UPW - Urban Pro Weekly by UPW - Urban Pro Weekly

UPW NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

Abrams prepares for legal battle; Kemp declares himself winner

Augusta’s political “Iron Man”

AK HASAN WINS DIST. 6 Former city councilman returns to Richmond County Board of Ed.

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

VOL. 8 NO. 2

November 4, 2018 (Augusta, GA) - Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to a crowd of supporters during an election rally in Augusta. The event, held at Henry Brigham Community Center, attracted hundreds of supporters. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Voter suppression issues, mistrust, cast shadow on gubernatorial count

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

November 4, 2018 (Augusta, GA) - A crowd of supporters cheer during an election rally for gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. The event, held at Henry Brigham Community Center, attracted hundreds of supporters. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Augustans rally for Stacey Abrams

November 4, 2018 (Augusta, GA) - Former Georgia Senate Majority Leader Charles Walker (L) greets former Augusta Commissioner Willie Mays (center) during an election rally for gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. The event, held at Henry Brigham Community Center, attracted hundreds of supporters. Photo by Vincent Hobbs

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Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams speaks to a crowd of supporters during an election rally in Augusta. The event, held at Henry Brigham Community Center, attracted hundreds of supporters. (November 4, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs

Kemp resigns; Abrams prepares for legal battle By Greg Bluestein The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ATLANTA Republican Brian Kemp on Thursday resigned as Georgia’s secretary of state as he sought to position himself as the “clear and convincing” winner of the race for governor. But Democrat Stacey Abrams is not conceding anything yet, hopeful that a trove of provisional ballots and other votes not yet recorded could be enough to force the tight race into a runoff. Her campaign unveiled a litigation team poised to take the fight to the courts as it continues a search for an additional 25,632 Abrams votes that will push this race into runoff territory. Kemp’s office has said there are roughly 25,000 outstanding provisional and absentee ballots — making his lead virtually insurmountable — and on Thursday released for the first time a detailed accounting of where each was cast. “The votes are not there for her,” Kemp said. “I respect the hard-fought race she ran. But we won the race, and we’re moving forward.”

At a press conference an hour later, Abrams campaign manager Lauren Groh-Wargo said other ballots could still be outstanding, including several hundred votes in Cobb County that were recently tallied. “He owes voters an explanation,” she said. “We need to see lists, we need to see counts of every single vote. We need to see all the military provisional numbers. They all need to be counted. We do not believe any of these numbers are credible.” A November resignation Kemp’s resignation as secretary of state came as a federal judge held a hearing over a lawsuit seeking to block him from directing a potential recount or any other involvement in an election in which he’s a participant. He was assailed by Democrats and other critics who long questioned how he could oversee the state’s election process even as he ran for Georgia’s highest office. Kemp repeatedly said he wasn’t concerned about that criticism, adding that he didn’t resign earlier because he “wasn’t going to run from my job.” But

he said a new elections chief will “give the public confidence in the certification process” that’s expected to be completed next week. That post will be held by Gov. Nathan Deal, who appointed longtime ally Robyn Crittenden, the commissioner of the state Department of Human Services, to serve out Kemp’s term. The post-election saga marks a new phase in a nationally watched race between bitter rivals that’s involved dueling press conferences, crowds of protesters that massed outside Deal’s office and a legal battle that’s well underway. The state chapter of the NAACP filed a pair of lawsuits claiming that students at Spelman College and Morehouse College were improperly forced to vote with a provisional ballot -- or dissuaded from voting at all -- because their names didn’t show up on voter registration lists. Brian Kemp, 55, is the Georgia Secretary of State and Republican candidate for governor. He worked on a farm outside Athens while growing up before majoring in agriculture in college. Kemp graduContinued on page 5

The Augusta Chorale presents the

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

36th Season Christmas Concert Featuring Robert DeCormier’s “Shout for Joy” & Other Christmas Favorites! The Augusta Chorale will present SHOUT FOR JOY, a Suite of Christmas Spirituals by Robert DeCormier in its 36th Christmas Concert on Sunday, December 9, 2018 at 4:00 p.m., at the GilbertLambuth Memorial Chapel of Paine College, Augusta GA, under the Direction of Dr. Phyllis W. Anderson, with Accompanist, Ms. Angela Arrington. This event will provide an opportunity to showcase the talent of a local community choir. Mr. Brandon Ball guest Tenor soloist will inspire all who attend. The Aiken Civic Orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Adam DePriest, will accompany the choir. The concert will also feature Christmas Favorites, selections from Handel’s Messiah, ‘Amen’ arranged

by Jester Hairston, and, ‘Go, Tell It on the Mountain’ arranged by Kirk Franklin. The audience will be given an opportunity to sing carols with the Augusta Chorale. The concert promises to be a truly ‘marvelous’ event. Dr. Anderson, artistic director of the Augusta Chorale, will conduct the production and Ms. Angela Arrington will accompany the Chorale. Advance tickets are $15 for adults. General admission tickets on the day of the concert are $20.00. Children and students are admitted free! Tickets may be purchased online at www.augustachorale.org or by calling (706) 830-0991. For more information about the Augusta Chorale please call 706.830.0991 or 706.836.9426.

Augusta Mini Theatre, Inc. Arts & Life Skills School presents

SISTERS

Two female teens - one black, one white – both dealing with assault and racial bias, strive to become “Sisters” A Play to Honor the Work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Written and Directed by Tyrone J. Butler Show Times Friday, January 18, 2019 – 8 p.m. Saturday – Monday, January 19-21 2019 – 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, January 26 & 27, 2019 – 3 p.m. Saturday & Sunday, February 16 & 17, 2019 – 3 p.m. Augusta Mini Theatre 2548 Deans Bridge Road, Augusta, GA 30906 Adults: $15 Children/Students (Ages 2-18) & Senior Citizens (Ages 65 & Up): $10 For tickets: Call 706-722-0598 or come by the Mini Theatre

ABRAMS from page 3

ated from Athens Academy and the University of Georgia. He worked as a home builder and made real estate investments. Kemp served as a Georgia state senator until he was appointed to Secretary of State in 2010. He was endorsed for governor by President Donald Trump, who campaigned in Georgia for him. And the second seeks to preserve the right for voters in the Pittman Park Recreation Center area to cast ballots. That was the precinct where massive lines formed because of too few polling machines. Even after five additional voting devices were delivered, some people waited four hours at the Atlanta site. The Abrams campaign also waded into the legal battle on Thursday, seeking extensions for absentee ballots in Dougherty County that were delayed Kemp preps for transition after Hurricane Michael damaged As some of the final returns trickparts of southwest Georgia. led in, Kemp’s campaign aggressively made its case that it’s mathematically A path to a runoff? impossible for Abrams to force the race Abrams has urged supporters to pre- into overtime. pare for a Dec. 4 runoff, which would The secretary of state’s office said be required if neither candidate holds there were about 3,000 absentee bala majority of the vote when the count- lots still pending and an estimated ing ends. 21,358 provisional ballots. In 2016, The latest vote tally had Kemp nearly with a slightly larger electorate, 7,592 63,000 votes ahead of Abrams — and of 16,739 provisional ballots were

counted. Most of the provisional ballots came from Democratic-leaning counties, including roughly 12,000 in metro Atlanta areas where Abrams won by big margins. But thousands of other votes were scattered in rural Georgia, where Kemp dominated. As part of the Republican’s effort to frame the race as over, a string of Republican officials rushed to congratulate “Governor-elect” Kemp, including Deal, House Speaker David Ralston, and U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and David Perdue. Kemp also moved quickly to set up his transition team, announcing campaign manager Tim Fleming would serve as his chief of staff and that David Dove, his office’s former legal counsel, would head up his transition team. Wary of losing the media battle, Abrams has also orchestrated a flurry of events to counter Kemp’s narrative. In a vast garage behind her Atlanta campaign headquarters, dozens of reporters were introduced to a litigation team of veteran elections attorneys, many of whom worked on the tangle of lawsuits after the recount of the presidential vote in 2000 in Florida. “We have been flooded with con-

cerns,” said Allegra Lawrence-Hardy, an attorney who chairs Abrams campaign. “We are in this race until we are convinced that every vote is counted. We’re prepared for this fight until every vote is counted.” Post-election saga The legal fight caps a tense race for governor that attracted heaps of national attention and record-setting campaign cash. Just as conservative parts of Georgia got redder, liberal bastions of the state turned bluer. Hillary Clinton won DeKalb County — the state’s biggest Democratic stronghold — with 79 percent in 2016. Abrams’ support there tops 83 percent. Abrams also led a surge through Atlanta’s suburbs to carry Cobb and Gwinnett counties — two former GOP bastions that turned blue for the first time in decades in 2016. And she narrowly won Henry County, another suburban county that’s gone from reliably red to perpetually purple. That buoyed down-ticket candidates who clobbered Republicans in the suburbs, where Democrats picked up about a dozen legislative seats. A string of powerful GOP incumbents in the city’s northern stretches were ousted, including U.S. Rep. Karen Handel.

Dem candidates in Florida pull into recount range By Michael Scherer The Washington Post Trailing Democratic candidates in the Senate and governor’s races in Florida moved on Thursday within the vote margins needed to trigger automatic recounts, setting the stage for another raucous election aftermath in the nation’s largest swing state. In the Senate race, Gov. Rick Scott (R) had a lead of just over 17,000 votes, or 0.22 percent, over Sen. Bill Nelson (D) as of Thursday afternoon. In the governor’s race, Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum (D) trailed Rep. Ron DeSantis (R) by fewer than 39,000 votes, or 0.47 percent. Under Florida law, a machine recount is conducted when the margin of victory

is less than 0.5 percent, and a manual recount is ordered if the margin is less than 0.25 percent. Florida Republicans accused an attorney for Nelson of trying to steal the Senate election Thursday, as news of uncounted votes in Broward County increased Democrats’ hopes that they could still win both major races. The campaigns for Nelson and Gillum have become more optimistic in recent days, and have put the state on notice that they plan to aggressively monitor any recounts, if one is started under state law after the initial vote count. “We believe at the end of the day, Senator Nelson is going to be declared the winner and is going to return to the United States Senate,” Marc Elias, an elec-

UPW Urban Pro Weekly Hephzibah, GA 30815

tion lawyer representing the Nelson campaign, said in a conference call Thursday morning. “I think it’s fair to say right now the results of the 2018 Senate election are unknown.” Republicans in the state immediately attacked Elias, with Scott’s campaign calling him a “hired gun from Washington, D.C.” “Let’s be clear: When Elias says ‘win,’ he means ‘steal,’ ” the Scott campaign wrote in an email to reporters right after the call. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Nelson’s fellow senator, also accused Nelson’s team of trying to “steal” the election in a series of tweets. “Now democrat lawyers are descending on #Florida. They have been very

clear they aren’t here to make sure every vote is counted,” Rubio wrote. “They are here to change the results of election & #Broward is where they plan to do it.” Elias said during in the call that Democrats tend to gain votes in hand recounts. “It’s a jump ball,” he said. To prepare for a possible recount, the Gillum campaign backed away from its election night concession speech. “On Tuesday night, the Gillum for Governor campaign operated with the best information available about the number of outstanding ballots left to count,” Gillum spokeswoman Johanna Cervone said in a statement. “Since that time, it has become clear there are many more uncounted ballots than was originally reported.”

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CEO / Sales FREDERICK BENJAMIN SR. 706-306-4647 editor@urbanproweekly.com

Contributors VINCENT HOBBS Photography & New Media

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about 13,000 votes over the 50 percent threshold. Groh-Wargo said many of those votes were from Democraticleaning counties who would benefit Abrams’ campaign. “This is on Kemp. He has not done his job to provide basic guidance. We all knew there was historic interest in this election,” she said. “He has fallen down on the job and we put the blame on him.” And pro-Abrams groups staged a demonstration at the Georgia Capitol, where dozens gathered to demand that Kemp wait until all ballots are counted before beginning his transition. “The entire election process has been a total sham,” said Matt Wolfsen, a college student in Atlanta. “A person running their own election would be declared illegitimate in Venezuela.”

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

SportsJOURNAL

BY VINCENT HOBBS

Laney 36

Josey 6

Joseyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Tiavonn Redfield (R) holds on to the ball as a Laney defender (L) makes a tackle during the annual football showdown of rival schools. The classic final game of the season ended with the Wildcats defeating the Eagles 36-6. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

T.W. Josey quarterback Dakale Fluellen looks for a receiver during the annual football showdown against rival school Lucy C. Laney. The classic final game of the season, held at Laney stadium, ended with the Wildcats defeating the Eagles 36-6. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

A Josey football player rushes down the field during the annual football showdown against rival school Laney. The classic final game of the season ended with the Wildcats defeating the Eagles 36-6. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

7 UrbanProWeekly • NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018 A T.W. Josey “Sonic Boom of the South” Eaglette dances while marching off the field after halftime during the annual football showdown against rival school Lucy C. Laney. The classic final game of the season, held at Laney stadium, ended with the Wildcats defeating the Eagles 36-6. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

T.W. Josey cheerleaders perform a routine during the annual football showdown against rival school Lucy Laney. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) - Photo by Vincent Hobbs/ Sports Journal

A Lucy Laney “Pride of Augusta” marching band drum major performs at halftime during the annual football showdown against rival school T.W. Josey. (November 3, 2018 - Augusta, GA) Photo by Vincent Hobbs/Sports Journal

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

Karen Brown during a workshop demonstration. The internationally renown ballerina will share her knowledge with aspiring and professional dancers in a series of presentations at the KROC Center beginning on Sat. Nov. 17. Sessions are also scheduled for Nov. 24, Dec. 1 and Dec. 8. “My ballet classes model the training that I received directly from Arthur Mitchell, founding Artistic Director of The Dance Theatre of Harlem. Like him, I have searched for ways to fortify and accelerate the technical advancement of dancers. I have been certified in all levels of the ABT National Training Curriculum and since 2012, I have been training dancers utilizing computerized motion analysis (CMA). I’ve learned to blend dance, science and positive emotional development in my classes and workshops so that students achieve amazing results! I teach dancers of all ability levels how to gain the tangible skills needed for technical mastery in dance while working with the body that God gave them.” — Karen Brown

Legendary Ballerina Karen Brown returns to Augusta to teach Master Class Workshops at Kroc Center

egendary Dance Theatre of Harlem Principal Ballerina, Karen Brown, who has taught around the world returned to her hometown of Augusta, Georgia to teach accelerated learning techniques of ballet in the community. Ms. Brown has partnered with The Kroc Center (Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center) located at 1833 Broad Street, Augusta, Georgia to present a FREE “In Conversation with Karen Brown” on November 17 and a series of Master Class Workshops the last two Saturdays

in November 17 and 24 and the first two Saturdays in December 1 and 8. The curriculums taught will be from the En Pointe PlusSM Dance Mastery Institute, a division of Karenina, her own company. Each Saturday is designed with a lecture on some aspect of the dance field followed by a three-hour Master Class Workshop. Participants will have an opportunity to sample the curriculums and register for one of the lectures, a master class workshop or the entire series.

The series will begin on Saturday, November 17 from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. with “In Conversation with Karen Brown” - a FREE lecture demonstration of the techniques including classical ballet, computerized motion analysis (CMA) and Reinforced Motor Function (RMF) for Ballet Application created by Sean McLeod of the New York Dance institute of Dance Education (NYIDE). RMF is an easy to understand alignment, strength, and flexibility system that is the perfect complement to classical ballet and contemporary movement.

The next session in the series is on Saturday, December 1 with a 1-hour Lecture Demonstration entitled “All About Pointe” from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. and the 3-hour workshop focusing on strengthening feet & legs for Pointe work is from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Principles from Reinforced Motor Function for Ballet Application will be introduced. Ms. Brown will provide feedback on dancer’s pointe shoes and share tips and tricks of the trade. The final session in the series is on Saturday, December 8, a 1-hour Lecture Demonstration on “Injury Prevention” from 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. and the 3-hour Workshop focusing on Jumps and Ballon from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Ms. Brown shares best practices on how to effort-

UrbanProWeekly • NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

The series continues on Saturday, November 24 with a 1-hour Lecture Demonstration “How to Audition” from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. and the 3-hour Workshop focusing on Pirouettes and Turns is from 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. Principles from Reinforced Motor Function for Ballet Application will be introduced. This workshop will also utilize Computerized Motion Analysis.

lessly become airborne, float in the air and land softly. This workshop will utilize Computerized Motion Analysis. The costs for sessions are as follows: “In Conversation with Karen Brown”, FREE; a 1-hour lecture is $25.00 per person, and a 3-hour Workshop is $75.00 per person. Reserve by November 17 with a $25.00 deposit which will be returned when you make payment in full. The maximum number of participants in the workshops is 40 with dancers age 12 years and older or if younger, by invitation. Parents, guardians and teachers are welcome to observe. Justus Walker, Health and Fitness Director at The Salvation Army-Augusta Area Command, states, “this program lines up with the mission of the Salvation Army Kroc Center and is dear to what we want to see brought to the Kroc Center.” Karen Brown spent 22 years as a Principal Ballerina, featured artist, master teacher and lecturer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) under the direction of ballet company founder, Arthur Mitchell. She was a master teacher and adjudicator of DTH’s Kennedy Center Community Outreach Residency in Washington, D.C. After performing with DTH, Ms. Brown became the

Director of Education at the Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, then Artistic Director of Oakland Ballet Company and she was Executive Director for Garth Fagan Dance, a Guest Artistic Director of Ballet Wichita and Assistant Professor of Dance at the University of the Arts. Her background as a master teacher includes classes and workshops at colleges, universities and dance schools throughout Eastern and Western Europe, North and Central America, the Pacific Rim, Egypt, and South Africa. Ms. Brown is an ABT® Certified Teacher in Pre-Primary through Level 7. She earned a Certificate of Completion in the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years of the Vaganova Syllabus with John White in Bryn Mawr, PA. She is certified in Reinforced Motor Function for Ballet Application founded by Sean McLeod and has recently founded the En Pointe PlusSM Dance Mastery Institute offering coaching sessions for dancers utilizing new computerized motion analysis technology. She was awarded both the NY Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award, as a company member with Paradigm, Dance Legends in Concert, and a Harriet Tubman Freedom Award. For more information about the Kroc Center Master Class workshop series or to schedule an interview with Karen Brown, please call (302) 722-5538.

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 8 - 14, 2018

Applications open for Golden Blocks Project: Public Art In Laney Walker/Bethlehem Public Art Collaboration by Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, City of Augusta, GA and Greater Augusta Arts Council CALL TO ARTISTS (visual, performance, word-craft) Cash Stipend Awarded: $2,000 Date Call Released: November 1, 2018 Application Deadline: December 3, 2018 The Golden Blocks Project will partner 4 artists with Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History staff to creatively bring the knowledge housed within the Museum into public spaces in the Laney Walker and Bethlehem areas. The selected artists may utilize visual art, performance, and/or wordcraft to create their work. Any interested artist is encouraged to visit the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History to understand its mission and resources, and to familiarize themselves with the surrounding area. This project is made possible by a collaboration between the Greater Augusta Arts Council, the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History, the City of Augusta Department of Housing & Community Development, and the advising artists Sala Adenike Allen, Karen Gordon, Baruti Tucker, and Aminah Walton. OVERVIEW Museum staff, local artists, Arts Council staff, and Housing & Community Development staff will work together to envision creative projects to strengthen the Laney Walker and Bethlehem communities through work executed in public space. Advising this process are Augusta-based artists Sala Adenike Allen, Karen Gordon, Baruti Tucker, and Aminah Walton. About the Project Artists who have an interest in the crossroads of art, history, and social change are encouraged to submit an

application for the upcoming “Golden Blocks Project,” a project spearheaded by the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History and the Greater Augusta Arts Council. This project will partner 4 artists with the staff of the Museum to bring the knowledge housed within the walls of the museum building into public spaces in the Laney Walker and Bethlehem areas. The application to participate opens November 1 and will be posted to AugustaArts.com. “It is our sincere hope that the works of art created through this initiative will spotlight many of the outstanding African American traditions and institutions that spoke to a ‘Golden’ era in Augusta’s African American community. This project will give voice and remembrance to many Augustans whose stories have been overlooked up until now,” Corey Rogers, Historian at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum said, Accepted mediums can include performing arts, theatrical work, spoken word, music, visual arts, and more. Artists interested in applying should plan to visit the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History to familiarize themselves with the organization and the surrounding area. The application to participate is available now. Artists will be required to submit samples of their work and letters of intent that specify why they would like to engage in this collaborative work. For any questions regarding the project, contact Project Manager Pax Bobrow at pax@augustaarts.com.

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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, December 12, 2018, for the following: 1. Fuel Management Platform Project (Hardware/Software) RFP #18-828 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

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