WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Black cultural centers tackle the issue ofBy relevancyCassandra West RIBUNE DIVERSE ISSUES IN EDUCATION TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE Sometimes an undercurrent theme can overshadow a conference’s main focus. Relevancy in the age of multiculturalism got as much atten- tion as “45 Years of Identity, Innovation and Intersectionality,” the theme VOLUME 16 NO. 18 WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2014 $1.00 of this year’s Annual Association for Black Culture Centers conference. “We think we’re in this post-racial society,” LaKeitha Poole, coordinator for African-American Student Affairs at Louisiana State University, said at It’s the Southeast Raleigh a meeting for ABCC state coordinators. “But we always get the question: Is the [black] culture center still relevant? I think they are.” showdown when Shaw While the relevancy question won’t go away, Poole’s opinion found consensus, it’s fair to say, among most of those attending the ABCC’s and St. Augustine’s battle 24th conference last month at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Saturday in the regular Students, their use of the centers and the success stories that come season finale for both from them make the best case for the continued existence of black cul- ture centers, Poole says. LSU’s 21-year-old African- American Culture teams. Center is “definitely the hub of black student life” on the Baton Rogue campus, she notes. Please seeBLACK/3A Adams Guilty becomes 100th verdict woman in in drum Congress major’s PHOTO/LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN Collegedeath hazing Jessica Holmes (right) addresses the crowd during Tuesday night’s election. suffers a long overdue lesson By Kyle Hightower THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla.— A former Purple state turns red in Florida A&M band member accused of being the ringleader of a brutal hazing ritual known as SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE “Crossing Bus C” that killed a By Latisha Catchatoorian tories Tuesday,” said Chris ued to pass voter suppressive laws drum major was convicted Friday GREENSBORO – Voters in North N.C. midterm electionsuch as voter I.D. requirements and Fitzsimon in the latest Fitzsimon Carolina’s 12th Congressional [email protected] of manslaughter and felony haz- File of NC Policy Watch. “…Thom the elimination of same-day regis- District elected veteran lawmaker RALEIGH – Months of campaign ing. Tillis rode the national wave and tration – laws the especially target Alma S. Adams to Congress in radio announcements, television Dante Martin, 27, was the first to defeated incumbent Democratic the poor and minorities. However, both a special and a regular gener- advertisements and candidate fliers stand trial in the November 2011 Senator Kay Hagan…But folks in voters proved naysayers wrong al election. staked into the ground came to a death of 26-year-old Robert the state claiming the results were with huge turnout at the polls, with In May, Adams made it through conclusive end Tuesday evening as Champion aboard a band bus a triumphant affirmation of the over 1.1 million participating in a competitive seven way special the 2014 Midterm Election drew to a parked outside a football game Republican agenda of the last four early voting alone according to The and regular primary, paving the close. where the well-regarded Marching years need to take a breath. As Daily Tarheel. way to Tuesday nights convincing With two prominent North 100 band had performed. The one pollster observed a few weeks “I’ve been heartened by the duel victory. Adams will be sworn Carolinians running for a U.S. case brought into focus the cul- ago, the only reason the race was turnout, just overwhelming into office next week after captur- Senate seat, the Tarheel State has ture of hazing in the band, which close at all was because of the turnout, in so many of our ing 80 percent of the vote in the been a battleground between was suspended for more than a unpopularity of the General precincts. That means thousands special general election and 80 Republican Thom Tillis and year while officials tried to clean Assembly that Tillis led for the of people have defied those folks percent of the vote in the regular Democratic incumbent Kay Hagan. up the program. last four years.” on Jones Street who have tried to general election. While Hagan has been criticized for Martin was known as “the presi- Since the GOP controlled 234 of discriminate,” Congressman David “Tonight marks my 16th elec- “blindly following” the Obama dent of Bus C,” witnesses testified, the 435 House seats before the Price (D) said after his reelection tion for public office, and once administration, critics have accused and he organized the initiations election, Republicans were deter- Tuesday night. again we have made history. Tillis of pushing through a copious that required fellow band mem- mined to keep the majority and George Greene Jr., whose father Many of you were with me when I amount of extremist and conserva- bers to try to make their way fought for it hard. The was an elected official, said his par- was elected as the first African tive legislation as Speaker of the through a pounding gauntlet of Republican-led N.C. General ents’ generation won his right to American woman to serve on the House under Governor Pat McCrory. fists, drumsticks and mallets from Assembly has kept the state in the vote. He said because the Voting Greensboro City School Board. Tillis won with 48.97 percent of the front of the bus to the back, spotlight. Rights Act essentially got struck Tonight, we made history again the vote, while Hagan garnered including on that November day. The entire country watched down, it is important for people to by electing the 100th woman to 47.29 percent. Two other band members went North Carolina under a magnify- vote while they still can “in light of serve in the House in the current “Republicans are beside them- through the bus before ing glass as the legislature contin- Congress and the first woman to selves celebrating their election vic- Please seePURPLE/2A Champion, who was from ever represent the 12th District,” Decatur, Georgia. Martin was con- she wrote in a statement. victed of misdemeanor hazing “The people of the 12th district counts in their beatings. have gone without representation Champion’s parents sat silently for 10 months and that is unac- as the verdicts were read. Martin ceptable. With tonight’s win, that sat with his head down as several stops now. Effective immediately, members of his family wept in the our district has a representative gallery behind him. who will fight for their interest “No one won here today — no with pride, integrity and tenacity. one,” said Robert Champion Sr. I will be at the forefront of the “We hate to see anyone’s child go fight to raise the minimum wage, to prison. To know that my son’s to ensure pay equality, and to pro- life will not be in vain, that he will tect access to affordable health- make a difference, I hope that care. While I served in the North people will get the message that Carolina General Assembly, I was hazing isn’t cool. It doesn’t work. a champion for our communities, It doesn’t need to be here. You and I will do the same in the need to stop now.” United States Congress.” The jury deliberated for about Alma Adams has been a public an hour before delivering its ver- servant for over 30 years. As a dict. former chair of the North Carolina Martin’s sentencing was set for Women’s Legislative Caucus, she Jan. 9 and he was taken into cus- has helped to introduce numer- tody immediately after the ver- ous bills to strengthen laws to PHOTO/LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN dict. Manslaughter is punishable protect children, women and fam- by up to 15 years in prison in ilies, and has fought for women’s A resident walks home at Brookside Apartments. Florida. The hazing conviction health and reproductive rights. means he could spend up to 22 Adams led the effort to increase years in jail. the minimum wage in North In the aftermath of Champion’s Carolina. death, the storied Marching 100, As an educator and artist, Raleigh apartment residents which had played at Super Bowls Adams is a strong supporter of and before U.S. presidents, was North Carolina’s colleges, univer- suspended for more than a year, sities and schools, and is an advo- only starting to perform again at cate for the arts and culture. wantBy Latisha Catchatoorian betterstory. maintenance month for a 624 square-foot stu- the beginning of the 2013 football Alma received her bachelor’s [email protected] Located on Brookside Drive near dio loft and $660 a month for a season. Also, the university’s for- degree and master’s degree in art downtown Raleigh, the small 760 square-foot one-bedroom to mer president, James Ammons, education from N.C. A&T State RALEIGH – The outside of apartment complex houses many $780/month for a 1,023 square- resigned and the band’s director, University, and took her Ph.D. in Brookside Apartments, while mod- lower-income residents, some of foot two-bedroom, many resi- Julian White, was fired before art education and multicultural est and visibly aged, looks relatively which use housing vouchers like dents complain that the rents are being allowed to retire. education from The Ohio State standard. The inside of some of the Section 8 to pay their rents.