UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY
MARCH 14 - 27, 2022 • VOL. 10 NO. 18
LEADERS PROTEST G.O.P. ‘HIJACK’ OF REDISTRICTING MAP
EMERGING VOICES TAYLOR C. YOUNG
BOOKS
Tiffany Denise Hobbs
On navigating a performance lifestyle Q& A
Venus Cain, RCBOE, at news conference.
WET PAINT Sale & Auction By RICKEY JONES
PHOTO BY VINCENT HOBBS
Photo by Vincent Hobbs
Multi-talented performer Tiffany Denise Hobbs (actor, singer, dancer) poses for a photo in front of the Miller Theater in downtown Augusta. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
2022 ELECTION
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Courts allow GOP ‘gerrymandered’ maps in Georgia to stand, citing need to avoid ‘chaos’ A federal judge ruled that it was too close to the May 24 primary to redraw districts that may ultimately be found to have violated voting rights of minority voters by Frederick Benjamin Sr. UPW Staff Writer AUGUSTA As anticipated, all across the nation and especially in Georgia, which is ground-zero for voter suppression advocacy, the federal courts are being flooded with voting rights challenges as Republicans seek to rebound from the disastrous 2020 election cycle where their national and statewide losses were huge. Recently in Atlanta, all eyes were on Judge Steve C. Jones, to see if he would rule in favor of plaintiffs who were concerned with Voting Rights violations in the G.O.P. redistricting maps signed into law by Governor Brian Kemp.
UPW URBAN PRO WEEKLY
Judge Steve C. Jones
“The court finds that the public interest of the state of Georgia would be significantly undermined by altering the election calendar and unwinding the electoral process at this point.” The Republican-led legislature redrew the boundaries to include more of conservative-leaning rural Georgia, likely allowing the GOP to solidify control over a state where they
already hold eight out of 14 congressional seats. On March 1, Jones ruled that the Republicans could use their gerrymandered maps. But in his ruling, he did not address whether or not the maps were unconstitutional. He said that it was too close to the May 24 primary to redraw districts, so the current maps would have to stand. “The court finds that the public interest of the state of Georgia would be significantly undermined by altering the election calendar and unwinding the electoral process at this point,” Jones ruled. “Elections are complex and election calendars are finely calibrated processes, and significant upheaval and voter confusion can result if changes are made late in the process.” Jones’ ruling was not unexpected. The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled on a case from Alabama where the Justices let stand gerrymandered maps by Republicans because the May 24 primary (same as in Georgia) was too close to redraw new maps. In the Alabama case, a lower federal court found that the G.O.P. map violated Voting Rights Act protections for minority voters but when the case went before the High Court, the Justices failed to dismiss the maps. “When an election is close at hand, the rules of the road must be clear and settled. Late judicial tinkering with election laws can lead to disruption and to unanticipated and unfair consequences
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for candidates, political parties, and voters, among others,” Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote. The decision is expected to allow Republicans to pick up a north Atlanta metro seat currently held by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) who is now running against Rep. Carolyn Bourdeaux (D-Ga.) in a neighboring district. The ruling does not bode well for those in Richmond County who are chafing at the G.O.P. shenanigans that enabled a Republican state senator from a far flung district (which barely penetrates the Richmond County line) to have a hand in redrawing that county’s voting maps. It is very late on the election calendar to start redrawing maps. In 2012, a federal judge was brought into the Richmond County picture because there wasn’t any map at all that had been passed into law. The current status of the Richmond County redistricting map is that because it has already been signed into law, a federal court may be reluctant to halt elections. That, however, would not stop plaintiffs from suing on constitutional grounds. A successful suit on the basis of Voting Rights Act violations in Richmond County could result in redrawing maps for future elections, but would likely not overcome federal court objections to halting an election on May 24. In the Richmond County case in 2012 the federal courts not only halted the election to redraw maps but halted other G.O.P. dirty tricks as well.
CONTRIBUTORS K.L. Gordon • Rickey Jones Jr. Olivia Gaines • Vincent Hobbs Menia L. Chester Frederick Benjamin Sr. Layout/Design : UrbanProMedia
2022 ELECTION
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COMMISSIONER ALVIN MASON at recent news conference blasting the governor and G.O.P. operatives for dismissing the rsedistricting efforts of local elected officials and drawing up their own in secret. Photo by Vincent Hobbs
The ANATOMY of an electoral heist
Republicans reach into their playbook and hijack another remap . . . is anyone surprised? by Frederick Benjamin Sr. Political Commentary AUGUSTA Commissioner Alvin Mason and School Board member Venus Cain fronted a news conference on the steps of City Hall to excoriate the Republican operatives who heisted the redistricting process from the county’s duly elected officials —once again. Richmond County has been down
this road before. This time around, the G.O.P. operatives and their local enablers include Governor Brian Kemp, State Senators Max Burns (Dist. 23) and Lee Anderson (Dist. 24) But the pre-planning for the current heist has been extensive and began over 10 years ago right after the 2010 census. At that time, the Republicans drew a third senatorial district into Richmond County. One of the state
senators for Richmond County at the time was Hardie Davis, the current mayor of Augusta. At the time Davis expressed outrage at the bold move. The move was the result of a nonetoo-creative gerrymander whose sole objective was to saddle Richmond County with two Republican senators who would effectively neutralize the vote of Davis or any other Democrat who replaced him. The Republicans waited 10 years for their opportunity to take full
advantage of the situation. It happened right after the 2020 Census when the maps had to be redrawn in late 2021 and brings us to the present on the steps of City Hall. What Mason and Cain were so vehemently denouncing was the insertion of Republicans into the process of drawing the maps for Democratic stronghold Richmond County. Now, the G.O.P. operatives, Continued on page 4
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HEIST FROM PAGE 3
Qualified Candidates for the May 24, 2022 General Primary and Nonpartisan Election District 2 Charles Cummings Cleveland Garrison Ralph Gunter Sr. Von Pouncey Stacey Pulliam
Lee Anderson (R)
Max Burns, (R)
Burns and Anderson, knew from the start that anything that the Richmond County Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee came up with would be moot if they (the two of them) didn’t like it. So it was a foregone conclusion that they were not going to like whatever a group of Democrats brought to the table on the issue of voting rights. Richmond County’s lone Democratic Senator, Harold Jones, like Davis before him, was outgunned and powerless to thwart the “jack.” Now, as soon as some West Augusta residents in the Summerville Neighborhood of Commission District 3 began to object to their district being tampered with, the operatives went into action. They told the West Augusta folks not to worry and proceeded to scrap
Harold Jones (D)
District 4 the redistricting map that the city had Alvin Mason selected. Then, without public input Betty Reece or consultation with the committee members in Richmond County, these two senators put together their own map, which naturally made the folks in West Augusta very happy. So they stole the process, but they weren’t in the clear until the govenor signed legislation making the maps official. And that’s just what he did. So, they got away with it — “Scott free.” The “fix’ was put in place a decade ago and it is illustrative of the fact that voting rights fights are marathons and not sprints. The two GOP senators knew full well that regardless of how the Richmond County office holders drew their maps, they had the veto power — and it is all legal according to Georgia-style democracy.
The Scene of the Crime . . . Richmond County State Senate Districts. ‘X’ marks the spot where far-flung District 24 barely touches the Richmond County line . . .
Di
Di
s
ct t ri
s tr
ic t
24
X
23
District 22
District 6 Tony Lewis District 8 Brandon Garrett District 10 John Clarke Robert A. Cooks Wayne Guilfoyle
Mayor of Augusta Charlie Hannah A. K. Hasan Robert Ingham Garnett Johnson Lucas V. Johnson Steven Kendrick Lori Myles State Court Judge Monique Walker State Court Judge Evita Paschall Ashanti Lilley Pounds This listing may be incomplete as it was compiled when qualifying was still ongoing.
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Q&A
BY VINCENT HOBBS
Tiffany Denise Hobbs When did you realize that you had a love for the performing arts? I realized my love for the performing arts when my parents took me to see “Beauty and the Beast” on tour when I was a child. I still remember sitting up in my seat in awe of the performance and wondering how I might be able to do the same things those people were doing on stage. What sort of impact did Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School have on your career? Being at Davidson afforded me the groundwork upon which I constantly work as an artist. My approach, my attention to detail, the fun I have, my passion, how I manage the time I devote to my craft, my curiosity, my endurance- all of that began at Davidson, thanks to Betty Walpert and Heather Davidson. I truly believe that, because of the training I received at that school, I have been able to make it as far as I have. Who is your favorite character in a role that you’ve played? My favorite role was Olivia in The Twelfth Night. She’s a woman who has been afforded certain luxuries in life, yet has suffered great loss and yearns for more. Her story; her regal exterior, yet delicate interior; and her capacity for love resonates with me so much. It was a joy to play her and get to do so with such an amazing cast at the Yale Repertory Theatre. What is the most challenging movie or TV shoot that you’ve done? I am currently shooting a movie where a lot of my scenes are outside. Since its winter and we are up north, sometimes it is hard keeping my teeth from chattering when we are filming. It’s been a bit of a psychological experiment for me trying to figure out ways to not be distracted by factors out of our control, but I would have it no
other way. I enjoy a good challenge! How do you stay motivated while waiting for the next casting call? I have come to learn that that best thing, for me, is to curate a full and realized life outside of the entertainment business, no matter if I am working or not. Especially in times when I am not on a job, my identity as a person in this world is what sustains me. This business is fickle and I’m best to not let it dictate my motivation. The factors that I can control – how I feel about myself, how I invest in my relationships, my hobbies, and being present- are of utmost priority and keep me grounded. When I am at my best in these ways, while it doesn’t make any ‘no’ easy per se, it certainly makes them easier and helps to prevent me from getting discouraged. What is it like to see yourself on the big or small screen? Oh, it is always so exciting. Every time. It’s even more exciting to share that moment with loved ones. Which director would you love to work with on a project? There are so many! Steve McQueen would be great. Robert Townsend, Ava DuVernay… I would also love to work with Aaron Sorkin again. Do you see directing as part of your future goals? Absolutely. I would love to start by directing an episode of television for a show I’m on and on other personal projects. Then, I would love to break into film direction. Favorite actor? I don’t have one favorite. I enjoy a number of actors for the unique qualities they bring to their individual performances. If I had to shout out one of my favorites, though, it would be Viola Davis. Not only is she a great
Multi-talented performer Tiffany Denise Hobbs, feeling lively in downtown Augusta. Hobbs graduated from Davidson Fine Arts. Photo by Vincent Hobbs actress, her story is also empowering and exciting. With your skill set and multi-layered talent, is an EGOT designation (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony Awards) in your mind’s eye to achieve? An EGOT would be a nice accolade that I would certainly appreciate to acquire. However, it isn’t a necessity
for me as an artist. What I wish for myself is for it to be possible to have the opportunity and facility to do the work that I have set out to do. What do you do to rejuvenate and relax? I typically explore, either locally or farther away when I want to regroup. I also enjoy a long deep tissue massage and a spa day to decompress every so often.
By: Rickey Jones
Greater Augusta Arts Council’s Annual Wet Paint Party and Art Sale featured art, fashion, music and more all with artists in the local community. Members of the Greater Augusta Arts Council and other guests enjoyed hors d’ouevres from Cucina 503 and coffee from Buona Caffe. Wet Paint highlighted local artists and gave them a platform to sell recently finished pieces of work. Artists likemn Aort Reed, Art the Artist Abdon, and Chanel Woodruff displayed their art for auction at the event. Over 100 pieces of artwork from local artists, photographers, sculptors and more were on display. In addition, Vintage Ooollee supplied costumes to recreate scenes from famous paintings. A highlight was Karen Gordon portraying a member of the “Silver Slipper Club” by Charleston painter Jonathan Green. Ooollee also featured characters dressed as Mona Lisa (Trash Barbie), Girl with Pearl Earring (Makiah Hawes), and Frida on Bench (Claudia Spotwood). Ooollee also showcased a Green Fairy that was in tandem with the signature drink of the evening “Death in the Afternoon”. As a proud member of Augusta’s Arts Community, I was delighted to see a featuring of such a classic painting as “Silver Slipper Club”. It reminded me of the poster print my parents had in our childhood home that I always cherished. Events like Wet Paint are vital to the arts community and are a great way to support local art. For more information on Greater Augusta Arts Council go to augustaarts.com
The Green Fairy based on the signature cocktail “Death in the Afternoon”
Karen Gordon in a live instillation of the painting “Silver Slipper Club” by Jonathan Green. Painting recreated by Ray Sturkey.
Nurse and Sailor from V-J Day in Times Square by Alfred Eisentaedt
Guests mingling at Sacred Heart Cultural Center at Wet Paint Party and Art Sale
Claudia Spotwood depicting Frida Kahlo
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Wet Paint: Black art comes to life
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Low Fat Apple Salad s ’ l l e r t a L
Latrell’s Low-Fat Apple Salad -- Serves 2 ½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) “Live Your Best Life!” 1 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt There are a just a couple of weeks until the ½ cup golden raisins first day of spring. This means that our days 2 cups diced Fuji apples (or, another sweet crisp apple) will be longer and our meals will be lighter. Many of our amazing southern recipes Directions are known as being delicious and laden In a large bowl, combine the apples, raisins and nuts. Add yogurt; toss to with calories. Traditionally, apple salad, a coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy! southern staple, is made with mayonnaise. However, with a few tweaks we can change If you have questions, would like to see other recipes, or learn about our upcoming events please visit my website or send me an email. that! I love this version of my light apple www.southernjazzandsweets.com salad and it can be served as a light dessert. Website: Email: southernjazzandsweets@gmail.com
Back in January, I offered gift cards from The Book Tavern to a few young educators. Of course, this offer came with a caveat - that they choose at least five books that are important to ‘the community’ and write about why they chose those particular titles. For the next several months, UPW will present those emerging leaders. The first in this series is Taylor Young. Taylor is an Augusta, Ga native, raised in Millen, Ga. Millennial educator. Aggressor for justice and social equity. Pursuing her passion to become a federal prosecutor. -Karen Gordon
Taylor C. Young, educator The Teacher Wars: A History of America’s Most Embattled Profession by Dana Goldstein: Teachers have often been the butt of insults regarding account- ability, pay, respect, career choice, practice, and importance. As a millennial educator, I am faced with borderline impossible task. “Teaching Wars” points out the specific problems we face in edu- cation. Tasked with teaching in oversized classrooms in conjunc- tion with the overload of Special Education (SPED) students, many are not trained to educate nor, in many instances, have the will, determination, and dedication to teach. Most people view education as a right, but the fact stands that education is a privilege. While the profession is looked down upon for many reasons. The main rea- son for this is that women make up 76% of the profession (NCES, 2021). The more women whom teach, the less respected the field of education becomes due to society’s level of respect and trust for women working in this once “male-dominated” field.
Critical Race Theory by Richard Delgado, Jean Stefanic Before 2021, I had never heard of critical race theory (CRT). Neither had many people outside of certain disciplines and levels of education. CRT became popular amongst conservative politi- cians to give their constituents more to hate about the complete liberation of black history and minority people. Furthermore, conservatives enjoy taking advantage of their constituents’ igno- rance. As I began to study the theory, I quickly realized that teachers can not teach CRT due to the lack of intellectual ability, lack of critical thinking skills, low comprehension, lack of open-mindedness, lack of awareness, lack of sympa- thy/ empathy, lack of cultural awareness, lack of self-awareness, lack of time, the curriculum, foolish standards, standard- ized testing, and the comparably low literacy rate in America. The theory is not complex to those who desire to be educated and open about the history of Americans. However, CRT is too much for the “average” American mind. The MisEducation of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Dr. Joy Degruy The learning of reading and writing was never a right or privilege for African Americans; however, today, students freely surrender the ability to learn how to read and write. While African Americans have been resilient from gen- eration to generation, what has changed the most is their motivation to succeed and become educated. This has much to do with what takes place within the home of an African American child. If education is a priority within the African American home, education will be
a pri- ority to the student. African Americans have been taught that education is of lower importance and do not deserve the same respect as survival. Post-traumatic slave syndrome has shown the relationship between cur- rent-day students and slavery. The school system has replaced achieve- ment and determination with participa tion trophies. Lowering the educational expectation while keeping the social expectations high. Creating an environ- ment that supports the bare minimum in K12 education; setting students up to fail once they are in a society where the expectations are not being lowered for survival or achievement. Pedagogy Of The Oppressed by Paulo Freire In the book the “Pedagogy of The Oppressed”, Dr. Freire discusses the Banking Concept of Education. He pres- ents the relationship between teachers and students. Teachers are the narrators, and students are considered the patient listeners. He critically analyzes the posi- tion of an educator and puts forth the notion that students are simply taught to regurgitate information and not become creative or critical thinkers for themselves. As an educator, I have never wanted to become a part of the banking concept but to push forth the notion that students have free will and can use their critical thinking skills and creativity to excel in education. As educators, we are often pre- sented with standards to be taught; these standards are not based on any reality of life but instead on what it is to forever be in bondage and become socially ignorant. As educators, we can often become the oppressors of our students while being oppressed by the educational system.
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EMERGING VOICES
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SPORTSVIEW
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HIGH SCHOOL TRACK ATHLETES COMPETE during a meet held at Glenn Hills High School. February 16, 2022 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs
Session seeks to aid lenders and buyers On Wednesday, March 16, Augusta is hosting an information session for realtors and lenders on the various down payment assistance programs offered through the City’s Housing & Community Development (HCD). During the sessions, attendees will learn how to work with HCD to request funding and discover the eligibility of potential homebuyers. The Session will be from 10am- noon at the Linda Beazley Community Room located on the first floor of the Augusta Municipal Building, 525 Telfair Street. For more information about this event, the public should call 706821-1797.
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#gardencityjazz june 27 : july 25 code: UPW
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