WWW.TRIANGLE TRIBUNE.COM The Triangle Obama says race infects America’s criminal justice system RIBUNE By Damon C. Williams TTHE TRIANGLE’S CHOICE FOR THE BLACK VOICE THE PHILADELPHIA TRIBUNE PHILADELPHIA – Hours after announcing his administration had secured a multinational pact with Iran to limit their nuclear program, President VOLUME 17 NO. 18 WEEK OF JULY 26, 2015 $1.00 Barack Obama told the NAACP national convention last week that race has always played an outsized role in incarceration. “There is a long history of inequity in the justice system in America,” Obama said in Philadelphia. “It's important for us to realize that violence The CIAA recently in our communities is serious and that historically has effected the African- American community, which many times has been under-policed, rather lost an avid fan and than over-policed.” supporter of HBCU Obama said there has been a prison explosion in the U.S. over the past 35 years. sports. “The United States is home to 5 percent of the world's population, but 25 percent of the world's prisoners. Think about that. Our incarceration rate is four times higher than China's. We keep more people behind bars than the top 35 European countries combined. And it hasn't always been the case – this huge explosion in incarceration rates.” He added that some people should be in jail, including murderers, pred- Please seeCRIMINAL JUSTICE/2A NC lawmakers get behind March 15 PHOTO COURTESY OF LATISHA CATCHATOORIAN Left to right: Durham Police Chief Jose Lopez, Harold Chestnut, Major Paul Martin, James Johnson, DeWarren Langley, Nia Wilson presidential and the Rev. Mark Anthony Middleton. primaryBy Gary D. Robertson ASSOCIATED PRESS RALEIGH – North Carolina legislative leaders have tentatively settled on shifting the state's 2016 presidential primary to mid-March, key lawmakers Durham citizens hold said Saturday in a move that would avoid potential massive state delegate losses to both Democratic and Repub- lican nominating conventions. By Latisha couple of years have been… I “Unlike Fayetteville, which Middleton said probable House and Senate Republicans con- conversationCatchatoorian don’t want to say rocky, but it’s was with the first county to imple- policecause – in Durham and else- firmed the agreement in principle to been a little bit on the concern- ment stop and search consent, where – can simply translate move the primary to March 15, push- [email protected] ing side. A lot of things that in Durham the probable cause into being black while driving in ing it back from a current late February DURHAM – The Holton Career were very disappointing to us searches for young black males a bad neighborhood. Middleton date agreed upon in a 2013 law. and Resource Center served as had occurred, and there were a have surpassed search and con- isn’t concerned so much with Florida, Ohio and Missouri are among the meeting place for the com- lot of things that we looked at sents…. This means that there the uniform, but with how the states that have already scheduled munity to come out and partic- that we saw we could do things is a substitution effect happen- uniform acts. their primaries on that date. ipate in a community better.” ing,” she said. “We set America up for people The Republican National Committee conversation with law enforce- It’s no secret that there is ten- Lopez refuted that statement, to wear uniforms and carry has threatened North Carolina's GOP ment. The program was a col- sion between the community saying you can’t “substitute” guns so we should get used to with losing more than 80 percent of its laborative venture between the (especially the black commu- probable cause for search and it,” he said. “(But) I’d like to see nominating delegates to next sum- Durham City Council, Durham nity) and the police department consent because an officer ei- a force deployment strategy on mer's convention if the primary stayed County Commissioners, the over the issues of racial profil- ther has probable cause or he bikes and foot. You want to im- in February. State Democrats also Durham Public School Board ing and certain police practices. doesn’t. prove relationships? Get out of would stand to lose half of their dele- and the community-at-large. Nia Wilson of SpiritHouse, a “In an ideal world, yes, proba- your car.” gates under their rules. “I think it is very important nonprofit that uses organizing ble cause can not be substi- For the times where one feels The reductions would have largely that these conversations con- and the arts to combat barriers tuted, but on the ground, as if the police have not dealt defeated the earlier purpose of Repub- tinue to occur and that this not for low-wealth and underserved numbers suggest something with an incident or situation lican lawmakers to give North Carolina be the last one,” Durham Police communities, said she still has very different,” said the Rev. properly, they can take it to the - the nation's ninth largest state - earlier Chief Jose Lopez said. “The last concerns about things such as Mark Anthony Middleton who clout in choosing presidential nomi- the search and consent law. works with Durham CAN. Please see POLICE/2A Please see NC LAWMAKERS/2A HUD BellBy Latishafiles forDurham. final I think we’veDurham made a thing else mayoral needs to be accom- places,campaign places being torn up.” lot of progress during the time plished you’ll never leave, but Lightfoot moved to Durham Catchatoorian I’ve been mayor…there’s some those items I mentioned are im- from Henderson two-and-a- half [email protected] other things that I want to con- portant to me, and I hope years ago. She said she enjoys announces DURHAM – Durham Mayor tinue,” Bell said. “I want to stay they’re important to the com- the culture of the city, but has William “Bill” Bell will make this around (and generate) a little munity,” he said. ideas on how to improve it, mayoral run his more traction.” Some of those same issues are such as implementing renew- new rule last. Bell moved to Durham in the reason Lightfoot is running. able energy. By Zenitha Prince Bell will run 1968 and was a county commis- “There’s just a lot of crime. It Lyons, 41, is running to im- SENIOR AFRO CORRESPONDENT against Tammy sioner for 26 years before serv- seems like it’s excessive. Down prove the city as well. He is a The U.S. Department of Housing Lightfoot, a per- ing 14 years as mayor. He’s there on Fayetteville Street, Durham native who said he’s and Urban Development recently re- sonnel manager at often a presence at any major going down through there I “fully aware” of the city’s her- leased a new rule to assist the depart- Wal-Mart; John event. He said he wants to con- started noticing there are a lot itage and history, and appreci- ment’s grantees in meeting its Everett and James tinue reducing poverty in of houses and trash every- ates the diversity Durham anti-segregation and anti-discrimina- Lyons, a Time Durham, revitalizing distressed where,” she said. “I don’t think offers. tion mandates. Bell Warner Cable em- neighborhoods and address af- that it’s fair that just because “After 14 years, I knew our Under the Fair Housing Act of 1968, ployee. All con- fordable housing issues. people are poor that they are city needed a new voice, new HUD and its program participants are tenders are newcomers. “I realize you’re not always forced to live in these condi- ideas and an overall breath of not only barred from discrimination “I’ve enjoyed the opportunity going to cover everything, and tions. There’s a lot of compla- fresh air. Our city is long over- based on race, color, national origin, to serve as mayor of the city of if you sit around until some- cency with trash in certain Please see MAYOR/2A religion, sex, disability or familial sta- tus, but are also required to affirma- tively undertake actions to overcome historic patterns of segregation, pro- mote fair housing choice and oppor- tunity, and achieve truly integrated, HeartBy Bonitta BestdiseaseMcMahon, survivors 69, comes from a spread message inclusive communities that are free from discrimination. But HUD partic- [email protected] family history of heart disease and stoke, but she still didn’t heed the ipants have not always been as suc- RALEIGH – Three local heart dis- cessful in fostering fair housing as ease survivors have been chosen warning signs of headache, upset stomach and weakness on her they should. to represent the American Heart “As a former mayor, I know first- Association’s Go Red For Women right side. Twenty-four hours passed be- hand that strong communities are movement for the next year. vital to the well-being and prosperity Jessica Fournier, Evelyn McMa- fore her daughter took her to the emergency room. That’s when she of families,” HUD Secretary Julián hon and Leeann Bove’ stories were Castro said in a statement. “Unfortu- selected from a casting call at discovered she’d had a stroke. The delay caused her to be hospital- nately, too many Americans find their Crabtree Valley Mall in February. dreams limited by where they come After being hospitalized for ized for three days and to require intensive physical therapy to re- from, and a zip code should never de- blood clots in her legs, doctors dis- termine a child’s future. This impor- covered Fournier, 29, had conges- gain her ability to walk and talk.