UPW Urban Pro Weekly

UPW FEBRUARY 15 - 21, 2018

The

A Pound of Flesh ACLU report reveals how the courts and collection agencies conspire to jail folks who can’t pay their bills.

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

VOL. 7 NO.8

Black Panther Effect

MORE THAN A MOVIE: Newly released blockbuster promises significant impact on how American blacks and Africans view their shared heritage

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Black Panther hailed by African and American audiences for humanizing black characters

By Chika Oduwa For The Root On Sunday night, I sat in a crowded room in Canal Olympia Téranga, the only movie theater in Dakar, Senegal, that was showing Black Panther.

With all the seats around me occupied, I waited to see what the “black people” in the movie would look like, what they would sound like.

Would they use that generic African accent overused in Hollywood films?

I looked to my left and right and wondered if the folks next to me were wondering the same things.

How would this superhero action flick “use” the African characters?

Africa was not untouched by the Black Panther hype. It blew across over here too, with the winds stronger in some places, like in South Africa, Kenya, Uganda and Zimbabwe, where people there were paying close attention to actors of south and east African descent—John Kani, Lupita Nyong’o, Daniel Kaluuya, Florence Kasumba and Danai Gurira.

Many of us had seen the trailers featuring the stunning wardrobe and the spectacular special effects. We were curious to see this Dora Milaje, the all-female fighter guard assigned to protect the king and royal family. Many of us already knew that the Dora Milaje looked a lot like the Ahosi of Dahomey aka Dahomey “Amazons,” an all-female military guard formed in the 19th century by King Wegbaja from the kingdom of Dahomey. We knew about the stellar cast and the mighty $200 million production budget, the most expensive movie directed by a black director with a mostly black cast.

UPW Urban Pro Weekly Hephzibah, GA 30815

We knew these things, but still, what would the Africans, the black people, the Wakandans, look like?

Many of us have grown tired of being sick and tired of how we are presented in Hollywood movies because the depictions often give the impression that Africans are backwards. What would Wakanda look like?

Ugandan Lydia Namubiru, who saw the film in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, said she went in with low expectations.

“My first thought was that they are going to patronize us with stereotypes,” she told The Root. “Even going in, I was skeptical.”

Perhaps it was a combination of measured curiosity and genuine excitement to see what could be something new in Hollywood storytelling about black people that partly drove untold numbers of people across Africa to cinemas over the past few days to catch the premiere.

In Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, the five daily screenings have been sold out at the sole theater showing the film. At the Accra Mall in Ghana, drummers came in beating out rhythms that heightened the crowd’s enthusiasm. In Lagos, my fellow Nigerians were decked to the nine in gorgeous wax prints and chunky jewelry. In Kampala, the capital of Uganda, attendants graced a cocktail hour before the premiere at the Acacia Mall. Going out to the movies this time was like no other.

This was a cultural occasion that was memorialized with selfies and social media posts.

Senegal-based, Kenyan native and writer Ciku Kimeria dressed carefully in a chic, all-black assemble, wrapped

her long locks in bantu knots and adorned her neck with a colorful southern African-inspired choker.

“There was no way I was going to Wakanda just looking regular. I know black people and this is Senegal. I knew people were going to dress up,” Kimeria told The Root.

I joined friends and posed in front of the Black Panther poster, but I didn’t know what would await me when I watched the film.

So, when the lights in the cinema hall dimmed, the silence took over the room and the screen lit up to a wide shot zooming in on massive cone-shaped buildings inspired by Sudano-Sahelian architecture, I knew something was happening. And I held my breath in wonder.

“I almost got up to clap…the hype is all worth it!” Kimeria said.

She, too, was floored when she saw the architecture because it reminded her of a mosque building she had seen on a visit to the West African nation of Mali.

For many Africans, the film brought to the big screen a reality that they see everyday—the Basotho blankets the warriors used as a protective shield, the queen’s Zulu hat, the ochre-dyed locks of the Himba, the flowing fabrics of the Wolof. It was the sheer pan-Africanism of it all that astounded me. The cinematic display of the diversity of African-ness was beautiful.

For some viewers, the film also represented a hope nurtured in the heart of what Africa could be. Ugandan sport radio journalist Patrick Kanyamozi told The Root watching the film on the night it premiered in Uganda made him feel that he was

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part of history in the making.

“What we can learn from this film is that Africa has always had potential—the gold, the diamonds and everything. It’s only we were not able to work on that in the years that went by but still Africans individually can still pursue their dreams,” Kanyamozi said.

“We were humanized and that matters,” said 25-year-old Johannesburgbased South African journalist and filmmaker Sumeya Gasa. She said the whole experience was overwhelming and she is still trying to process it.

“It’s feels so good, too good.”

But that “too good” feeling of Wakanda and what it could represent for black people in Africa and the diaspora is what some people are trying to capture in their everyday lives. R.J. Mahdi is an Atlanta native who moved to Senegal years ago.

He says that as an African American, he understood the character of the villainous N’Jadaka, aka Killmonger.

“I think Killmonger’s character was an accurate depiction of the majority of black Americans feeling in one way or another. It was obviously symbolic, him being displaced from Wakanda.

In retrospect, the majority of African Americans do feel that we have been abandoned in the world and that’s a tough feeling,” Mahdi told The Root.

“We hear it all the time. African Americans say why didn’t Africans come and fight for us in the civil rights movement or in the years of slavery. I think that whenever you can bridge that gap and find a common ground, which was something that can happen because even in the Continued on next page

Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media KEN MAKIN contributing columnist

THE BLACK PANTHER from p2 In the end, many viewers felt that the “African” characters were humanized, nuanced and there is a belief that this feeling of hope will be sustained and used as inspiration to channel the advancement of Africa. And for someone like me, who grew up being called “African booty scratcher” and watching Africans as stock characters, I couldn’t help but shed a tear at the end of the film and I know that I was not the only one.

Having not been able to see it yet, I appreciate a spoil free article! I’m dying to read everything, but have restrained myself thus far.

Also, I am so very pleased that Africans approve of how the movie was handled. I too, white girl in America, was worried that hollywoodness would take over this movie in one form or another and disappoint African audiences. I’m glad to hear that it didn’t.

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Box Office: ‘Black Panther’ claws highest Tuesday gross for MCU film

By Dave McNary, Variety Disney-Marvel’s “Black Panther” remains heroic, taking in an impressive $21 million on Tuesday at 4,020 North American locations — the highest Tuesday gross for a Marvel Cinematic Universe title and the seventh-biggest Tuesday total of all time.

The tentpole hauled $263.1 million in the U.S. within five days, second only to 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” at $325.4 million. “Black Panther” eclipsed the five-day North American mark for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” by $1.3 million and “Jurassic World” by $4.6 million.

Tuesday’s international take was $14.6 million for a total of $199.2 million, led by the U.K. with $28.5 million and South Korea with $28.3 million. It already has a worldwide total of $462.3 million.

“Black Panther” is one of five films that opened with a $200 million domestic weekend (with $202 million), joining “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Jurassic World,” and “The Avengers.” It’s notched an A+

Cinemascore — becoming only the second Marvel film to do so — and is a must-see cultural phenomenon. The online ticketing service Fandango reported on Monday that 61% of their customers who had seen “Black Panther” plan to watch it again.

“Black Panther” is heading into its second frame with a strong possibility of becoming the fourth title to top $100 million in a sophomore session domestically. “The Force Awakens” declined 40% to $149 million; “Jurassic World’ slid 49% to $106.6 million; and “The Avengers” fell 50% to $103.1 million.

With a stellar domestic start and a solid international launch so far, it’s quite probable that “Black Panther” will join the 32 films with $1 billion in worldwide earnings by the end of its run.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, “Black Panther” stars Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Angela Bassett, Danai Gurira, and Daniel Kaluuya.

Its success has given the U.S. box office a major lift, with 2018 grosses up 7.3% to $1.64 billion as of Feb. 19, according to comScore.

UrbanProWeekly •FEBRUARY 15 - 21, 2018

movie, it took them to find it out and learn each other’s point of view to soften their heart towards each other in the end.”

Even Lydia Namubiru, the skeptical one, gave a positive review of the movie. She said she appreciated that it touched on the theme of the relationship between African Americans and Africans.

“The movie represented Africans’ reaction to that radical pan-Africanism that Killmonger had as just violence and just madness, as something crazy. I do feel like Killmonger being killed without properly understanding him was a pretty accurate depiction of how we react to radical pan-Africanism,” she told The Root.

She said she hopes the film will spark deeper conversations among Africans on how to do a better job of understand black people in the diaspora, particularly African Americans.

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T.W. Josey’s Tykedra Rolland stares down her opponent as she dribbles the ball down the court during a first round GHSA basketball playoff game against Bleckley County at the Eagle’s gym. The Lady Eagles soared over the Lady Royals with a final score of 63-31. Rolland scored 25 points in the game. (Feb. 16, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

SportsVIEW T.W. Josey’s Deajah Houck moves down the court during a first round GHSA basketball playoff game against Bleckley County at the Eagle’s gym.

The Lady Eagles soared over the Lady Royals with a final score of 63-31.

(Feb. 16, 2018 Augusta, GA) - Photo

by Vincent Hobbs/ Sports Journal

(Above) Swainsboro’s Charlsey Kelly guards against a Laney player during a GHSA second round playoff game agaiinst held at Laney. The Lady Wildcats defeated the Lady Tigers 76-60 in the final score. (Feb. 21, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/ Sports Journal

(Above) Laney basketball players celebrate courtside after a point is scored during a GHSA second round playoff game agaiinst Swainsboro held at Laney. The Lady Wildcats defeated the Lady Tigers 76-60 in the final score. (Feb. 16, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal Laney’s Jaiden Hamilton jumps for a layup in a GHSA second round playoff game agaiinst Swainsboro held at Laney. The Lady Wildcats defeated the Lady Tigers 76-60 in the final score. (Feb. 16, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

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SportsVIEW

RICHMOND COUNTY SCHOOLS

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NO ORDINARY LOVE by Baruti Tucker

Q&A: Baruti Tucker

BY VINCENT HOBBS How long did it take to complete and why the name “No Ordinary Love?”

I worked on it for three days, six hours each day. Black Love is “no ordinary love.” It is about healing. Healing from slavery is an individual choice. Choosing to heal with each other is extraordinary. Black Love is not just a romanticized ideology.

There is no ordinary love.

Tell us about the African tribal imagery and Egyptian symbolism.

I am inspired by the spiritual constitution of humans blessed with beautiful melanin who were stolen from Africa to be enslaved oppressed and divided. Our Black love is not defined by our skin color; it is defined by how we share the healing from the psychologically traumatic slave-syndrome. We heal through our love for each other.

What is the significance of the sensual couple in the center that anchors the painting?

The sensuality in the piece is actually the after-math of their consummation, or making love. They have absorbed each other’s energy and now the realization of that energy surrounds them. They are resting. The longevity of their loving will be determined by how they receive the visual realities depicted in the piece.

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How do the images of brutality incorporate into the overall meaning?

The brutality is relevant because of the historical struggle that “Black America” has faced within the culture of injustice in law enforcement.

This has tested the faith, hope and love in “Black urban communities “across the America.

BARUTI TUCKER photo by Vincent Hobbs

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Library’s African-American Funeral programs collection expanded ATLANTA Georgia HomePLACE, the Digital Library of Georgia (DLG), and the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System have announced the addition of over 10,000 digitized pages of African-American funeral programs to the Augusta Public Library’s Eula M. Ramsey Johnson Memorial Funeral Program Collection. Spanning 1933-2017 and consisting of over 3,000 programs, the digital collection provides both a rich source of genealogical information and This 1933 funeral program for Miss Lucy Craft Laney, perhaps Augusta’s most famous historical person, is among the items available for researchers at the Augusta Public Library’s Eula M. Ramsey Johnson Memorial Funeral Program Collection.

The collection spans from 1933 - 2017 and includes over 3,000 programs in the digital collection.

local history about the African American community.

Programs are freely available online through the DLG. The current project more than doubles the total number of programs originally available in the digital collection. In 2009, HomePLACE and the DLG digitized the approximately 1,000 funeral programs available in the Georgia Heritage Room of the Augusta-Richmond County Public Library System. The bulk of the collection was donated in the early 2000s by local historian Gloria Ramsey

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706-722-7355

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY The Richmond County School System will accept bids and request for proposals until 3:00 p.m., Wednesday, March 14, 2018, for the following: 1. Herbicide Application Services RFP#2018-002 Bid specifications may be obtained by contacting Cecilia Perkins in the Business Office at perkice@boe.richmond.k12.ga.us or 706-8261298, on our web site at www.rcboe.org/bids, or at Richmond County School System, Central Office 864 Broad Street, 4th Floor, Augusta, GA 30901.

The Richmond County School System reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive technicalities and informalities.

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY By: Dr. Angela D. Pringle, Secretary

Programs from p8

Feb 24: Wake&Shake: Mardi Gras Edition (early morning dance party) Humanitree House Augusta Feb 25: SoireeSunday: JazzCasual featuring Mike Tanksley Humanitree House Augusta Feb 28: Super Awesome StoryTime w/ Karen Gordon The Book Tavern, Downtown, AUG

Mar 11: Soulful Vegan Jazz Brunch featuring Trey McLaughlin Humanitree House Augusta Mar 15: Celebrity Waiter Night (#gardencityjazz + #popupaugusta) Mar 16: Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz Sextet - original music

by Rudy Volkmann, Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta

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Lucas. An avid genealogist and former president of the Augusta Genealogical Society, Ms. Lucas is known for her award-winning work, Slave Records of Edgefield County, a compilation which came about during her own search for enslaved ancestors. The donated funeral programs belonged to her aunt, Eula M. Ramsey Johnson, who had been collecting them for over 30 years and for whom the collection is named.

“Family history researchers are familiar with common vital records rich in genealogical data – such as birth, marriage and death certificates – and frequently exhaust these resources in their ancestral search,” says HomePLACE Director Angela Stanley. “Though often difficult to find, funeral programs can provide critical information about a person’s relationships, character, community ties and social prominence that coroner’s reports and death certificates cannot. These context clues become all the more precious when we consider that genealogists researching African American lineage are frequently told the work cannot be done. Yet what we often find is that when the right records come to light, the people behind them do, too.”

A majority of the programs are from churches in Augusta, Georgia and the surrounding area, with a few outliers in other states such as New York and Florida. The programs typically contain a photograph of the deceased, an obituary, a list of surviving relatives, and the order of service. The collection provides extensive genealogical information about the deceased, including birth and death dates, maiden names, names of relatives, past residences and place of burial. Many of the people included in this collection were prominent in their communities and involved locally in the struggle for civil rights. In 2010, the collection was honored with a Georgia Historical Records Advisory Board Award for Excellence in Documenting Georgia’s History.

Says Georgia Heritage Room Librarian Tina Monaco, “This award-winning collection has truly been, from its inception, a community-driven endeavor. The digital collection offers a much-needed resource to those researching African-American family and social history.”

GARDEN CITY JAZZ and others

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FORUM

COMMENTARY

Can’t pay your bills? You could go to jail New ACLU report looks at how “debt collection industry uses prosecutors and judges as weapons against millions of Americans who can’t afford to pay their bills.”

By Andrea Germano CommonDreams.org Threatened with arrest for a case involving a few dollars in debt held by a collection agency?

This is not a science fiction, nor a scenario from the United States more than 185 years ago when debtors prisons were still allowed. Rather, it’s a part of the current justice system where, in states across the country, state courts and local prosecutors abet debt collectors in arresting and jailing some of the tens of millions of Americans who have debt held by private collection agencies.

The injustice is laid out in new report from the ACLU, A Pound of Flesh: The Criminalization of Private Debt.

“The private debt collection industry uses prosecutors and judges as weapons against millions of Americans who can’t afford to pay their bills,” said report author Jennifer Turner, also a principal human rights researcher at the ACLU. “Consumers have little chance of justice when our courts take the debt collector’s side in almost every case—even to the point of ordering people jailed until they pay up,” she said.

The practice has the potential to affect a wide swathe of the U.S. population: the report notes that 1 in 3 Americans has some debt that’s been

turned over to a private collection agency, but given entrenched poverty and wealth gaps, it disproportionately affects communities of color. The jailings and threats of jailing affects those often already living in financially precarious situations, such as those relying on Social Security or unemployment benefits, or those who are terminally ill.

Report found over 1,000 cases in 26 states in which civil court judges issued arrest warrants for debtors.

“In 44 states,” the report notes, “a court can even issue warrants for the arrest of debtors who fail to appear at post-judgment court proceedings or fail to provide information about their finances.” That includes people who may not know they’ve been sued or received notice to appear in court.

Here’s how it works, as noted in report: Millions of collection lawsuits are filed each year in state and local courts that have effectively become collectors’ courts. The majority of cases on many state court dockets are debt collection suits, and in many state courts, debt purchasers file more suits than any other type of plaintiff. Debt collection lawyers can file hundreds of suits a day, often with little evidence that the alleged debt is actually owed.

Once a lawsuit is filed, the process

is stacked against defendants, the overwhelming majority of whom are not represented by an attorney. And collectors have a big advantage in small-claims courts, which provide very limited due process protections to debtors.

Many courts churn through collection lawsuits with astonishing speed and little scrutiny. Over 95 percent of debt collection suits end in favor of the collector, usually because alleged debtors do not mount a defense. In many cases, defendants did not know they had been sued.

Once the collection company wins the case, it “ can seek to have a defendant’s paycheck or bank account garnished, seize their cars or other personal property, or record a lien against their property. Creditors can also ask courts to require defendants to be in court for post-judgment proceedings,” it continues.

When debtors do not appear in court, creditors can ask the judge to issue a civil warrant for the debtor’s arrest. In the cases the ACLU documented, debtors failed to appear at hearings for various reasons, most often because they did not receive notification of the court date or even of the existence of the lawsuit. Some were unable to appear because of work, child care responsibilities, lack of transportation, physical disability, illness,

or dementia. We found two cases in which debtors missed hearings because they were terminally ill and died shortly after warrants were issued for their arrest.

After the arrest—which can occur “in the middle of the night or at a workplace”—a debtor may sit in jail until he/she can post bail payment.

Through this system, debtors’ “procedural due process rights are infringed upon when there is inadequate notice, automatic default judgments, or deficient evidence,” the report states.

An even if a warrant doesn’t lead to jail time, the publication says that it “can cause long-lasting harm because such warrants may be entered into background check databases, with serious consequences for future employment, housing applications, education opportunities, and access to security clearances.”

Among the key recommendations outlined in report are for district attorney offices to end their contracts with private check collection companies; for federal laws to be updated to bar courts from issuing arrest warrants in debt collection proceedings; and for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to promulgate rules that preclude debt collectors from seeking the arrest or jailing of alleged debtors in pursuit of payments toward civil debts.

A note of reassurance from Richmond County’s School chief The Richmond County School system is grieving along with those affected by the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Our hearts and our thoughts go out to the victims and their families, and we stand united with the Broward County Public Schools community.

Media coverage of this tragedy may prompt questions and concerns from your children, and we want to provide resources that may help during these difficult conversations. According to the National Association of School Psychologists, highprofile acts of violence in schools can confuse and frighten students who may feel they, their friends or their loved ones are in danger. They will look to adults for guidance about how to react, and adults can help by

talking with them about their fears.

The safety and well-being of our students and staff is our top priority. The Richmond County School System’s Department of School Safety & Security is a trained, certified, and accredited police force that works directly with all schools and local agencies to ensure coordinated approaches to school safety, and all schools are required to have emergency action plans.

Today, the Richmond County School System experienced an increase in unsubstantiated threats being made against our schools. We take all threats seriously and all have been investigated fully to ensure we keep our students and staff safe.

Students found participating in these activities will be disciplined and could potentially face criminal action.

Finally, it’s important to remind your children that if they “see something, say something.” Research shows warning signs occur in more than 80% of violent incidents. The Richmond County School System provides a system for students, parents, educators and community members to report concerns anonymously. The links to anonymously report a threat or tip can be found on our website at www.rcboe.org.

Keeping our kids, teachers, and schools safe is the responsibility of everyone in our community. Please keep the families affected by the recent school shooting in your thoughts and prayers.

Dr. Angela D. Pringle Superintendent of Schools

CSRA Business League to celebrate 48th Anniversary The CSRA Business League will celebrate 48 years of providing service to the Central Savannah River Area on Friday, March 23 at the Augusta Marriott Hotel at the Convention Center at 7 p.m.

Dr. Randal Pinkett, the Season 2 winner of the Apprentice, will be the keynote speaker. Dr. Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his generation in business and technology. He is the founder, chairman and CEO of his fifth venture, BCT Partners, a multimillion-dollar consulting, research, technology, and analytics firm.

During the banquet, the League will announce the winners of our Women Entrepreneur of the Year, Harvey L. Johnson Small Business of the Year, Henry L. Howard Public | Elected Official of the Year and Not for Profit Organization of the Year Awards.

Tickets for our 48th Anniversary Banquet, which are $50.00 for Individual Tickets and $500.00 for a Table that seats 10, may be purchased from any member of our Board of Directors, at the League’s Office located at 821 12th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30901 or online at: https:// w w w.eventbrite.com/e/csra-business-league-48th-anniversary-banquet-tickets-42433671253

RICHMOND COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION Bond Issue Program

PROPOSAL NUM. B-17-010-3062 Sego Rollins K-8 Replacement School

COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION OF RICHMOND COUNTY INVITATION TO BID Sealed proposals from Contractors will be received for the Sego Rollins K-8 Replacement School by the County Board of Education of Richmond County at the address below until 3:00 p.m. local time, March 8, 2018, at which time the bids will be publicly opened and read. No extension of the bidding period will be made.

A Pre-Bid Conference will be held February 20, 2018 at 10:00am local time at the project site, 3420 Julia Avenue, 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: Studio 3 Design Group, P.C. Attn: Jennifer Powell @ jpowell@s3dg.com or 706-667-9784 . Applications for documents together with refundable deposit of $400.00 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 with 10 days after date of opening bids.

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. Angela Pringle 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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Dr. Randal Pinkett will be the keynote speaker in the CSRA Business League’s 48th Annual Banquet on March 23. Dr. Pinkett has established himself as an entrepreneur, speaker, author and scholar, and as a leading voice for his generation in business and technology.

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