The Greene County Democrat

Category: Community

  • The FBI Will Reportedly Stop Investigating ICE Confrontations. Why?

    The FBI Will Reportedly Stop Investigating ICE Confrontations. Why?

    By Zack Linly, NewsOne

    Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have shot and killed two immigrants within a week of each other, prompting national outrage and protests, as favorability toward the agency continues to plummet on the heels of the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good. So, how does the Trump administration respond to concerns that ICE is out of control and has become a danger to the general public? Well, apparently, it has decided that the FBI will no longer investigate confrontations with immigration agents, specifically cases that involve assault allegations against agents, and cases that could be used to prosecute federal agents implicated in violent encounters. Instead, those cases will reportedly be handled by an internal investigation arm of ICE, which essentially means the agency would be investigating itself.

    Now, according to the New York Times, the administration is denying the rule change, and we’ll circle back to that in a second, but FBI agents have reportedly already been informed of it.

    From the Times:

    F.B.I. managers around the country received a written notice informing them of the change on Thursday, according to the people familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe internal communications. The same day, some ICE agents around the country were notified by their F.B.I. counterparts.

    The guidance shared with them said that the bureau would stop investigating claims of assaults against Department of Homeland Security agents, the people said. Even though such investigations are intended to determine whether the officers were in fact attacked, they can provide a crucial means of gathering evidence implicating the agents themselves.

    Under the change, responsibility for investigating cases involving federal immigration officers would likely fall to Homeland Security Investigations, an arm of ICE, effectively leaving the agency to investigate itself, according to guidance circulated

    Cases involving an assault on a federal officer have been a source of tension inside federal law enforcement agencies for more than a year. White House and Justice Department officials have pushed prosecutors to bring charges in as many of them as possible, particularly as Americans protest the administration’s immigration crackdown.

    Under the federal statute, felony charges can be brought against anyone who “forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates or interferes” with a federal law enforcement officer.among F.B.I. and ICE agents.

    Cases involving an assault on a federal officer have been a source of tension inside federal law enforcement agencies for more than a year. White House and Justice Department officials have pushed prosecutors to bring charges in as many of them as possible, particularly as Americans protest the administration’s immigration crackdown.

    Under the federal statute, felony charges can be brought against anyone who “forcibly assaults, resists, opposes, impedes, intimidates or interferes” with a federal law enforcement officer.

    Just to put this all in perspective, last year, a federal judge in Chicago ordered the release of numerous videos that show, among other things, that immigration agents and DHS officials have made a habit of lying about anti-ICE protesters assaulting or posing threats to agents before those agents began using tear gas, pepper-balls, and other non-lethal yet brutal tactics to get them under control. The order came on the heels of the case of Chicago activist Marimar Martinez, who was shot several times by federal agents and accused of following and ramming ICE vehicles while agents were conducting their operations. The charges related to those allegations were dismissed with prejudice because witness accounts and surveillance footage of the incident contradicted what agents said happened, among other discrepancies in the government’s narrative.

    And we all saw the lengths the government went to to smear Good and Pretti as “domestic terrorists” who attacked agents before they were fatally shot, which video footage showed was not true in both cases.

    The point is, this is an administration that lies and spreads anti-immigrant and pro-ICE propaganda routinely, and any changes made in how these incidents are investigated would only be made so the administration could further insulate itself from outside accountability. (Not that the FBI should rightfully be considered an agency that is separate from the administration with Kash Patel at the helm, but still.)

    At any rate, the administration denied that the rule change had happened.

    “The relationship between D.H.S. and D.O.J. in investigating assault on federal officer cases has not changed, and F.B.I. will continue to investigate in accordance with agency policy,” a joint statement by the Justice Department and DHS said. “This administration has been clear, anyone who assaults law enforcement will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

    Notice the sleight of hand there. The concern is not that people who allegedly assault federal officers won’t be held accountable. This administration has been caught lying about agents being attacked numerous times, only for it to come out that the agents were actually the aggressors. The federal government’s statement even indicates that its only concern is for the agents accusing others of violence, not the other way around. And if it is true that officials have directed the FBI to no longer investigate these cases, leaving it to internal ICE departments to investigate themselves, it would only mean the administration is limiting scrutiny of immigration agents by law enforcement.

    The administration that claims everything is rigged is continuing its attempts to rig everything in its own favor. We can’t let it.

    Read the original article here.

    Featured Image: ICE Death Memorial (Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspapers/Getty)

  • Black Belt Community Foundation announces the 2026 Levitt Amp Selma Music Series

    Black Belt Community Foundation announces the 2026 Levitt Amp Selma Music Series

    Submitted by the Black Belt Community Foundation

    SELMA, AL— July 14, 2026: The countdown to an unforgettable season of free, live music under summer sunsets and into autumn evenings in historic Selma is officially underway. The Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) announces the themes and calendar for 2026’s return of the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series.

    Beginning Saturday, July 25, the series will bring seven unique cultural experiences to Selma’s Riverfront Amphitheater. Families, friends, and neighbors from across the region are invited to bring their blankets, sunbrellas and lawn chairs to the amphitheater lawn to experience the transformational power of free, live music in bringing community together.

    Supported in large part by the Levitt Family Foundation, a social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space, and community building, the Levitt AMP Music Series program injects new life into public spaces through free, outdoor concerts across the country. The 2026 season marks an exciting new chapter for Selma, building on the success of past seasons to present professionally produced, immersive themed festival dates running through late October.

    “This season is about so much more than just the music on stage,” says Lydia Chatmon, TRHT Selma Director. “It’s about bringing people together, supporting our local business ecosystem, celebrating our rich cultural heritage, and showcasing the very best of downtown Selma.”

    Season of Immersive Themes:

    Instead of focusing purely on individual performers, the 2026 series is designed around seven planned experiences that offer something for every member of the family.

    • July 25 — The Inaugural Bridge City Jazz Festival: The season sets sail with an elegant, smooth- jazz atmosphere. Concert-goers are encouraged to come dressed in all-white attire for this premier opening night event.
    • August 8 — Joy Jamboree: A dedicated day of play, music, and smiles designed specifically for children and families, featuring bounce houses, face painting, games, and youth-oriented fun.
    • August 22 —

    Smoke in the City: BBQ & Blues Festival: Fire up the grill and claim your bragging rights! This date blends a competitive community barbecue atmosphere with a soulful soundtrack of regional blues.

    • September 12 — Classic Cars & Chrome: Cruise in for this celebration of sleek vintage automobiles and deep musical grooves, featuring a car show paired with the absolute best in classic R&B, Soul, and Funk.
    • September 26 —

    Gospel Fest: An uplifting community favorite that elevates local and regional voices, celebrating the profound spiritual and musical heritage of the Black Belt.

    • October 10 — Fiesta on the River!: A vibrant cultural celebration packed with high-energy Latin music, salsa beats, and a community taco-eating contest, so don’t forget the hot sauce.
    • October 24 — Southern Soul: The Grand Finale: The ultimate season closer, bringing the community together one last night to celebrate some funky soul, great food, and collective joy.

    Event Details & Vendor Info

    To satisfy every craving, a diverse rotation of local food trucks and vendors from across the region will be on-site for every event. The Levitt AMP Selma Music Series is held inside Selma’s Riverfront Amphitheater and surrounds, located at 3 Lawrence Street in Downtown Selma

    (directly across from the Evans Reception Hall). Admission to all events is completely free and open to the general public.

    Specific artist announcements, finite scheduling details, weather updates, and information regarding parking and wheelchair accessibility will be updated continuously. The public is highly encouraged to visit the official website at http://www.blackbeltfound.org and follow the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series on social media, including Facebook, for the most up-to-date schedule. The main FB page-“Levitt AMP Selma”- is found at https://www.facebook.com /LevittAMPSelma.

    In 2023, the Black Belt Community Foundation was named one of a select group of nonprofits across America to receive a Levitt Music Series grant from the Levitt Family Foundation to present free outdoor concerts. This ongoing initiative is made possible through vital local partnerships, including the City of Selma, the Selma Center for Nonviolence, Truth and Reconciliation, and the Selma-Dallas County Chamber of Commerce, all under the umbrella of BBCF’s TRHT Selma begun through a multi-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

    About Black Belt Community Foundation:

    The mission of the Black Belt Community Foundation (BBCF) is to forge a collective stream of giving that transforms our 12- county region in Alabama and connects those interested in having an impact in this region with nonprof- its that are making a difference today. Founded in 2004 with the idea that those living and working in the Black Belt best knew the area’s challenges and opportunities, the Black Belt Community Foundation actively puts needed resources into the region that make a lasting impact.

    The Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation initiative in Selma (TRHT Selma) is a core program of BBCF and serves as the lead programmatic organizer implementing the Levitt AMP Selma Music Series. TRHT Selma is a comprehensive, community-based process to plan for and bring about trans- formational, sustainable change while addressing the historic and contemporary effects of racism, all supported by a multi-year grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

     

    About Levitt Family Foundation:

    The Levitt AMP Selma Music Series is supported in part by the Levitt Family Foundation, which partners with changemakers and nonprofits to strengthen the social fabric of communities in America through free, live music in outdoor public spaces. Presenting high-caliber talent and a broad array of music genres and cultural programming, Levitt concerts are welcoming, inclusive destinations where people of all ages and backgrounds come together. In 2026, the Levitt Family Foundation is supporting over 900 free concerts in 90+ towns and cities across the country, bringing joy to over a million people. In addition to supporting free concerts, the Foundation is dedicated to advancing vibrant music ecosystems through partnerships, field-building initiatives, and research. levitt.org

    Featured image: Festival goer from the Levit AMP Selma Music Series 2025 (Black Belt Community Foundation)

  • Newswire: OP-ED: 250 Years of America – Progress on the Promise?

    Newswire: OP-ED: 250 Years of America – Progress on the Promise?

    By Delegate N. Scott Phillips, BlackPressUSA

    Let’s be clear, African Americans have done our part, we have fought in every war, built businesses, advanced science, created culture, and strengthened our democracy, often while being denied its full benefits. There has been undeniable progress, but significant challenges still remain.

    As Chairman of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus, I believe this moment calls for our collective vigilance and less complacency. The distance between our founding ideals and our lived reality has narrowed since the civil rights movement, but it has not disappeared. Equity in economic and educational opportunity, access to affordable housing, fair protection under the law, and competent political representation remain unfinished business.

    Maryland has a lot to be proud of when it comes to the political ascension of African Americans in our state. None but the Old Line State can boast that Blacks serve as Governor, Attorney General, State Treasurer, US Senator, Mayors, and County Executives of over 62% of Maryland’s population and a legislative Black Caucus that comprises 29% of the legislature, the largest percentage in the nation. We have made meaningful investments in education, entrepreneurship, criminal justice reform, and community development. 

    The timing of this year’s Independence Day reflection is especially significant as Maryland prepares for Governor Moore to convene a special legislative session on congressional redistricting. Redistricting is far more than drawing lines on a map. It determines whose communities remain whole, and whose interests are represented in the halls of power.

    The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus believes that we have an obligation to ensure that African American voting strength is not diluted and that the hard-fought gains secured through generations of sacrifice are preserved. Fair representation is not about guaranteeing outcomes; it is about guaranteeing opportunity. Every Marylander deserves an equal voice in choosing those who represent them.

    The Maryland Legislative Black Caucus will continue to advocate for policies that expand opportunity, protect civil rights, and strengthen our democracy. We recognize that representation is only the beginning. True progress will be evident in positive measurable outcomes in economic mobility, educational achievement, better public safety, and fair access to justice for every Marylander.

    As we gather with family and friends this Fourth of July, let us celebrate how far America has come but never denying how far we still must go. Patriotism is not measured solely by our willingness to celebrate our nation’s achievements, but also by our commitment to perfecting our imperfect union.

    That is the work of the Maryland Legislative Black Caucus and all people of good conscience who lead while serving as educators, mavens of business and industry, faith leaders and community activists; and this task before us cannot be lost amid celebratory parades, commemorative speeches and patriotic celebrations from the city to the shore. It requires us to redouble our persistence, and principled leadership in the pursuit of America’s promise.

    Delegate N. Scott Phillips is the Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

    Read the original article here

    Featured Image: Delegate N. Scott Phillips is the Chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland.

  • Newswire: A History Of The Racist Rebranding Of Watermelon In The US

    Newswire: A History Of The Racist Rebranding Of Watermelon In The US

    By Nicky Childers, NewsOne

    Dear reader, please feel free to roll your eyes right along with me. 

    Oh, watermelon. Ordinarily, this midsummer food and its holiday pass by without me paying it much, if any, attention.

    As a kid, I wasn’t all that into watermelon. Cantaloupe, either. The ones I had access to on summer lunch trays and from the local grocery store didn’t vibe with my burgeoning palate. 

    Eating watermelon meant undertaking the cumbersome task of sifting through a mess of black seeds for flesh that lacked any real flavor. Cantaloupe was no better. I found it just as bland and watered down.  

    All of that changed when I was around 8 or 9 years old, living in Alexandria, Egypt, with my biological mother. The watermelon there tasted sweeter, denser, and far more flavorful. It became one of my go-to delicacies for beating the heat, and I couldn’t get enough melon or any of the other succulent fruit Egypt had to offer. 

    Looking back, it makes all the sense in the world that the best watermelon I ever had was in Egypt, on the same continent as its birthplace. 

    Genetic research from the University of Munich has even traced the origins of the modern sweet variety to an ancient tomb in Egypt, uncovered in 1876. Leaves of the fruit found inside the 3,500-year-old tomb proved that local farmers were cultivating the sweet, red fruit we love today.

    DNA tests showed that this Egyptian variety of watermelon had its roots in a watermelon variety grown in Sudan. From there, researchers have traced the watermelon’s ancestry to the Kordofan melon, a wild, sweet, white-fleshed fruit believed to have been first domesticated in Sudan before making its way up the Nile into Egypt.

    Watermelon came to the United States via the transatlantic slave trade. Watermelon seeds were among the provisions carried on slave ships alongside crops like okra, sorghum, and black-eyed peas. Enslaved people kept garden plots on plantation land where they grew food like watermelon for themselves. 

    After emancipation, formerly enslaved people across the South began growing watermelon on their own land and selling it as a cash crop. The fruit was relatively cheap to grow and required little land or capital, which made it accessible to people who had just been declared free. Freed people used the fruit to enact and celebrate their new property rights, growing it, eating it, and selling it in the public square. 

    After the Civil War, Black farmers became the nation’s largest producers of watermelon, and the fruit became a means of building income and property ownership outside a plantation system designed to keep them landless. This also made it one of the first tangible paths to Black economic independence during Reconstruction.

    After my mother and I settled back into the United States, I quickly lost my newfound interest in watermelon and cantaloupe. All it took was one bite of cantaloupe added to my lunch tray, and I was reminded why I didn’t like it. Nothing about the melons from local markets carried the vitality of taste I remembered from those available in Alexandria. 

    What further moved me away from the fruit was hearing kids telling jokes on the playground about Black people eating fried chicken and watermelon. That planted in me the understanding that liking either one, as a Black person, would confirm I was lazy and dirty by default. It made little sense then to keep eating a fruit that barely tasted like anything, just to hand someone the satisfaction of watching me confirm for them a persistent stereotype they held about Black people. In my mind, avoiding the fruit felt like I was taking power away from the stereotype. 

    In reality, I was placing a restriction on myself and, in a way, bending to the very thing I thought I was resisting.

    What I didn’t know as a child huddled on that playground was that my impulse to avoid eating watermelon in mixed company had been carefully engineered generations before I was born. 

    Watermelon jokes are leftover remnants of a post-Civil War smear campaign designed to turn what had been a tool of self-reliance for Black people into a badge of laziness. The economic progress that watermelon paved the way for threatened the existing social and economic structures of that time. In response, critics weaponized the fruit through popular culture, print ads, and minstrel shows. They intentionally sought to create a narrative through imagery that Black people were unrefined, easily satisfied, lazy, and distracted by a piece of fruit. 

    The campaign gaslit the public by actively rebranding the watermelon, twisting a vivid sign of liberation into a manufactured symbol of laziness. By mocking the fruit, the original campaign removed economic progress entirely from the equation, creating a narrative that was easier to spread and harder to refute than a direct political argument for systemic oppression and inequality. 

    From a psychological standpoint, this caricature worked because it replaced a complex person with a simple, fixed image with the aim of permanently linking watermelon to Black people. Once that image was repeated enough, people stopped questioning it and instead reacted to the stereotype, rather than considering the multifaceted humanity standing before them.  

    The lasting legacy of this caricature is a persistent attempt to take away the simple right to look at that fruit with pride, denying us the enjoyment of something our ancestors cultivated to build economic freedom. 

    This is an excerpt; read the entire article here.

    Feaured Image: Woman eating watermelon (StockPlanets / Getty)

  • Support a Greene County Scholar by July 23rd

    Support a Greene County Scholar by July 23rd

    A colorful fundraising letter from Alex Lipsey, a 10-year-old student, detailing a campaign to raise $6,000 for a trip to France and education expenses. The letter includes images of Alex, his personal story, and ways to contribute.
  • Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, a Cultural Celebration in Transition

    Black Belt Folk Roots Festival, a Cultural Celebration in Transition

    by Dr. Carol P. Zippert, publisher

    In August, 2025, the Society of Folk Arts & Culture celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival. This was a grand occasion featuring the founder of this annual festival, Mrs. Jane Sapp, who organized this special cultural celebration in 1975 while a staff member of the Miles College-Eutaw Campus. She brought together seemingly ordinary people who were gifted in crafts, foodways, ole timey blues and gospel music, storytelling, dancing and much more. 

    These artists were from a generation where, Homemade, was the criterion for producing the basics of their livelihood: homemade quilts kept them warm; homemade baskets used for gathering crops; the gardens and fields gave the fruits for their signature foodways; singing blues released history’s pain and suffering, while singing gospel called up perseverance and refreshed hope; storytelling documented ‘How We Made It Over.’

    At the 2025 community celebration, I announced that the Festival’s 50th Anniversary signaled a transition in future cultural events, calling for a festival of younger artists, planned and produced by younger artists, with senior artists maintaining their coveted roles.

    Here we are in 2026, carving those first steps to lift new artists in community celebration.  On the 4th Saturday and Sunday, August 22 and 23, the Society of Folk Arts & Culture, under the collaboration of Ms. Teresa Atkins, Mrs. Barbara Hunter and Dr. Carol Zippert, will call community together for an emerging cultural celebration, lifting senior artists (passing the baton) and new generation artists (finding their role in leadership).

    Our elders remind us that we will always be in struggle, we must embrace it and, with the help of a Greater Power, use our gifts to creatively preserve history and celebrate culture and tradition through new generations.

     

    For more information, contact 205-372-0525 and visit the Black Belt Folks Root Festival online.

  • Op-Ed: Choices matter for the Alabama PSC – More of the same or a fresh new voice

    Op-Ed: Choices matter for the Alabama PSC – More of the same or a fresh new voice

    Submitted By Sheila McNeil, Candidate for Alabama PSC Place 2

    Alabama stands at a crossroads. Like much of America, we are living through a moment defined by rising costs, political dysfunction, and a growing sense that the systems meant to protect us are no longer working.  The Alabama Public Service Commission is one of the clearest examples of how our state has drifted toward crisis and how urgently we need a course correction. 

    This is a state with extraordinary potential. We rank 14th in national energy production, yet too many families struggle to keep the lights on. We build the rockets that carry America into space, yet our schools rank 44th.  We attract billion-dollar industries, yet our economy ranks 36th, and our healthcare system ranks 40th. These contradictions are not the result of a lack of talent, resources, or hard work. They reflect leadership that has not consistently put the people of Alabama first. 

    Even Alabama’s own elected officials have acknowledged the seriousness of the problem. Senator Katie Britt  recently stated, “Our electrical rates are the highest in the Southeast.” Independent national data shows that  Alabama’s electricity rates are the third-highest in the entire country. For a state that produces so much energy,  this reality is difficult to justify. 

    Meanwhile, our neighbors in Georgia have shown what happens when voters demand accountability. In 2025,  Georgia’s Public Service Commission underwent a historic transformation. After years of public frustration over rising utility bills, opaque rate cases, and the ballooning costs of major projects like Plant Vogtle,  Georgians pushed for change. The result was a Commission more responsive to public concerns about transparency, affordability, and oversight. Georgia did not get there overnight. It happened because residents refused to accept a system that was not working for them. 

    Alabama, however, is moving in the opposite direction. 

    In 2026, our legislature passed HB 475, a sweeping restructuring of the Public Service Commission. Instead of expanding public access or strengthening oversight, HB 475 consolidated authority, reduced transparency requirements, and altered internal PSC processes in ways that critics argue make it harder for the public to understand or influence decisions. The bill moved quickly, with limited public debate, despite its enormous implications for how utility regulation will function for years to come. At a time when Alabamians are already paying some of the highest electricity bills in the country, HB 475 makes it even harder for the public to see how decisions are made or to hold regulators accountable. 

    That is why I filed a federal lawsuit challenging HB 475. When a law restructures an entire regulatory body in the middle of an active election, after candidates have qualified, paid their fees, and begun campaigning, it raises serious constitutional concerns. My lawsuit argues that HB 475 disrupts the electoral process,  undermines equal protection, and threatens the voting rights of Alabamians who deserve a stable, transparent,  and fair system of utility oversight. This is not just a legal fight. It is a fight for every family struggling with high bills, every community demanding accountability, and every voter who expects the rules of an election to 

    remain consistent from start to finish. HB 475 is more than a policy disagreement. It is a fundamental question of whether Alabama’s government will operate in the sunlight or behind closed doors. 

    These are serious times, and serious times demand serious leadership. Not excuses. Not distractions. Not more of the same. We must ask ourselves: 

    Is your life better? Are your utility bills lower? Are your children receiving the education they deserve? Are you more hopeful about Alabama’s future? 

    If the answer is no, then it is time to stop settling. 

    Many Alabamians have already seen cuts to SNAP and Medicaid. Families are struggling under rising utility costs. Seniors are worried about threats to Social Security and Medicare. Veterans, farmers, and small businesses are navigating economic pressures without the support they need.  

    When is enough enough? 

    Alabama cannot afford the status quo. Our state has waited long enough for leadership that reflects the full strength, diversity, and potential of its people. Real change is not about protecting entrenched interests or maintaining old power structures. Real change is about making life better for every Alabamian, including working families, seniors, veterans, farmers, small business owners, and young people who deserve a future right here at home. 

    Our diversity of experience, geography, background, and perspective is one of our greatest strengths. When  Alabama embraces that diversity, we win. History proves it. Alabama football did not become a national powerhouse until it opened its doors to every athlete capable of contributing to excellence. When we include more voices, we build stronger teams, stronger institutions, and a stronger state. 

    Alabama has everything it needs to lead. What we’ve lacked is leadership willing to put the people first. It is time to stop accepting less than we deserve. It is time to move forward with policies rooted in transparency,  accountability, and fairness. It is time for a fresh new voice committed to building a better Alabama that works for all of us. 

    Sheila McNeil 

    Candidate for Alabama PSC Place 2 

    256-384 4914 

    info@mcneilforpsc2.com 

    mcneilforpsc2.com

  • Sarah Lee Duncan celebrated for 85 Years of faith, family, and service

    Sarah Lee Duncan celebrated for 85 Years of faith, family, and service

    Submitted by Debbie Duncan

    Family, friends, church members, and community supporters gathered on June 13, 2026, at the Eutaw Activity Center to celebrate the 85th birthday of Ms. Sarah Lee Duncan, a beloved Greene County resident whose life continues to reflect faith, service, family, and community commitment.

    The celebration was held under the theme, “A Life Well Lived, A Legacy Still Growing,” with Proverbs 16:31 as the theme scripture: “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.”

    Ms. Duncan was born to Samuel Duncan and Hattie Brown and was the seventh of ten children. Her early years on the family farm taught her the value of hard work, responsibility, unity, and honest labor. These are lessons that continue to guide her life.

    Faith has always been central to Ms. Duncan’s journey. She confessed Christ at an early age, was baptized by Rev. Willie Knox, and was a longtime member of Pine Grove Baptist Church before moving her membership to Second Baptist Church. For more than 40 years, she has served on the Usher Board and remains connected to church service as her health allows.

    Ms. Duncan is also known for her many years of civic service. For more than 50 years, she has served as a registrar and helped register hundreds of citizens to vote in Greene County. She remains active in voting and continues to believe that every citizen should have the opportunity to let their voice be heard.

    Her community involvement also includes her work with the New South Coalition, where she served as a grassroots worker encouraging voter participation and supporting efforts to improve Greene County. For more than 30 years, she was also known for her homemade ice cream at the Black Belt Folk Roots Festival in Eutaw. Although she is now retired from making ice cream, her contribution remains a treasured part of Greene County’s cultural history.

    Ms. Duncan is the proud mother of three daughters, Debbie, Regina, and Sarah, and is blessed with four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren. Her family continues to reflect the values she planted: faith, education, service, compassion, and commitment to helping others.

    Ms. Sarah Lee Duncan was celebrated for 85 years of life, and she was honored as a living example of strength, grace, faith, and community love. Her legacy is still growing through the lives she continues to touch.

  • Eutaw celebrated America’s 250th anniversary

    Eutaw celebrated America’s 250th anniversary

    By Maya Quinn, managing editor

    On Saturday, June 27th in Eutaw’s Historic District, the Greene County Historical Society and Chamber of Commerce sponsored an event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America. The celebration featured a parade, a special presentation, a barbecue luncheon, and a fireworks show. 

    The parade began down Boligee Street and circled the historic district with horse-drawn wagons, classic cars, and other vehicles operated by Greene County citizens. Following the parade, a presentation was orchestrated by the historical society. The presentation featured singing by the children’s choir and Loretta Webb-Wilson, recognition of veterans with a memorial wreath, and a speech by keynote speaker Chief Warrant Officer Five Darren L. Cook (retired).

    The Democrat was able to interview Councilwoman and committee member of the historical society Carrie Logan. She was inspired to help organize the event to share the stories that make the community unique. “The City of Eutaw, the Greene County Historical Society and the Chamber of Commerce all recognize that preserving our history and investing in our future go hand in hand,” she began. “Community events like this strengthen local pride while encouraging economic development and tourism.”

    When asked why hold a celebration here, Logan stated that it was important to celebrate in Eutaw’s historic district because it is the heart of the community. “It represents generations of history, architecture, and culture that deserve to be appreciated and preserved. Holding the celebration there allowed participants to experience the beauty and significance of the district firsthand rather than simply hearing about it. It also highlighted the importance of preserving these historic spaces while encouraging people to visit downtown, support local businesses, and see the district as a vibrant place where history continues to come alive.”

    When asked why Cook was chosen as the keynote speaker Logan stated that the organizers wanted a speaker “who could connect history with hope for the future—someone who understood the value of community, leadership, and service.” She was impacted by Cook’s words as they served as a reminder that “every community can shape its future by valuing its past, investing in its people, and working together.”

    Logan also informed us that The Greene County Historical Society will be hosting its annual Tour of Homes on October 3rd, 2026.

    Featured Image: Chief Warrant Officer Five Darren L. Cook (retired)

  • Nigerian Prince Tunde Odunlade in Eutaw, July 2

    Nigerian Prince Tunde Odunlade in Eutaw, July 2

    By Maya Quinn, managing editor

    On Thursday, June 2, the Renaissance Theater will hold an exhibition and performance for one of Nigeria’s most celebrated artists and cultural ambassadors, Prince Tunde Odunlade. His artistic career spans over five decades, and his works reflect the spirit and resilience of Yoruba culture. His exhibition will showcase his prints and batik artistry. He will also have a musical performance for attendees, free of charge.

    Prince Tunde Odunlade was raised in Yorubaland, where music, masquerades, textiles, and oral traditions were part of everyday life. Thus, it is no wonder that he refused to limit himself to a single form of artistic expression. His interest in various forms of expression led him to study under Yinka Adeyemi, known for music and multicolored batiks, and participate in the Oguntimehim Art Workshop in Oshogbo. These experiences helped him blend music, drama, poetry, and visual art into methods of cultural exchange. He believed that African artistic expression best presents itself when interconnected. 

    Odunlade is also known as an advocate for African arts and cultural exchange. His work inspired viewers to have global conversations about identity, spirituality, and social transformation. This legacy of cultural advocacy partially began with his participation in Festac ’77, also known as the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture. The event brought intellectuals and artists from African nations and the African diaspora. Their performances and exhibitions showcased Africa’s postcolonial identity to the world. In 2010, Odunlade continued to attract Western investment in African arts by leading a campaign tagged “Art as a tool to build a virile nation.” 

    Please join Mrs. Sandra Walker and the Renaissance Theater for this culturally significant event. Doors open at 6:30 pm, and the performance begins at 7:00 pm. Donations will be accepted.

    Featured Image: A portrait of Tunde Odunlade during Building Open Glam Photo Walk (Energyme/CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)