REV. MURPHY ON PENDER
SCHOOL BOARD CHANGING
SCHOOL NAME, AND N-WORD
REPORT
By Cash Michaels
Staff writer
Even though the Pender County Public School Board unanimously voted Tuesday to change the name of Burgaw Elementary back to C. F. Pope Elementary School - which is what it was during the days of segregation when it was name after a respected African-American Baptist minister, local principal and educator - Rev. Dante Murphy, president of the Pender County NAACP, says there is more here to the name change than meets the eye.
“What should be stressed is the need to pay attention to the motives of public officials and why they make certain moves,” Rev. Murphy told The Journal in a statement Wednesday. “For example, was the Pender County School Board’s vote to change the name back to C. F. Pope made in the best interest of the community, or was it a continuation of plantation politics. My guess is that it was done in small portion for the benefit of the community and in large portion a continuation of plantation politics. We nevertheless celebrate the victory and champion those who have fought for some time to maintain their heritage.”
But the other decision of note that had Rev. Murphy’s attention was the Pender School Board’s vote Tuesday to finally release a long-awaited report on the alleged use of the n-word by a teacher.
The report, completed by Blue LLP a month ago, confirmed that Karen McGowan, a Pender High School teacher, used the vile racial slur twice in front of students in clear violation of school system policy.
McGowan was issued a letter of official reprimand.
Two other Pender Schools employees were also found to have used the slur, but apparently not in violation of school system policy.
Prior to the report being released Wednesday, Rev. Murphy, who had originally demanded an investigation into the matter, commented.
“I wish to apologize to the citizens of Pender County in that we were unsuccessful in preventing our school board from spending thousands of dollars on an unnecessary "independent investigation" into the use of the "N" word by a teacher,” Rev. Murphy told The Journal. “The report that will be released to the public will be the handiwork of what attorneys are paid huge amounts of money to do--make problems go away. We will continue to dig deeper into the money spent on this investigation as well as the millions of dollars spent on other legal fees.”
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JUDGE LIMITS RELEASE OF POLICE BODYCAM VIDEO
[DURHAM] A Durham judge has released police body cam video of officers drawing guns on a group of black children playing tag last month, but only to Durham City Council members and the attorney for the three police officers involved. One of the children was even handcuffed. Mayor Steve Schewel and the rest of the Durham Council are scheduled to view that video today. Then , the council is expected to request another court hearing to request that the video be released to the public. The police maintain that they got a report of a man with a gun, which is why they had their weapons drawn. But the parents counter that their children - one as young a eight at the time - were just playing tag in the yard. No word on when that second hearing will be held.
TRUMP WANTS STATE TO REOPEN AMID COVID-19
[WINSTON-SALEM] Pres. Donald Trump , during his third visit to North Carolina in just two weeks, told hundreds of supporters at a Winston-Salem airport Tuesday night that Gov. Roy Cooper “doesn’t know what [he’s] doing” when it come to managing the COVID-19 pandemic in the state. Speaking before a crowd where an overwhelming of those attending were not wearing protective masks as required, Trump said the state would reopen after the election, and urged them to elect Lt. Gov. Dan Forest as the new governor. Observers note that there was very little social distancing at the rally.
NINA SIMONE’S HISTORIC N.C. HOME NOW PROTECTED FROM DEMOLITION
[TRYON] The house where legendary singer Nina Simone grew up is now permanently protected from demolition by agreement with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Preservation North Carolina and World Monuments Fund. Simone was born Eunice Waymon in Tryon, NC in 1933. She taught herself how to play the piano when she was three, later growing up to become a world famous jazz singer and social activist. She died in France in 2003.
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NC BLACK VOTERS WARNED:
“MAKE SURE YOUR VOTE COUNTS”
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Now that Labor Day has officially passed, the presidential debates upcoming starting Sept. 29th, and the Nov. 3rd general election less than two months away, Black voters are urged to pay particular attention to all aspects of the voting process to make sure that their ballot is properly counted on Election Day.
First, check your voter registration status.
If you’re not registered to vote in the Nov. 3rd election, you must be 18 years-old (or at least be 18 by Nov. 3rd), and have a North Carolina address for at least 30 days. You may register online at https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/offices-services/online/Pages/voter-registration-application.aspx, or visit either your local county board of elections office, or local NC DMV office to do so.
You may also use same-day registration if you choose to one-stop early vote between Oct. 15th-31st.
If you believe that you are already registered to vote, and feel you need to double-check your status , just go to https://www.ncsbe.gov, click “Registering” to go to that page, scroll down to the box on the right that that says “Checking Your Registration,” click that to go to that page, then, once there, scroll down past “Related Content” to “Voter Search Tool.”
Click that to go to the “Voter Search” page. Once there, follow the instructions to confirm the you are properly registered to vote in North Carolina. If not, then go to the proper page to correct or update your voter registration information.
You must be properly registered no later than Oct. 9, 2020.
Once you’ve confirmed that you’re properly registered to vote, then you can decide on the several options you have to cast your ballot either before, or on Nov. 3rd.
For instance, if you was one of the over 643,000 North Carolinians who requested a mail-in ballot online, those ballots were sent out on Sept. 4th. You should have received yours by now. If so, you officially have until Oct. 27th to mail your ballot back. However, to ensure that it is returned in plenty of time to be properly counted, most observers are urging you to fill it out, sign it in front of one witness, and then return it promptly (at least ten days before the Nov. 3rd Election Day0. Just follow the instructions when you receive it the mail.
Once you’ve properly filled it out and signed it, you can physically return your completed ballot to your local county board of elections no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 3rd.
And if you want to return your completed ballot during the early voting period, you can do that by bringing it to any early voting site between Oct. 15th and Oct. 31st.
Beyond yourself, only a close relative can return your ballot for you.
If you mail it back, you can check the SBOE voter search tool online to see if it was received and accepted.
If you choose not vote absentee or mail-in, as Indicated before, you can one-stop early vote between Oct. 15th thru Oct. 31st. Just check to see where the nearest early voting site is where you live.
All early voting sites will open at 8 a.m. Monday through Friday, and at 12 noon on Saturdays and Sundays. The Sites will close at 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and at 5 p.m. Saturday Oct. 17 and 24th, and Sunday Oct. 18 and 25th
On the final day of early voting, Saturday Oct. 31st, polls close at 3 p.m..
On Election Day, Nov. 3rd, polls open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 7:30 p.m..
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RELEASED FELONS OWING
FEES, FINES MAY VOTE
SAYS COURT
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
Released felons on probation because they owe fees and fines may now be able to vote in North Carolina, ruled a divided three-judge Superior Court panel last week.
The decision will most likely to be appealed.
Ordinarily in North Carolina, voting rights are returned to convicted felons after they’ve served their sentence, unless they are delinquent in fines , fees or haven’t completed their probationary period. It’s called the felony disenfranchisement law
But the lawsuit filed last fall by the NCNAACP and the Raleigh-based Community Success Initiative - a re-entry program for the formerly incarcerated - challenged that status, stating that it violated the U.S. Constitution’s prohibition against a “property quantification affecting one’s right to vote.”
The judicial panel further of the constitution.found that the law violated the Equal Protection Clause
Only those ex-felons who have not had they voting rights restored because they still owe money are affected by the ruling.
Advocates seeking to restore the voting rights for the formerly incarcerated, like Dennis Gaddy, executive director of Community Success Initiative, were delighted.
‘This ruling is a major victory or the thousands of North Carolinians who have been denied access to the ballot due to an inability to pay financial obligations,” Gaddy said. “We are thrilled that the judges took this important step in the right direction in the continued fight for voting rights and equality in our state.”
It didn’t take long for Republicans to complain that the decision was another example of judges writing law, instead of deciding law.
“Sure as hell nothing too celebrate here, tweeted Dallas Woodhouse, for executive director of the NC Republican Party. “Convicted felons who have NOT paid their debt to society and not concluded their sentences having their full rights restored.
But advocates counter that the N.C. felony disenfranchisement law was the legal equivalent to a poll tax that otherwise prevented legal voters from carrying out their constitutional right to vote.
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