UPW - Urban Pro Weekly - September 6, 2021

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

SEPTEMBER 6 -19, 2021 • VOL. 10 NO. 2

Sha’Carri and Naomi: Unlikely sisterhood?

This Labor Day Weekend, check for

WHITE DINNER - AUGUSTA no longer a secret . . . but still a mystery

Eddie Bussey 706-772-9800

Augusta Commission Districts

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Map created following 2010 Census

Can you identify the district where you reside?

UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY

PUBLISHER Growing Augusta: Arts, Agriculture, & Agency LLC http://www.growingaugusta.co +1 (706) 751-2537 SALES & MARKETING http://www.growingaugusta.co/upw +1 (762) 233-5299

CONTRIBUTORS K.L Gordon Olivia Gaines Rickey Jones Latasha N. Louis Layout/Design : UrbanProMedia

THE VOTE ‘22

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UPW Political Analysis AUGUSTA A.K. Hasan has recently announced his candidacy for the District 6 Commission seat — the seat currently held by his older brother, Ben Hasan.

City rules prohibit Ben from running again for a third term.

A.K. is among the most successful political campaigners still active.

Consider that he may be one of few people is the city’s political history to have been elected to the preconsolidation and the merged city-county governments. And on top of that, he served on the Richmond County school board on two seperate occassions with decades in between ­— quite a feat.

As political families go in the black community in Augusta you recall the Howards, The Walkers, The McIntyres, All those Williams’, and then there is Mays, Beard, Washington, Watkins and now Hasan.

A.K. figured out Augusta politics early on. He was elected to the Richmond County school board in 1981 at age 26.

A year later, he became that body’s first black president.

Following that, A.K. held a seat in the old preconsolidated City of Augusta from 1988 to 1990.

Through the years, Hasan has demonstrated the ability to campaign on his own merits and with limited finances always avoided “kissing the ring” of more influential polititians.

A.K.’s independence may have cost him at the polls. After an unsuccessful run for mayor in 1993 against Charles DeVaney. Hasan seemed to have hit a wall, but then in 2005, he was back on the school board determined to make changes. And he did.

In 2018, he revived his political career by landing on the Richmond County School Board once again. In that race he upset a 3-term incumbent, Jack Padgett. It has been clear that A.K. has not lost his ability to run a successful political campaign. He snatched 55 percent of the vote.

Never one to miss an opportunity to challenge the status quo, A.K. has begun the conversation intended to officially scrap the city’s official moniker

A.K. Hasan enters race for Comm. District 6. Photo by Vincent Hobbs — Augusta-Richmond County in favor synonymous with Augusta. Any other of the more sexy “Augusta.” Hasan name undermines Augusta National feels that the name Augusta is market- marketing of Augusta and weakens our ing magic and I guess he hopes that city’s brand,” A.K. said in a release. others feel the same way.

Official name aside, the city has a According to Hasan, even The plethora of issues that could use a Augusta National is feeling the pain. little more “out-of-the-box” thinking.

“Augusta National Golf Club name, A.K. Hasan obviouly feels that he has location, and Masters Tournament is the resume and the reputation.

commentary

Trump-inspired Herschel Walker is looking to unseat Warnock in

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UPW Political Analysis AUGUSTA The 2022 midterm elections are shaping up to Warnock: In the driver’s seat. be some of the most consequential in a generation. In a not-too-surprising move, former pro athlete and statewide gridiron hero Herschel Walker succumbed to former President Donald Trump’s repeated overtures to get him into the race against U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock, a Democrat, who must run again in 2022.

Trump, thinks that, because Walker is black and a football legend in the state, he could easily defeat Warnock. Democrats, on the other hand, welcome opponents saddled with the Trump brand. They were 2 for 2 against Trump Walker: Progressive’s dream. champions the last time around.

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A.K. Hasan looking to succeed brother in District 6

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And Democrats are not alone. Republicans worry that the Trump “magic” is more illusion than reality. Yet, they dare not cross the boss from New York City.

Now, Herschel, we have to assume is a sincere Trump-style conservative. He and the former president go back a long way — even pre-Apprentice (many may not recall that Walker was a part of that tv show). Walker’s challenge is to convince the state’s black women to take him seriously. Then, he has to convince the “suburban Atlanta” crowd to follow his logic on why reparations are a threat to their way of life.

Indeed, Herschel’s, broken-field running will be severely challenged in the political game where he is a neophyte. In this game, former legends wither and dry on the Trump vine — ask Rudy about that .

DEMOCRACYWATCH

More GOP mischief

Last week, Georgia’s state election board appointed a three-member panel to review election administration in Fulton County. The panel is newly required under Georgia’s new election law and is the first step in a potential Republican takeover of the Democratic county’s election administration. The recently passed law, Senate Bill 202, requires the state election board to appoint a review panel of a county’s election administration if enough lawmakers from the county request it. Republicans in Fulton County requested the review last month. Based on their findings in the review, the Republican-controlled election board can then take over Fulton County’s election administration by installing a temporary administrator to oversee the process, including the counting of votes.

To Naomi and Sha’Carri:

BY MATTHEW WILLIAMS

Ever Considered Hanging Out?

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Sha’Carri

W

hen I see Naomi Osaka in tears at a press conference… I wanna fight the whole press conference. Malice at the Palace. And when I see Sha’Carri Richardson scoffed at by people who have been rooting for her to fail since they saw her flaming hair and acrylics blazing down the track… I wanna fight those people, too. …Except, I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t need my help. Which is kinda how I came to this conclusion: Naomi Osaka and Sha’Carri Richardson oughta be best buds--- BFFs. I once saw a brotha read a poem about the “bougies” needing the “hoods” and, vice versa, the” hoods” needing the “bougies”--- that’s about the nicest way I can say what he said; he made exceptional use of less appropriate words in his analysis.

And while “bougie” and “hood” may be gross oversimplifications of both his words and of these two phenomenal women, my simple premise is that we have a young woman who is a mild-mannered, bold, precise, articulate paper crane, and another young lady who is an intense, unmoving, radioactive, armored bull in an expensive shop. The world seems to take pleasure in seeing each of them out of their respective elements; in fact, the world seems to want to see them switch places exactly.

Yet, if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that we do best when we stay in our own lanes--- be our authentic selves and be that decisively, no matter the consequences. The challenge of self-actualization alone is tough enough without having to be measured by another person’s stature.

Instead, we should meet and befriend people who operate differently from us; through connecting and cooperating with them, we add new ideas to our toolbox that can assist us in our evolution and growth. Of course, shouldn’t become another person’s personal culture-vulture either. But we

Naomi

are human beings, after all, and from birth what human beings do most naturally is imitate. Once we find admiration for another person, we inadvertently take on characteristics of that person.

I would imagine that, after some time together, Naomi would take note of Sha’Carri’s relentless will. While Sha’Carri may at times burn bridges with her standoffish tendencies, the upside to her flamethrowing ways is that Sha’Carri backs down from no one, which is an essential element when it comes to being yourself. This holds particularly true when you’re in the public eye in the age of social media, where many of the WorldWideWeb’s citizens attack whoever’s in the public eye purely for kicks. We teach our kids humility, but sometimes we make them so humble that they lack a spine altogether, allowing bullies to push them around as children, oppressors and employers to push them around later in life as adults. But each of us who has followed track and field over these last few months imagines Sha’Carri Richardson facing such situations and thinks, “Oh, not Sha’Carri!” Because we all know Sha’Carri Richardson would cash all the way out before accepting disrespect. And we all wish beyond measure that we could say the same--- “Oh, not Naomi”--- about Naomi Osaka; confident that she would stand strong against media pressure without flinching. Completely unapologetic. Daring them to speak out of turn.

On the other hand, I like to imagine that soon Sha’Carri would begin to take note of Naomi’s quiet strength. Many people never come to understand that force and strength are two different things; in truth, we often display force as a cover-up for the strength we lack--- much like the aggression displayed by injured and abused creatures. A truly strong person can move mountains while maintaining their reserve, and Naomi is master-

ful in her ability to do this. For instance, having the intelligence to show up to her matches with an assorted array of pro-Black and progressively-themed masks---- knowing that in the middle of a pandemic masks would be the most noted attire; knowing that cameras are following her celebrity, giving her a platform to bring attention to things of greater importance than sport; knowing that what she uses to cover her mouth would, ironically, quietly increase demand for her speech. Genius! Even the way Naomi presents herself in fashion--- always striking, regal, elegant with her head lifted and her gaze direct. These are just some of ways that she absolutely roars without making a sound. And, of course, by winning… as well as losing with grace.

I’ll be honest--- when I first wrote this, I considered throwing Simone Biles smack dab in the middle of Naomi and Sha’Carri and making this an allout PowerPuff Girls thing (a very cool idea, considering the live-action PowerPuff Girls project just fell completely apart. …Hollywood, are ya listenin’?).

The idea unfortunately undermined my intention here, which is suggesting a friendship between fire and ice in defiance of science and good reason. On the other hand, maybe Simone would be the greatest balance a situation like this could ask for. She is the GOAT, after all; a perfect blend of Naomi’s quiet resolve and Sha’Carri’s unbridled braggadocio, with just enough accolades to be undisputed and just enough self-love to piss off armchair athletes across the country. …

It feels like this movie is writing itself, doesn’t it?

Matthew Williams is a writer, education advocate, classroom teacher, and music lover with a penchant for sociocultural observation and a love for the city of Augusta. He prefers his hazelnut lattes with almondmilk.

2021 Annual Award Winners

In celebration of Black Business Month, the Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce hosted the CSRA Black Business Summit at Augusta Technical College. There was a panel discussion featuring area business leaders and elected officials, and Daryl Rolle, CEO of Dapper & Company, delivered the keynote address. The event livestream is available for viewing on the Chamber’s Facebook page.

The Chamber also presented awards to the following partners:

10 YEARS PLUS AWARDS Hospitality – MARYLAND’S FRIED CHICKEN Clothing – INTERNATIONAL FORMAL WEAR Marketing – AUGUSTA BLUEPRINT Non-Profit - KIM BAXTER C. H. TERRELL ACADEMY Arts & Entertainment – KAREN GORDON – GARDEN CITY JAZZ ELECTED OFFICIALS COMMISSIONER DENNIS WILLIAMS – DEDICATED SERVICE AWARD REP. SHEILA NELSON – DEDICATED SERVICE AWARD GABCC ANNUAL AWARDS: Member of the Year: ON-TIME TRANSPORTATION Non-Profit of the Year: PEARL Trainer of the Year: SMR LEADERSHIP SOLUTIONS Business of the Year: UNIVERSAL CHILDCARE & LEARNING CENTER Most Engaged Member of the Year: IRIS COVE PERSONAL CARE HOME Collaborator of the Year: NAACP OF AIKEN Marketer of the Year: FOCUS DIGITAL MARKETING GROUP Up & Coming Member to Watch: BROWN GIRLS CODE Member Appreciation: BOSS BABE APPAREL & PRINT SHOP Member Appreciation: DAPPER & COMPANY

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Greater Augusta Black Chamber of Commerce

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WHITE DINNER - AUGUSTA

Described by some as a performance art picnic, WHITE DINNER - AUGUSTA is a pop-up dinner party held in the Greater Augusta (Georgia) area. Modeled after the hugely popular Diner en Blanc, guests dress in white and dine al fresco from picnic baskets they’ve packed beforehand.

Held on Labor Day Jazz Weekend since 2016, guests experience great food and music in unexpected locations - from a speakeasy to a secret garden to the stage of a historic theater.

Don’t miss the next one. Text WHITEDINNERAUGUSTA to (762) 233-5299

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WHITE DINNER - AUGUSTA

Don’t miss the next one.

Text WHITEDINNERAUGUSTA to (762) 233-5299

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Movers & Shakers

Mutlidisciplinary artist MORGAN BOBROW-WILLIAMS has accepted a residency at Merriwether District in Columbia, MD. Morgan is a transdisciplinary artist who expresses themselves

GROWINGAugusta

by blending traditional mediums, such as dance and movement, film, sound, and installation art using improvisation as a tool for discovery and creation. While in residency, Morgan is creating an immersive and experiential environment that invites the viewer to widen their perspective, engage in their agency, and reflect on the interconnectivity of our experience. Morgan’s installation at The HUEPHORIA Exhibition runs Sep 9th 12th.

Morgan is a graduate of Davidson Fine Arts and Marymount Manhattan College.

MEMBERS OF THE GROWING AUGUSTA FARM CO-OP meet with Culinary Arts instructor Ricky Steadman and his students at Technical Career Magnet School to plan a garden project. Culinary and Engineering classes will work together to construct a greenhouse using collected plastic bottles and found materials.

Augustans address Food Insecurity Menia Chester, of Desserts by Latrell, provides testimony before a Georgia Senate Study Committee on Food Insecurity on August 25 at Augusta University.

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text UPW to (706) 528-6855

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Subscribe at growingaugusta.co/upw

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#gardencityjazz june 27 : july 25 code: UPW

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HBCU 5K Fun Run / Walk & Health Fair The 7th Annual Augusta HBCU 5K Fun Run/Walk and Health Fair will take place September 18, 2021 at Riverview Park, in North Augusta, SC. The Augusta HBCU 5K is a scholarship fund raiser sponsored by the Greater Augusta HBCU Alumni Alliance. The 5K run/walk follows the Riverview Park greeneway and ends at the health fair pavilion.

Fund raised provide scholarships for graduating high school seniors accepted at a Historically Black College or University.

Sept. 24, 7 pm Unitarian Universalist Church Tickets at gardencityjazz.com $15+

September is Library Card Sign-up Month, the perfect time to explore all that the library has to offer!

This September is Library Card Sign-up Month! This is a time to remind parents, caregivers and students that a library card is the first step towards academic achievement and lifelong learning.

A library card opens a world of infinite possibilities through resources and services that give students the tools to succeed in school and beyond. From STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) programs, family story times, to makerspaces and in-person or virtual homework help, libraries transform lives through education. A library card gives you the ability to access family fun activities at the Atlanta Zoo, State Museums, or State Parks to name a few.

For more information about how to sign up for a library card, call 706-821-2600, or please visit the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library or any of its

branches in person or online at https://gapines.org/eg/ opac/register.

SEPTEMBER SPECIAL PROGRAMMING Paint Party: Saturday, September 25 at 11:30 am (Wallace Branch) National Wilderness Month Presentation: Tuesday September 14 at 3 pm: (Young Adults Facebook/ Instagram) Grandparents Day Storytime with the Children’s Department: Tuesdays at 11 am all month: (Headquarters Branch) Scholarship Essay Writing Workshop: Thursday, September 30 at 3 pm (Maxwell Branch Library) What’s the Fic? Podcast- Banned Books Edition (Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube)

What: Brown Bag History Series Lecture (You can find the talk on the museum’s Facebook or YouTube pages.)

When: September 15, 2021 Time: Begins at 12:00 p.m.

Topic: Women in Education by Dr. Cheryl Evans Jones, Pres. of Paine College.

The Brown Bag History Series is an educational lecture series provided monthly by the Augusta Museum of History. This event is FREE; donations are encouraged.

National Land Bank Network (NLBN) Summit The Inaugural National Land Bank Network (NLBN) Summit is the only national event dedicated to urban, suburban, and rural land banks. Since 2010, over 200 land banks and land banking initiatives have launched across the United States to support the growing inventories of vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties. Today, the success of land banks of differing sizes and scale has created an important opportunity to build a national movement to steward land strategically and equitably for the public good.

The NLBN Summit will explore the latest strategies for land banks to address vacant, abandoned, and deteriorated properties by providing space to showcase innovation and forums for nurturing new ideas. Through uniting leaders with common challenges, the NLBN Summit will equip every land bank with the tools to effect real, on-the-ground change.

For more info: communityprogress.net

Got a “Mover & Shaker” in your family, business, or church?

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All Richmond County Schools will transition to Learn@Home on Tuesday, Sept. 7 and Wednesday, Sept. 8. Students will report to school on Thursday, Sept. 9 at the normal time. Families will receive information from their child’s school with clear instructions and expectations for students during the Learn@Home days.

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Women in Education September’s Brown Bag History Series Lecture

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