UPW - Urban Pro Weekly

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Former SAIL board member speaks out for the first time

URBAN PRO WEEKLY

NOVEMBER 22 - 28, 2018

VOL. 7 NO. 3

Liberal winds blow in the “safe-white” 8th district Donald Trump took Augusta’s district 8 by a narrow margin in 2016. Since then, progressive candidates have fared well in this south Augusta district.

RESULTS: ABRAMS VS KENT IN RICHMOND COUNTY 11.6.18 Abrams Kent

At the border migrants forced to wait months for asylum hearing

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 22 - 30, 2018

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CITY NEWS

COMMENTARY

District 8 likely to vote more progressive in ‘20 South Augusta commission district could go the way of District 6 in future elections by electing African-American or progressive candidates.

By Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer AUGUSTA Considered a “safe” white district in 2010, Augusta’s District 6 in South Augusta served as one of the few remaining commission districts in the city where white politicians could get elected. One of the selling points of consolidation was the establishment of 5-5, black-white voting balance on the Augusta Commission and schoolboards.

So when city officials met to redraw the district lines after the 2010 census, there was a lot of handwringing and backstabbing among the sitting Augusta commissioners at that time over the status of District 6. Changing demographics in the county suggested that District 6 was “in danger” of becoming an overwhelmingly majority-black district. So at the time, some black voters were drawn out of the district so that a white candidate still had a chance to get elected.

The election of Ben Hasan in 2014 changed the political balance in Richmond County from 5-5 to 6-4 on the Augusta commission in favor of black office holders.

However, on the school board, the 5-5 balance was maintained as Jack Padgett, a white officeholder, continued his sway over the voters in the slightly majority-black District 6. That balance was tipped with the election of A.K. Hasan (Ben Hasan’s younger brother) to the District 6 school board seat.

The school board is now weighted 6-4 in favor of African American office holders.

When politicians meet to redraw

voting districts following the next census in 2020, you can be sure that District 8 will be key to any reapportionment efforts.

Currently, the school board member and county commissioner in District 8, the southernmost Augusta county with many rural residents, are white. And while it differs from District 6 in 2012 (in that it has a majority-white electorate), it will nevertheless raise concerns among those who are concerned about the racial balance in Richmond County.

In Richmond County, it is easy to talk about race without actually mentioning “race.”

Liberal, progressive, and Democratic are substitues for “black” or “nonwhite, while conservative, nationalist, or Republican are substitutes for “white.”

So while District 8 is solidly “white” it is also increasingly progressive and liberal — which suggests African Americans are on the rise at the voting booth.

A look at three recent elections so clearly a crack in the traditioal “red wall” that had characterized District 8 politics.

In the 2016 presidential election, Trump won the most votes, but it was close. (Trump - 4690; Clinton - 4296). That result should have raised some eyebrows in South Augusta.

In this year’s mayor’s election which was nonpartisan, Hardie Davis defeated Gould Hagler. This had to be a wake-up call to District 8 watchers.

This month’s governor’s race, showed clearly that progessives Continued on page 3

3 UrbanProWeekly • NOVEMBER 22 - 30, 2018

(ABOVE) IN SEPTEMBER 2012, THE AD HOC REDISTRICTING COMMITTEE unanimously endorsed the map sent to Atlanta.

That map was subsequently revised leading to a legal challenge. Commissioner Alvin Mason (left), schoolboard trustee Marion Barnes and Commissioner Bill Lockett were members of the Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee overseeing the process of redrawing the district lines for the schoolboard and county commission. A similar panel will likely revisit redrawing lines after the 2020 census.

RESULTS: HARDIE DAVIS VS GOULD HAGLER IN RICHMOND COUNTY IN LAST MAYOR’S RACE

DISTRICT 8 from p2 will find a welcome reception in District 8. Stacey Abrams did not defeat Kemp in District 8, but she nearly did so. (Kemp - 4345; Abrams -4311).

In the above map, Hardie Davis (in red) made big gains in District 8 precincts to win the District.

UrbanProWeekly - OCTOBER 18 - 24

2018

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Trump has made migrants at the border wait months to apply for asylum. Now the dam is breaking By limiting the number of asylum seekers allowed to come legally, Trump made his own immigration crisis.

By Dara Linddara@vox.com The center of the American asylum crisis is the El Chaparral plaza in Tijuana, which sits at the foot of the western pedestrian bridge to enter the US at the San Ysidro Port of Entry in California.

On Sunday, members of the migrant “caravan,” after a week of waiting in makeshift Tijuana shelters under poor conditions, marched up to the US side of the border to demand that the US admit them to seek asylum.

At the plaza at El Chaparral, Mexican federal police in riot formation blocked the marchers from going any farther toward the bridge. Then the march descended into chaos. Hundreds of marchers evaded and scuffled with Mexican police in an attempt to cross the border en masse. Some of the marchers threw rocks at Border Patrol agents. Agents fired off volleys of tear gas at the crowd, which included families and children.

It was nearly inevitable that tensions at the border would boil over, and that they would do so at El Chaparral.

For months, it has been the unofficial “waiting room” of the United States.

At San Ysidro and many of the other official crossings that line the US-Mexico border, families who have traveled thousands of miles, fleeing poverty and violence to seek asylum in the United States, have been stopped outside ports of entry before they can set foot on US soil and trigger their legal asylum rights.

Before 2016, and in some cases as recently as six months ago, they would have had no problem and no delay. But for the last several months, the Trump administration has made a practice of limiting the number of

asylum seekers allowed to enter the US each day — a policy it calls “metering.” It’s the counterpart of the Trump administration’s months-long crackdown on asylum seekers entering the US illegally — telling those who do try to come legally that there’s no room for them, and ordering them to wait.

They don’t say how long the wait will be. And there’s no official way for asylum seekers to hold their spot or secure an appointment, no guarantee that they’ll ever be allowed to cross.

And so asylum seekers wait, for days or weeks or (increasingly) months: sometimes in migrant shelters whose capacity has stretched to the breaking point, sometimes huddling together on bridges, sleeping on the street, in the cold, vulnerable to the violence they hoped to escape in their home countries.

The violence that erupted Sunday was a distress signal, a sign that the situation at the border has grown untenable. The unofficial, sometimes arbitrary processes to let people in under metering are threatening to collapse into chaos, and it’s not clear if order can be restored.

The Trump administration’s proposed solution is to legally codify the idea that asylum seekers should be held in Mexico, in limbo. On Saturday, the Washington Post reported that the administration would sign an agreement with the incoming government of Mexico that would force asylum seekers to wait in Mexico after starting the asylum process — changing the current practice of allowing them into the US to wait for their asylum claims to be heard. Dubbed “Remain in Mexico,” the new policy, if enacted, would essentially formalize what’s been happening on the ground these

UPW Urban Pro Weekly Hephzibah, GA 30815

past few months.

The basic fact is that too many people are waiting to seek asylum “the right way” in the US. In theory, they have a legal right to it; in practice, it’s by no means a guarantee they’ll be allowed to exercise it. In the hands of a president who routinely says that all asylum seekers should turn around and go home, and an administration that has sought to radically reduce the scope of asylum, the use of metering fits all too easily into a general strategy

of attempting to reduce immigration to the US. “We’re not turning people away,” Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan declared to reporters in October.

“We’re asking them to wait.”

The question is how long they can wait before it becomes functionally indistinguishable from being turned away — or before they simply get fed up with being in limbo, and take matters into their own hands.

Feds tag Iranians with Atlanta computer heist

By Joshua Sharpe The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ATLANTA Two Iranian citizens have been indicted for a series of cyber attacks across America, including the March assault of the city of Atlanta’s computer systems, according to an FBI announcement Wednesday morning.

The cyber attack on Atlanta caused myriad issues with the city’s computer systems and could end up costing $17 million to taxpayers, according to one report. Deputy U.S. Attorney General Rod Rosenstein said the indictment also accuses the same defendants of a similar attack on the city of Newark, N.J., and some 200 other victims, including hospitals and health care agencies.VIDEO: More on the Atlanta cyber attack The defendants, Faramarz Shahi Savandi, 34, and Mohammad Mehdi

Shah Mansouri, 27, allegedly collected some $6 million from various victims. Officials declined to say if Atlanta paid a ransom.

The defendants, who may still be in Iran, are not in custody.

The FBI said the attacks were part of an increase of such activity from Iran, but officials made no allegation that the government of the country was involved.The defendants used so-called ransomware to shut down computer systems and then demand payments to restore the systems, according to the federal indictment, which was filed in Newark.

“According to the indictment, the hackers infiltrated computer systems in 10 states and Canada and then demanded payment,” Rosenstein said.

“The criminal activity harmed state agencies, city governments, hospitals, and countless innocent victims.”

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COMMENTARY

Former board member, decides to end silence in wake of SAIL takeover by Zgol opponents Frederick Benjamin Sr. UrbanProWeekly Staff Writer

AUGUSTA The administrators at the School for Arts-Infused Learning (SAIL) in Evans are continuing to deal with the fallout of the sweeping “takeover” they engineered back in September.

This week protesters sprouted along the lanes leading to the newly built charter school — the first in Columbia County. In freezing cold temperatures parents, students and community supporters held up signs calling for the reinstatement of beloved staffers and administrators — including the superintendent and co-founder Kristy Zgol and others who were unceremoniously booted out of the school.

After firing Zgol and her supporters on the board and then reconstituting the board, the school’s currently administrators are hoping to just move on.

Up to now, teachers, and those caught up in the purge have been silent about what really happened. Teachers have been threatened if they reach out to discuss the matter and the fired staffers and administrators. All this had added to the frustrations s of parents who still are seeking answers that they deem believf able. Their continued frustration has prompted some to complain to state authorities and others to take to the protest lanes.

One of the fired administrators has decided to go on the record about what really happened. Mark Boyd’s account follows:

t

SAIL administrators held a public meeting this week in an attempt to get past the past 60 days of turmoil. Most of what they did, however, was in executive session, so the parents and community members in attendance were not privy to what was said.

Parents, however, were permitted to address the new board. Some were supportive of the board and others showed support for ousted superintendent Kristy Zgol. The board announced that they were conducting a search for a new superintendent.

Statement by Mark Boyd, former SAIL board member. (News Conference, Nov. 19, 2018)

“After having served on sthe SAIL governing board tfor almost three years, I was recently unceremoniously removed from that board.

Since that time, I had chosen .to move on and to remain esilent about the situation at sSAIL. n Despite the fact that many false accusations and attacks on my integrity an character had been launched against me, I chose to take the high ground and let my reputation speak for itself.

However, as the current board continues to take action that affects the lives of so many dedicated individuals, I can no longer remain silent.

Consider the actions of the board the past several months. First, they dismissed school superinten-

dent, Kristy Zgol.

Did she make mistakes during her tenure?

Absolutely, as do we all.

However, the mark of good leadership is the ability to look at the strengths an individual brings to a position and weigh that against weaknesses they may have.

I believe Mrs. Zgol very convincingly proved that her strengths far outweighed the weaknesses perceived by the board. I am confident in saying that without Kristy Zgol there would be no SAIL. Reasons given to the public for her dismissal have been very vague and many have actually come after the fact..

The real reason for her dismissal revolved around personality conflicts and

petty personal differences with certain board members.

Vindictiveness took the place of sound reason and judgment. What followed was a far greater fallout than the board anticipated. The very board became reactionary when opposition to Mrs. Zgol’s termination surpassed what they anticipated. At that point the board felt it necessary to remove any possible opposition to what they had done.

Was it merely a coincidence that the three board members voted off the board were the ones who voted in opposition to the termination of Mrs. Zgol. Two of the board members voted off were removed for “non participation?”

Subsequent to the fir-

ing of Mrs. Zgol, the board terminated key office personnel, Cheryl Salter and Rachel Hunter.

Was there a sound reason for this? I have heard of none.

This past Friday marked a new low for this board. The terminations of Ann Sturkey and Michael Berg are beyond any reason. Board statements surrounding this event are laughable.

“Restructuring” is a very weak rationale for what has transpired. Apparently, these two very capable and dedicated individuals do not fit into the “new direction” the board sees for the school. Do they really expect us to believe this was not board approved?

Board members have stated that they do not get

involved in personnel matters, hence this was not their call.

Is this something new?

They were very involved previously, in the termination of three school employees and three board members.

I have heard board members on multiple occasions state their actions are in the best interest of the school and the students. Do they actually believe the school is in a better state now than it was prior to September 20th?

If they truly want to do what is in the best interest of the school they would step aside and allow for a new board of directors to right the course.

I won’t hold my breath.

UrbanProWeekly • NOVEMBER 22 - 30, 2018

CITY NEWS

UrbanProWeekly - NOVEMBER 22 - 30, 2018

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Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Partners with Mercedes Benz of Augusta to Save Lives

Behold the Star Spectacular Returns Dec. 15th The acclaimed youth choir Creative Impressions will hold its Annual “Behold the Star” concert at the AU Maxwell Performing Arts Theater on December 15, 2018. This concert is the perfect start to holiday festivities and features some of Augusta’s best young performers including Creative Impressions Alumni Jamal Moore.

The 2:00pm Matinee is $15 per person and 7:00pm show is $20 a ticket. Discounts tickets for students, military, senior citizens, and group discounts are available.

Call 706-664-9022 to order tickets or visit www.creative-impressions. org for more details.

Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. ® Zeta Xi Omega Chapter presenting check to University Health Care Foundation Development Officer Kathryn Walker. (President Deborah Brown is second from left).

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Zeta Xi Omega Chapter partnered with Mercedes Benz of Augusta and hosted a Pink Sock Hop at the dealership to raise awareness of the need for mammograms and early detection of breast cancer.

This joint venture between the chapter and the business community raised $2825 to make a positive impact on the community by saving lives through early detection. One hundred percent of these funds raised

will be used by University Health Care Foundation to provide mammograms to local Augusta area women who might otherwise not receive this needed service.

The Pink Sock Hop was not only a partnership, but it was a chapter collaborative “service to all mankind” by the Fundraising Committee, Target II: Women’s Healthcare and Wellness and Sisterly Relations Committee.

Mrs. Deborah Brown is the chapter president.

Garden City Jazz Soiree Sunday Augusta 4th Sundays (except December), 6:30 pm Venue: Humanitree House Description: Expect an evening of music with an infusion of creativity and collaboration - from dance, performance art, film, to the spoken word; enjoy live jazz and lovely people indeed. Since its

inception in January 2014, the monthly JazzSoiree series has featured classic jazz music performed by the area’s top artists, and various wines selected by the host. SoireeSunday brings a little more flavor to the table. Dress like you mean it. Listen. Groove. Dance.

Info: www.jazzsoiree.com (762) 2335299

ParTee On The Green April 10, 2019; 5:00p Venue: Augusta Common Description: American Bandstand meets Soul Train meets Shag City meets Teen Town in this amazing Celebration of Community and new Augusta Golf Week tradition. “Par-

Tee On The Green” is a dance party with music for all ages – beach, soul, pop, jazz, house, reggae, R&B, funk.

Feature performances by community dance groups and group line dance finale. Vendors welcomed.

Info: www.parteeaugusta.com (762) 233-5299

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