WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Lawmakers initiate campaign to increase RIBUNE black voterBy Stephen K.turnout Cooper TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE Special to the AFRO African-American voters will not sit out the upcoming election despite President Obama’s absence from the ballot, several black lawmakers said. But they aren’t taking any chances with voter suppression. VOLUME 18 NO. 16 WEEK OF JUNE 12, 2016 $1.00 Reps. Marc Veasey (D-Texas), Terri Sewell (D-Ala.) and Bobby Scott (D-Va.) launched a new Congressional Voting Rights Caucus on May 25 to address what they described as an immediate need to overcome the barriers that mi- Dons Basketball nority communities face when exercising their right to vote. The goal of the new caucus is to educate the public on current voter sup- League kicks off in pression tactics taking place in their home states, districts and counties, and to inform the public about their rights as voters. Durham and, new The caucus also plans to advance legislation blocking current and future this year, in Raleigh. discrimination which may deny Americans their right to vote, says Veasey, who held a press conference with nearly a dozen lawmakers and voter rights advocates. “I know firsthand the work that remains to be done to ensure all Ameri- cans have unfettered access to the ballot box,” said Veasey, the chair of the new caucus and also the lead plaintiff in a Texas lawsuit over voter ID laws. Please seeELECTION/2A The fight Caucus for gun scholarship controlBy Latisha Catchatoorian fundraiserBy Bonitta Best [email protected] [email protected] RALEIGH – There were more DURHAM – U.S. Congressman than 50,000 incidents of gun vi- Cedric Richmond of Louisiana’s olence in America last year. 2nd Congressional District will be A year ago, a gunman went the keynote speaker into a historically black at the North Carolina Charleston, South Carolina, Legislative Black Cau- church and deliberately took the cus Scholarship Ban- lives of nine people and injured quet on June 17. five others, hoping to incite a The banquet is a race riot. More recently, a gun- part of the N.C. Leg- man shot and killed a UCLA pro- islative Black Caucus Foundation 2016 Edu- fessor before later killing HUFFINGTON POST himself. While these are indeed Richmond cation Scholarship tragedies, each is an example of Event at the Sheraton but one of thousands of similar Imperial Hotel in Re- altercations that go unnoticed search Triangle Park. by the media and become yearly The event is part statistics. fundraiser for stu- In light of the one-year an- AIDS advocates dents attending North niversary of the “Charleston Carolina’s 10 HBCUs Massacre,” NC Policy Watch and part political edu- hosted a “Crucial Conversation” cator on the issues to discuss gun culture in the and topics that im- lobbyBy Latisha forNorth Carolina, the and protect- causedeath sentence, but now, if pact the state’s citi- state and across the country. ing the rights of youth to ac- managed properly, a person Middleton “Sadly, for many Americans, Catchatoorian zens the most. The cess mental and sexual can live a long, happy and the Charleston church shooting [email protected] theme is “Fostering Leaders for To- health services, including healthy life. quickly became lost in a seem- morrow.” RALEIGH – It may seem like HIV testing and treatment. “It’s a big challenge (living ing blizzard of such catastro- The scholarship the “disease of decades’ “Today is HIV/AIDS Advo- with HIV). It’s a journey, but phes,” an NC Policy Watch press banquet was renamed past,” but thousands of peo- cacy Day and although I am someone that doesn’t have release stated. “The list of Amer- after deceased politi- ple across America today are now a provider of services support in place can really ican mass shootings seems to cian William L. Wain- living with HIV/AIDS. Over for people living with die. When I was diagnosed, I go on without end.” wright, who was 36,000 North Carolina resi- HIV/AIDS, initially I was a re- was told by a doctor that I’d Even though gun sales are at well-respected and dents are living with the ceiver of services for be dead in three months and an all-time high, 87 percent of beloved. The Rev. virus. HIV/AIDS,” Esther Ross said. now I am here – healthy,” she North Carolinians, 83 percent of Mark Middleton, pas- Advocates gathered at the “I was diagnosed in 1993 said. gun owners, and 72 percent of Holt tor of Abundant Faith General Assembly Tuesday with HIV, and one of the Dashita Croom, a member National Rifle Association mem- Christian Church in to lobby for HIV/AIDS legis- things that I had to (do was) of the North Carolina AIDS bers support background Durham, will keynote the network- lation. Issues of particular go through and learn about Action Network with Ross, checks for all gun sales. ing luncheon. UNC-TV anchor Deb- importance this session in- HIV/AIDS. A social worker I said people are afraid to find “In President Reagan’s tenure, orah Holt is mistress of ceremony. clude access to health insur- ran into told me that I could- out information because the Firearm Owner’s Protection Full event information is available ance for residents eligible for n’t fight against something I they are scared of how oth- Act became a big win for those at www.NCLBCF.org. the AIDS Drug Assistance didn’t know about.” ers will perceive them. who were fighting for a ban on Program, legalizing the nee- Ross said when HIV was automatic weapons, machine Education schedule: dle exchange programs in first diagnosed, it was a Please see AIDS/2A guns and private purchases, but • 11 a.m. – registration through- it also created a loophole for the out the day NRA to claim a major victory in • 12 noon – networking luncheon that compromise,” said the Rev. • 1:45 to 5 p.m. – issues briefings Kylon Middleton, pastor of session (free but registration is re- Mount Zion AME Church in quired) Charleston. Mount Zion is the • 6:30 p.m. – banquet doors open sister church of Emanuel AME HBCU students spark tuition • 7 p.m. – The William L. Wain- Church, where the Charleston wright Scholarship Banquet Massacre occurred. “It becomes time for us to mo- bill revision with rally at Capitol bilize, galvanize and strategi- By Latisha cally begin to recognize that we Catchatoorian must begin, in grassroots ways, [email protected] FCC rule to create a swell of interest from our individual spheres of influ- RALEIGH – There’s no power ence so that we might then be like the power of the people. able to say to legislators… that Due to the pushback and out- could hurt we demand, as citizens, stricter cry of students, alumni and gun control legislation.” other community members, the Middleton said Clementa C. HBCUs included in the Access to Pinckney, Emanuel’s senior pas- Affordable College Education mediaBy Lauren Victoria cos. Burke tor and one of the nine mur- Act (Senate Bill 873) have been NNPA dered in the shooting, was his removed. In an unpredictable, disruptive best friend. The bill previously proposed media environment featuring new “We were like brothers,” he to reduce tuition to $500 per se- ways for consumers to receive continued. “We talked several mester for in-state students and video content over Wi-Fi, apps and times a day. Imagine trying to to $2,500 per semester for out- live streaming, established media pick up the cellphone and trying of-state students for Elizabeth companies are bracing for a future to call someone you talked to all City State, Fayetteville State, UNC driven by big tech and consumer the time to realize that you can Pembroke, Winston-Salem State choice with new profit models. and Western Carolina universi- never speak to them again be- LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN It happened in the newspaper in- cause they were assassinated in ties. The bill now pertains to just dustry. It happened in the music in- a church where they were pray- UNC Pembroke and Western Car- Student Delaney Vandergrift speaks during last week’s rally at dustry. It happened in the book ing to God.” olina. the General Assembly. publishing industry. And now it's Senator Floyd McKissick Jr., D- “This is a win for HBCU stu- North Carolina’s five public tuitions will make it impossible happening, slowly but surely, in 20, said he is “cautiously opti- dents and exemplifies student as HBCUs granted 47 percent more for schools to sustain them- broadcasting as a host of new en- mistic” about talk going on in well as alumni power in North degrees to black students than selves, as well as contribute to trepreneurs are set to arrive on an the General Assembly surround- Carolina,” a Black University the UNC system’s 11 historical the already “last resort” mental- increasingly competitive scene. ing gun control laws. press release stated. Black Uni- white campuses in 2011. ity of potential applicants and In February, FCC chairman Tom “At the same time, every time versity is a coalition of HBCU stu- Black University said they are discourage enrollment. Wheeler moved to free consumers, I go in there, (it’s as if) they have dents who previously not fooled by the General As- Black University said that the who are now collectively paying a grab bag of ideas. When an responded to attacks on HBCUs sembly’s attempt to “blame our “poor performance” at these $20 billion every year, from buying idea comes out (of the bag), it’s and the UNC system by the universities for lack of success” schools is a result of the gradual or renting a set-top box for cable either a bad one or a worse one.