resulted in murder. (Genesis 4:8).

I firmly believe that hatred is influenced, taught, and embedded into a weak and impressionable mind. Particularly, young minds, Unfortunately, we live in a perilous society and live as if there is no God. We are a result of what’s in our hearts. The incident in Charleston is another reminder that shows the ugliness of bias, bigotry,and exclusion in this world.

It can never be hidden or denied.

Inferiority? Superiority? I don›t think

WE TAKE

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

Marshall Curtis, Pharmacist/Owner

FREE DELIVERY SERVICE

706-722-7355 You don’t have Baron Curtis, Pharmacist

You don’t have to live with to live with BACK PAIN or any other kind BACK PAIN of discomfort, including headaches,

or any other kind of discomfort, neck stiffness, shoulder pain, muscle including headaches, neck stiffness, tension, shoulder pain, muscle tension, sleep sleep difficulty or hand difficulty or Brice hand numbness/weakness. numbness/weakness.

Dr. Cal 706-736-5551

Drug Testing Now Available!

Most Insurance Accepted

1132 Druid Park Ave, Augusta, GA 30904

WORSHIP

Springfield Baptist Church 6TH ANNUAL PASTORAL APPRECIATION

McCULLOUGH BAPTIST CHURCH McCullough Baptist Church in Waynesboro will hold Summer Revival at 7 p.m each Thursday in June.

NEXT Session June 25: the Rev. Karlton Howard. The Rev. Dr. Nathaniel Dunn is pastor.

The 6th Annual Pastoral Appreciation will be celebrated by Springfield Baptist Church of Sunday, June 28. Pastor Christopher Durden, Pine Hill Missionary Baptist Church, Louisville, GA will be the guest speaker at the 10 a.m. Morning Worship Service. Pastor Jonathan Carter, Siloam Church International, College Park, GA will be the guest speaker at the 3 p.m. Afternoon Worship Service.

Springfield Baptist Church is located at 102 Springfield Way, Augusta, Ga. For more information, call 706-724-1056.

Sunday School 8:30 am Morning Worship Services: 9:45 am Evening Worship Services 6 pm (4th Sunday) Bible Study: 6pm (Mondays) Midday Bible Study: 12pm (Tuesdays) Prayer Services: 6pm (Wednesdays) Celebrate Recovery: 6pm (Fridays) and 12pm (Mondays)

e o , e , a e , . ”

2323 Barton Chapel Road • Augusta,GA 30906 706.790.8185 / 706.922.8186 (fax) Visit Us @ www.broadwaybaptistaug.org • Join us on facebook Dr. C. William Joyner, Jr. Senior Pastor

Good Shepherd Baptist Church

Rev. Clarence Moore, Pastor 1714 Olive Road / P. O. Box 141 (mailing address) Augusta, GA 30903 706/733-0341- Telephone/706/667-0205 – Fax E-mail address: admin@goodshepherdaugusta.org Web address: goodshepherdaugusta.org Rev. Clarence Moore Church Service: 7:45 & 11:00 a.m.

Church School: 9:45 a.m. / Prayer Service: 11:00 a.m. – Wednesday Bible Study: 9:00 a.m. - Saturday / 7:00 p.m. - Wednesday

Everfaithful Missionary Baptist Church

314 Sand Bar Ferry Road Augusta, Georgia 30901 (706) 722- 0553 Church School Sunday 9:25am Morning Worship Sunday 11am Evening Worship 6pm (1st & 3rd Sunday) Midday Prayer 12pm Wednesday Intercessory Prayer/Bible Study 6pm Wednesday

Bishop Rosa L. Williams, Pastor

Radio Broadcast: Sundays • WKZK 103.7 FM at 7:30 a.m.

Start your calling today! Mount Olivet Certified Academic Institution 706.793.0091 • 706.793.0335 • www.mocai-aug.org

The CSRA Clergy Board of Directors

Board of Coalition Pastors P.O. Box 16013 Augusta, GA. 30919-2013 Bishop L.A. Green, Sr., Chairman

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

CHURCH

13

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

14

Stress Physical Inactivity Family History of Cardiovascular disease Obesity Diabetes High Blood Pressure High Cholesterol Cigarette Smoking HEART ATTACK • BRAIN ATTACK • PREVENT ATTACK East Central Health District Hypertension Management Outreach Program

Richmond County 706.721.5800

UrbanProWeekly • JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

ARE YOU AT RISK?

15

UrbanProWeekly - JUNE 25 - 30, 2015

16

THE LAW OFFICE OF

Frails & Wilson

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

Experienced Representation

Randolph Frails

Real Estate Transactions Personal Injury Wrongful Death Business Litigation Probate • Domestic Medical Malpractice Fire & Burn Injuries Kelli J. Spencer Aimee Pickett Sanders Edwin Wilson To u g h P r o b l e m s N e e d To u g h L a w y e r s

211 Pleasant Home Road • Suite A1 • Augusta, GA • 706-855-6715 • www.frailswilsonlaw.com

“One-Stop Construction & Yard Maintenance Services” Our Office Provides: Architectural Drafting & Construction • Custom Church Builder • Custom Home Builder • Yard Maintenance • Metal Buildings Larry L. McCord Can Provide All Your Design and Construction Needs All Under One Roof

*EMERGENCY DIAL 911 *WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORT *STRETCHER VAN TRANSPORT *SENIOR MONITORING SYSTEM

(706) 792-9292 WWW.GOLDCROSSEMS.COM