www.mississippilink.com Vol. 21, No. 37 July 9 - 15, 2015 50¢ ‘Take It Down’ Interfaith Prayer Vigil held at protesters’ amplified call at Governor’s Mansion for Charleston 9 and Confederate flag removal Mississippi state Capitol General Missionary Baptist State Convention of By Ayesha K. Mustafaa Editor Mississippi, Inc. draws large crowd to Mansion The Confederate flag debate continues, gaining momentum By Janice K. Neal-Vincent in the capital city of Mississippi Several hundred people for its removal. At the same time, joined Dr. Isiac Jackson, presi- media reports show a rush on flag dent of the General Mission- stores where supporters buy out ary Baptist State Convention every Confederate flag in stock. of Mississippi, Inc., and other If you were on the road this 4th faith leaders outside Governor of July, you may have seen some Phil Bryant’s Mansion, 300 who posted the Confederate flag East Capitol St., in downtown to their trucks and houses as a Jackson at 6 p.m., Wednesday, show of defiance to the calls for July 1, 2015. its removal from state buildings. At the Interfaith Prayer Vigil At the beginning of a series of at the mansion, one by one the recent rallies was one called to attending clergy called for ac- be held on the south steps of the tion against flying the Missis- Capitol in downtown Jackson, sippi Confederate flag. And Monday, June 29. Attending were they prayed for the Charleston the religiously inclined and the politically astute, the young activ- Daughters of the Confederate and Confederate flag at State Capitol Vigil ists and old law makers, black and Continued on page 5 Hilary Watkins sings ‘Amazing Grace.’ PHOTO BY JANICE K. NEAL-VINCENT white Mississippians. the south steps of the Capitol). Walter Vinn prayed the Seren- They spoke with one single “This monument is of the ity prayer: “God grant me the se- purpose, to say that the Confeder- women who took care of the Con- renity to accept the things I can- ate emblem should be retired from federate soldiers. It ought to be in not change; courage to change the the official state flag that flies over the cemetery and not at the state things I can; and wisdom to know state buildings and at state func- Capitol. And the Confederate flag the difference.” “He sold his soul to the devil!” tions. “It should be put in a mu- is a symbol of hate and slavery.” Vinn added, “You cannot By Yolanda Clay-Moore seum,” was their concensus. Some among the rally attend- change the fact that you were R&B Festival Tom Williams attended, joined ees called for a “show of love and born in Mississippi or that you U.S. Hwy 49 is a north-south by his wife Joy and friend Toni forgiveness” as did the families of were born black or white or gay United States Highway. It was Van Kriedt. Williams said, “I am the nine murdered worshippers on or poor or sick. But if the leader- at the junction of US 49 and U.S. against the reverence for the civil June 17 in the Mother Emanuel ship does not take this flag down, Route 61 that blues singer, Robert war that we have in the Confeder- AME Church in Charleston, S.C. then we have to take down those Johnson, is said to have sold his ate flag, as well as this monument One prayer was that “God touch- soul to the devil. here (pointing to the Daughters of es the leadership of today to take The highway has also been the the Confederate statue just below this flag down.” Capitol Continued on page 5 subject of tunes by Big Joe Wil- liams and Howlin’ Wolf. So it is synonymous to blues music. It’s Nappy Roots group members hard to think of blues music with- out thinking about the Robert NNPA celebrates 75th anniversary Johnson epitaph and it being the crossroads, also one of his signa- ture songs. Elects Denise Rolark Barnes to chair organization This connection to blues music is why one of the converted build- The Mississippi Link Newswire ings on the grounds of the Jackson DETROIT (NNPA) - De- Rhythm and Blues Festival was nise Rolark Barnes, publisher named the Hwy 49 Blues Shack. of the Washington Informer, It’s one of the stages where the was elected chair of the Na- temperature cools down, but the tional Newspaper Publishers music heats up! The lineup for Association (NNPA), a fed- this stage is phenomenal with ex- eration of more than 200 Af- hilarating and exciting R&B artists rican American newspapers. like up and coming Larry Johnson Ayron Jones Rolark Barnes succeeds and The Beasty Tunes. Cloves C. Campbell Jr., pub- Larry Johnson and The Beasty After the international success of teur Night at the Apollo” in 2001, lisher of the Arizona Infor- Tunes kind of speaks for itself. their album Watermelon, Chicken, he was invited to sing on the title mant, who served two 2-year Larry is passionate, versatile and & Grits, selling over 3 million track of Petey Pablo’s album, Di- terms. so vocally talented that he captures albums, the members of Nappy ary of a Sinner: 1st Entry. After graduating from your heart and connects with your Roots were flying high while still In 2005, Williams appeared on Howard University with a soul. The band is a talented group acutely aware of how far it could the track “I-95” on rap group The degree in communications, of seasoned musicians, includ- be to the bottom should they fall. L.O.X.’s mixtape Peer Pressure, Rolark Barnes enrolled in the ing the Curry brothers, David, the Truck Patch Revival is from the earning him notice in hip-hop Howard University School of drummer for R&B artist, Keith flatlands of the Mississippi Delta magazine The Source. Law. Sweat and DeQuan, a skilled bass- and home of the Blues. These guys In 2006, Williams was featured She served as editor of The ist. have been deemed The Country on “Let There Be Light” on Ill Will Barrister, the law university’s Their father has mastered the Rock Band of the Delta! Records founder Nas’ album, Hip student newspaper, before Gospel genre and is one of the Comprised of five very talented Hop Is Dead, which received play graduating in 1979. She is a Newly elected NNPA officers: Karen Carter Richards, Shannon Wil- founders of the world-renowned musicians from an array of genres, on BET music video show 106 & second-generation publisher, liams, Francis Page Jr., Denise Rolark Barnes and Janis Ware (Photo by Mississippi Mass Choir. They Truck Patch Revival has brought a Park. following in the footsteps of Shevry Lassiter) won’t be hard to find with those very unique sound of original mu- Williams had been working on her late father, Dr. Calvin W. long locks of hair. sic that has been very well received a debut album with guest appear- Rolark. per publishers,” she added. lisher, Atlanta Voice Seattle guitarist and front-man by their audiences. ances from Nas, Styles P, Kanye “I am honored and proud to “We are committed to ful- Secretary: Shannon Wil- Ayron Jones (Eh-Rahn), has taken What do you get when you West and others but the project was represent the NNPA as chair- fill the promises we made to liams, publisher, Indianapolis a hybrid style of guitar playing pio- mix Blues and Soul? Dexter Al- shelved indefinitely. man of this historic and im- our nearly 200 fellow pub- Recorder neered by Jimi Hendrix, in which len! He’s no stranger to the blues Following his stint with Ill Will, pactful organization,” Rolark lishers, and we will work hard Elected as directors-at- the chord and solo are played at circuit, traveling all over the world Williams began working with Barnes said. to propel the Black Press into large were Bernal Smith, the same time, and infused the raw behind Bobby Rush’s lead. Brooklyn, N.Y., based producer “Since 1827, the Black dynamic 21st century media publisher of the Tri-State energy of punk with the inner-city The 2008 Male Vocalist of the Bob Perry. Press has listened to and spo- companies.” Defender, and Larry Smith, attitude of Hip-Hop. The result is a Year and 2009 Entertainer of the Together they formed a band ken for the African Ameri- Also elected were: publisher of The Community soulful reincarnation of that iconic Year has a stage presence that is called The Revelations feat - Tre can community. The future First Vice Chair: Karen Times Seattle sound. Think Stevie Ray sure to leave you enlightened, de- Williams. looks bright for the team of Carter Richards, publisher of The NNPA 75th Anniver- Vaughan meets Nirvana! lighted and excited! Their original lineup included publishers elected during our the Houston Forward Times sary and annual convention Nappy Roots entered the music Tre Williams decided to make fellow R&B singer/songwriter 75th anniversary convention Second Chair: Francis was held in Detroit, June 16- scene in 1998 and have remained the move from the projects of Flor- Rell. in Detroit, Michigan; three of Page, Jr., publisher of Hous- 20, 2015. real, humble, talented guys with in- ida to Yonkers, N.Y. at age 21 to Vintage soul records from the the new officers happen to be ton Style Convention photo high- herent, undeniable southern swag- further his career. late 1960s and early 1970s inspired second-generation newspa- Treasurer: Janis Ware, pub- lights continue on page 19. ger.