The Epic Crusade for Equality KING: See Stories & Fresno King March & Events Schedule: Pages 9 - 16 PRESORTED STANDARD U.S. POSTAGE PAID FRESNO, CA Volume 45 No. 2 ~ January 14, 2011 PERMIT NO.35 50 The California CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED cents DVOCATE AATHED CALIFORNIAV ADVOCATE • OP.O. BOX 11826 C• FRESNO, CALIFORNIAA 93775TE Fresno’s African American Community Newspaper SUMMONING THE SOUL OF A NATION Obama tells polarized nation: ‘We can be better’ Obama ‘Nation Needs Healing’ BIGGIEBIGGIE BY JULIE PAVE & BEN FELLER ARIZONA (AP) – Investigation Into Death Of Summoning the soul of a nation, Presi- dent Barack Obama on Wednesday im- plored Americans to honor those slain and injured in the Arizona shootings by becom- ing better people, telling a polarized citi- Notorious B.I.G. Heats Up zenry that it is time to talk with each other “in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds.” Following a hospital bedside vis- Above: Brooklyn BY TED ROWLANDS tion. Attorney’s Office and the it with Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, the target Rapper Jamal According to one law en- FBI. of the assassination, he said: “She knows ‘Gravy’ Woolard LOS ANGELES (CNN) – forcement source, the in- On March 9, 1997, Wal- A task force made up of vestigation into the 13- lace, 24, was shot and we’re here, and she knows we love her.” potrays Wallace in In a memorably dramatic moment, the local and federal law en- year-old unsolved case was killed while riding in a Sub- the 2009 hit movie forcement agencies is ac- “reinvigorated” months ago urban that was driving president said that Giffords, who on Satur- ‘Notorius” day was shot point-blank in the head, had tively pursuing leads into as a result of new informa- away from a music industry opened her eyes for the first time shortly the 1997 slaying of hip hop tion, but the source would party at the Petersen Auto- Right: Christopher artist Christopher Wallace, not elaborate further be- motive Museum in Los An- after his hospital visit. First lady Michelle Wallace, AKA Obama held hands with Giffords’ husband, better known as Biggie cause of the ongoing inves- geles. Mark Kelly, as the news brought soaring Biggie Smalls, AKA Smalls or Notorious B.I.G., tigation that includes the Los Angeles police said a Notorious B.I.G according to two sources Los Angeles Police Depart- lone gunman in a Chevy cheers throughout the arena. U Speaking at a memorial at the Universi- familiar with the investiga- ment, L.A. County District Continued on Page 6 ty of Arizona, Obama bluntly conceded Continued on Page 6 U T HE D AY B IGGIE WAS M URDERED Below is the original L.A. Times newspaper article printed March 7, 1997 Jailed Sisters Gangsta Rap Performer Notorious B.I.G. Slain Freed: Eager To LOS ANGELES – shot to death along Museum Row in Los tive Museum about 12:30 a.m. when po- Star is shot to death in vehicle after Angeles’ Mid-Wilshire district early Sun- lice believe someone in a dark car pulled Start New Life leaving music industry party in the Mid- day as he left a music industry party, a up alongside the passenger side of the Wilshire district. CALIFORNIAbrazen ADVOCATE attack that marked the second GMC Suburban in which he was riding By Eric Lichtblau, Chuck Philips and drive-by murder of a gangsta rap celebrity and fired several shots inside. Cheo Hodari Coker Los Angeles“Your Times Local inNews the Source”last six months. The 24-year-old rapper, who had earned Staff Writers B.I.G., born Christopher Wallace, was rave reviews and big sales in giving voice Call 268-0941 To Subscribe! Rap music star Notorious B.I.G. was leaving the party at the Petersen Automo- Continued on Page 6 U Paper Names Ex-Klansman in Civil Rights Murder BY RICHARD ALLEN GREENE hospital afterward said the Robert Lee Jr., now 96. and told him: “Get back in African-American businessman Morris survived for four days there, nigger.” Gladys and Jamie Scott CNN – Early on the morning was so badly burned they didn’t before dying – long enough to Locals in Ferriday, the small of December 10, 1964, Frank recognize him. tell the FBI that two men had Louisiana town where Morris Prison sentences suspended on Morris ran out of his shoe store, “Only the bottom of his feet broken into his store while he lived and died, remember him condition that one donates organ his clothes and skin on fire. weren’t burned. He was horri- slept, smashed windows, as having both white and black to the other People who saw him in the ble to look at,” said the Rev. doused the place in gasoline Continued on Page 6 U MISSISSIPPI – Sisters Jamie and Gladys Scott left prison on Friday for the first time in 16 Banks Repossessed 1M Homes in 2010: 2011 Will Be Worse years, yelling, “We’re free!” and “God First quarter of the New York – two months behind on president at foreclosure marked the highest annu- bless y’all!” as they pulled away in a silver year will likely show The bleakest year in their mortgages and tracker RealtyTrac Inc. al tally of properties lost sport utility vehicle. That freedom, though, a rebound in foreclosure crisis has on- more will miss payments The firm predicts 1.2 to foreclosure on records comes with an unusual condition: Gladys ly just begun. as they struggle with job million homes will be re- dating back to 2005. Continued on Page 6 U foreclosure activity Lenders are poised to losses and loans worth possessed this year by One in 45 U.S. house- take back more homes more than their home’s lenders. holds received a foreclo- this year than any other value, industry analysts The outlook comes af- sure filing last year, or a CALIFORNIA ADVOCATE since the U.S. housing forecast. ter banks repossessed record high of 2.9 mil- “Your Local News Source” meltdown began in “2011 is going to be more than 1 million lion homes. That’s up Call 268-0941 To Subscribe! 2006. About 5 million the peak,” said Rick homes in 2010, Realty- 1.67 percent from 2009. borrowers are at least Sharga, a senior vice Trac said Thursday. That Continued on Page 6 U Page 2 The California Advocate January 14, 2011 Kamala D. Harris Takes Oath as 1st Black Cal. Attorney General SACRAMENTO – Kamala D. Harris was sworn in as California Attorney General this afternoon in Sacramento, vowing in her re- marks to ensure that state law is on the side of the people. “I am deeply humbled by the trust you have placed in me and I will never forget it is you, the People of California, whom I serve,” Harris said. The oath was administered by Chief Jus- tice of California Tani Cantil-Sakauye at the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts. The inauguration ceremony includ- ed an invocation by Bishop T. Larry Kirk- land, Sr. of the African Methodist Episcopal Church and a performance by classical Indi- an dancer Vidya Sundaram. Sergeant Gerald D’Arcy of the San Francisco Police Depart- ment sang the national anthem and the Pre- sentation of Colors was given by the Depart- ment of Justice Color Guard and the Sacra- mento Area Firefighters. Attorney General Harris stressed in her in- augural address that she will seek innovative new approaches in tackling the state’s tough- est problems. “It is often said that a good prosecutor wins convictions. But a great prosecutor has convictions. In the coming four years, and in the continuing work of the Attorney Gener- al’s Office, we are going to do whatever it takes in the cause of protecting and defend- ing the lives and livelihoods of all Californi- ans, by moving beyond the status quo,” Har- ris said. “To do this, we are going to need to get smart on crime ˆ tougher and smarter ˆ about making California the undisputed na- tional leader in innovation in crime fight- Kamala D. Harris ing.” As chief law enforcement officer for the Attorney General Harris served two terms state, Harris plans to focus on reducing re- as District Attorney in San Francisco. First cidivism and on reforming the state’s revolv- elected in 2003, Harris drew on nearly 20 ing door prison system. A major priority of years of experience as a courtroom prosecu- her office will be to lead a renewed collabo- tor to fight violent crime. During her tenure, rative effort against transnational gangs and the city increased conviction rates for serious organized crime. and violent offenses, expanded services to In her role representing the interests of the victims of crime and their families, created people of California, Harris is deeply com- new prosecution divisions focused on child mitted to protecting consumers from mort- assault, public integrity and environmental gage fraud and other scams, as well as to pre- crimes, and launched effective programs to serving the state’s natural resources. keep parolees from re-offending. To combat Harris is the first woman, and the first one of San Francisco’s biggest challenges, African American and the first South Asian gun violence, she created a gun specialist American, to hold the office of Attorney team and implemented tough gun charging General in the history of California. policies. Calif. Highway Patrol Officer Held in Husband’s Slaying Nearly two years ago, Offi- of Johnson’s story, describing before the shooting. At some cer Tomiekia Johnson said Lemons as a peaceful man point, the couple stopped the she killed her husband, Mar- who would never hit his wife.