Greene County Democrat

Category: history

  • Alabama and Japan Celebrate 40 Years of Friendship

    Alabama and Japan Celebrate 40 Years of Friendship

    Consul General Kenichi Matsuda and Honorary Consul General of Japan, Mark B. Jackson, at the Sakura Festival in Snow Hinton Park

    The Japanese American Society of Alabama (JASA) hosted the 40th Annual Sakura Festival in Snow Hinton Park to celebrate the economic and cultural connection between the two countries. The festival featured performances, games, snacks, and ceremonies prominent in Japanese culture.

    The beginning of economic ties between Japan and Alabama began in the 1970s and 1980s with the establishment of the Alabama Development Office, which established a Tokyo trade office to attract Japanese investors. The trade office allowed a direct link for Japanese business operations to receive support in Alabama, fostering the need for an organization like JASA to maintain cooperative relationships. In 1999, the organization’s efforts to bridge the gap between cultures resulted in an economic milestone with Honda announcing its first assembly plant in Talladega County. Since then, Japan’s economic influence in Alabama has generated thousands of jobs and investments that have surpassed ten billion dollars.

    Seeing the importance of Japan maintaining relationships, JASA sought to fortify a cultural understanding of Japan.

    It is no secret that Japan is a country with a unique way of life centered on humility and respect. Many customs in Japan require humbling oneself with constant consideration for those who are older or in higher positions of authority. Greetings are soft spoken and involve bowing, the complete opposite of an energetic, southern greeting with a handshake. JASA knew that “Alabama should understand and embrace not only Japanese business concepts and expectations but also cultural and educational issues.”

     

    A person wearing a blue kimono-style outfit dances in a field, holding a fan with writing on it. Others are dancing in the background under a clear blue sky.
    Awa Odori Dance Elaina Agnello

    The Sakura Festival itinerary and stalls were rich with Japanese culture, including information and graphics about Tuscaloosa’s sister city in Japan, Norishino. After a warm welcome, Honorary Consul General of Japan Mark B. Jackson took to the stage. “This is the most honorable thing I’ve been doing,” he stated. Jackson has represented Alabama in Japan for over a decade and deeply appreciates the Japanese way of life. Once he finished addressing the crowd, he welcomed Consul General Kenichi Matsuda, who flew in from Japan for the event. Matsuda is grateful for the “southern hospitality” and welcoming atmosphere he can experience here in the States. He is committed to doing his “utmost to further advance the friendship and partnership between our two nations.” The two participated in a sake barrel-breaking ceremony to signify harmony and good fortune.

    Jackson and Matsuda in the sake barrel breaking ceremony

    Alongside friendship meetings and festivals, JASA sends students to Japan in an exchange program over the summer to further understand education. The program sends twenty high school students to Japan in June to stay with families, and the Japanese students return with them in July for two weeks as well. This exchange is imperative for the current generations to appreciate what each culture offers to the other. As Executive Director of Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International, Shelley Corrill said, “How can you not love each other when you’re eating barbecue or sushi together?”

    The relationship between Japan and Alabama is a vital component of the state’s economy. Companies like Daikin, Toray, and various automotive suppliers have a strong impact on the automotive and manufacturing markets, especially in Birmingham, Huntsville, and Decatur. Without Japan’s friendship, thousands would go unemployed. JASA’s continued efforts remind us of the importance of working with other nations instead of against them. In the words of Honorary Consul Jackson, “It’s all about one word—relationships.”

    To learn more about JASA and future cultural events, visit https://japanalabama.com/

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  • COVID-19

    As of May 19, 2022, at 10:00 AM
    (According to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,307,291 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (2,581) more than last week with 19,641 deaths (13) more
    than last week)

    Greene County had 1,877 confirmed cases, no more cases than last week), with 49 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 2,603 cases with 52 deaths

    Hale Co. had 4,748 cases with 106 deaths

    Note: Greene County Physicians Clinic has testing and vaccination for COVID-19; Call for appointments at 205/372-3388, Ext. 142; ages 5 and up.

  • Newswire : Selma Alabama celebrated Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr Day, Saturday, May 14, 2022

    Dr. Bernard LaFayette and wife at Mass Meeting – Photo by K.C. Bailey

    Dr. Bernard Lafayette and wife at Mass Meeting

    The City of Selma, Historic Tabernacle Baptist Church in Selma and the Selma Center for Non-violence, Truth and Reconciliation sponsored Dr. Bernard Lafayette Jr. Day on Saturday, May 14, 2022 in Selma. The day was to honor the civil rights and voting rights pioneer who has dedicated his life to promoting non-violence as a means toward social, political and economic justice for oppressed people.

    The day in Selma included a voting rights march and parade; voting rights festival; re-enactment of the first Mass Meeting of the Civil Rights era at Tabernacle Baptist Church and a
    Voting Rights banquet at the Jemison-Owens Gymnasium of Selma University. The theme of the day was “Voting Rights and Me”.

    Dr. Bernard Lafayette, Jr. helped to lay the foundation for himself, Dr. M. L. King, Jr. and other leaders and footsoldiers of the 1960s Voting Rights Movement in Selma, AL. Because of him Selma’s underground voting rights movement from the 1920’s became publicly visible upon the death of decades-long activist Mr. S W Boynton.

    Dr. Lafayette and Mrs. Amelia Boynton organized the first mass meeting/memorial service of the Voting Rights Movement at Tabernacle Baptist Church as daringly invited by then pastor, Dr. Louis Lloyd Anderson. The date was May 14, 1963. Dr. Lafayette, a freedom rider and co-founder of SNCC, organized the youth of Selma and surrounding areas from 1963 to 1965 that led to “Bloody Sunday,” “Turn-Around-Tuesday” and the “Selma to Montgomery March” which brought about the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

    Dr. Lafayette is now 81 years old; yet he continues to train all peoples in Kingian nonviolence, at the Selma Center for Non-violence, Truth and Reconciliation. This humble, gentle giant deserves overdue thanks for his lifetime of sacrifices for civil rights.

    Please contact Dr. Verdell Lett Dawson@ 334 526-0697 or Ainka Jackson at the Selma Center for Non-violence, http://www.selmacenterfornonviolence.org, 334-526-4539 for further information.

  • Shipwreck Museum in Cape Verde
    recalls Portugal’s past in the slave trade

    Shipwreck Museum exhibit

    May 16, 2022 (GIN) – The Republic of Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) is an archipelago island nation to the west of Senegal and Mauritania, consisting of 10 volcanic islands that lie between 320 and 460 nautical miles west of Cap-Vert, the westernmost point of continental Africa.
    The official language is Portuguese, the language of instruction and government and in newspapers, TV and radio, but the recognized national language is Cape Verdean Creole, spoken by the vast majority of the population.
    A sizeable Cape Verdean diaspora community exists across the world, especially in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and in Portugal, considerably outnumbering the inhabitants on the islands.
    New finds from archaeologists have brought to light fresh evidence of Cape Verde’s role in the transatlantic slave trade.
    Charles Akibode, director of Cape Verde’s Institute of Cultural Heritage claims nations often sent pirates to do their dirty work.
    The Portuguese colonization of the Cape Verde (Cabo Verde) began in 1462. Initially envisaged as a base to give mariners direct access to West African trade, the Central Atlantic islands soon became a major hub of the Atlantic slave trade.
    Enslaved Africans were used on the sugar plantations of the islands and sold on to ships sailing to the Americas. The islands gained independence from Portugal in 1975.
    As Cape Verde was much further from Portugal than the other Atlantic colonies (about two weeks sailing), the islands attracted fewer European settlers, especially women. As a consequence, Europeans and Africans intermarried on the islands, creating an Afro-Portuguese culture with a strong African religious and artistic influence.
    The Museu dos Náufragos (Shipwreck Museum), on the island of Boa Vista in Cape Verde, has reopened two years after the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic.
    Here, history is told from the period of the discoveries, slavery, isolation, survival, drought and Creole culture. The Museum is the result of the work of two decades by Maurizio Rossi, an Italian archaeologist.
    “This is a three-story museum that starts in the darkest part of history,” Rossi said. “Hundreds of objects are exhibited here such as finds from the wreck of historical ships off Boa Vista, pieces from the period of the pirate attacks to the island or from the sending of enslaved Africans to the Americas and, also, from the Cape Verdean art, and its evolution during the encounters of cultures.”
    Through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth century, a law enacted by the Portuguese government in 1899 allowed authorities to force any kind of work, no matter how low the wage or undesirable the situation, upon any unemployed male. This enabled the government to maintain the work force on the cocoa plantations during another grave famine in 1902 to 1903.
    In the 1950s, protest was mounting throughout Portuguese Africa. A group of Cape Verdeans and people from the mainland colony of Guinea-Bissau, led by Amilcar Cabral, joined forces to organize the Partido Africano de Independencia de Guine e Cabo Verde (PAIGC).
    Those who resisted politically were subject to the terrors of the Portuguese secret police, and sometimes imprisoned in the concentration camp at Tarrafal, on Sao Tiago. Built in 1936, it operated until 1956. It reopened in 1962, under the name of ‘Chão Bom Labour Camp’, with the purpose of incarcerating anti-colonial activists from Angola, Guinea-Bissau and Cabo Verde.
    On April 25, 1974, the government in Portugal was overthrown. The new Portuguese government was prepared to destroy their old colonies, but reconsidered, believing that they could still control the colonies with puppet governments. The Cape Verdeans resisted, supporting the PAIGC, and general strikes were called. The government surrendered when all services and production stopped.
    Independence Day was established on July 5, 1975 and is celebrated by Cape Verdeans throughout the world.  Many music lovers now know Cape Verde for the stunning work of singer Cesaria Evora.

  • Newswire : The Food and Drug Administration is taking aim at menthol cigarettes

    African american man smoking cigarette outdoors. Pensive person thinking

    Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from BlackMansStreet.Today

    
(TriceEdneyWire.com) – The Food and Drug Administration want to snuff out menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars which are popular with Blacks, but they have a strong supporter in Rev. Al Sharpton of the National Action Network.

 Xavier Becerra, Health and Human Services Secretary, said the proposed rule changed would prevent children from smoking and help adult smokers quit. 

Menthol is a flavor additive with minty aroma and taste that reduces the irritation and harshness of smoking. Advertising for menthol cigarettes are heavily marketed to African Americans, such as Kool and Newport.

My mother smoked Kools, as she called them, until she died of cancer. 

Tobacco use is leading cause of death among Blacks because it leads to heart disease, cancer and stroke. 

The New York Times reported that Sharpton wrote to Susan Rice, Director of the Domestic Policy Council, that banning menthol cigarettes will encourage Blacks to smoke unregulated herbal menthol varieties that promote criminal activity. 

Sharpton acknowledges that R.J. Reynolds, which changed its name to RAI Service Company, has supported his organization for two decades.

“This is an overdue step towards ending decades of racialized tobacco industry predation on African American! Each year 45,000 African American lose their lives to tobacco-inducted disease’s due in large part to menthol tobacco products,” said Carol McGruder of the African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council. 

The organization will host its third annual National Menthol Conference on September 28 to 30 at the Marriott Marquis in Washington D.C.

If the proposed rule is finalized and implemented, it would address manufacturers., distributors, wholesalers, importers, and retailers who, who manufacture and distribute the products in the U.S.

  • Newswire : Dr. Lisa Cook confirmed as first Black woman on Federal Reserve Board

    Dr. Lisa Cook

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Michigan State University Economics Professor Lisa Cook is the latest Biden-Harris administration nominee to break the glass ceiling, this time on the U.S. Federal Reserve Board.
Cook, well-known for her work on racial and gender equality, won Senate confirmation as the first Black woman to serve on the Fed Board in the agency’s 109-year history.
The history-making moment required a tie-breaking vote in the Senate from Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black woman to hold her position.
Each of the Senate’s 50 GOP members voted against Cook, while all 50 Democrats and Harris cast ballots in favor of the nomination.
“The Fed Board needs governors who understand how the economy works for Americans across race, gender, and class. Dr. Cook’s deep expertise makes her exceptionally qualified to serve,” Michele Holder, president of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth, wrote in a statement.
An adviser on the Biden-Harris and Obama-Biden transition teams, Cook will help set fiscal policy on the Fed Board.
“I was proud to cast my vote for Dr. Cook,” Georgia Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock stated.
“Her decades of experience as an economist and her Georgian sense of fairness will help promote balance and innovation to strengthen our economy,” Warnock concluded.

  • State Department of Alabama spotlights Child Nutrition Program in Greene County schools

    Greene County High School Cafeteria Serving Line

    The Greene County Board of Education met in regular session, Monday, May 16, 2022, with all board members present. The venue for the board meeting was changed on the day of the meeting from the Central Office to Greene County High School due to water issued related to the City of Eutaw. No water could be accessed in the building. City officials notified Superintendent Corey Jones of the difficulties stating that city workers were trying to alleviate the problem, but could not assure Dr. Jones when the problem would be resolved. Most of the Central Office staff were assigned to work from home.
    As part of his monthly report to the board, Superintendent Jones had Ms. Teresa Atkins, who currently serves as Acting Director of the Child Nutrition Program (CNP) for the school district, to give an overview of the CNP operations. Ms. Atkins noted that as a federal program, the CNP must follow particular guidelines regarding basic meal requirements as well as presentation of meals. The basic meal requirements differ according to student age groups. Ms. Atkins stated that to assure that the Greene County School System is providing nutritious and palatable meals, she partnered with the State Child Nutrition Program to assist her in enhancing the total meal service for students. This resulted in providing students with various choices of fresh fruits and vegetables, meats and breads. At GCHS students may also serve themselves on the lunch line.
    Ms. Atkins explained that the CNP Program is federally funded through reimbursements. “We can only get reimbursed for the meals actually served. If a student is at school and does not take a lunch tray, the system cannot claim funds for that meal; however, if a student takes a food tray and does not eat anything on the tray, the system can claim reimbursement.”
    Atkins noted that the CNP staff tries to accommodate the particular needs of students, such as catering to students with various allergies, other medical conditions governing the type of foods they can or cannot consume and religious preferences in foods. At the start of a school year, parents/guardians are asked to complete a questionnaire on each child noting the exceptions in foods their child requires.
    The week of April 11-15, 2022, Greene County High School lunchroom was featured on the State’s Child Nutrition facebook page. Atkins said this special recognition from the State Department was the results of revamping the serving lines, training staff on how to offer students more options for both breakfast and lunch and creating an inviting atmosphere in the cafeteria.
    In continuing his report, Superintendent Jones announced that summer school is scheduled from June 6-30, 2022 from 8:00 AM until 1:00 PM, four days per week. The classes will focus on individual student deficiencies and weaknesses and credit recovery as needed. Enrichment activities will be a major focus of the summer program as well. Hopefully, educational and fun field trips will be scheduled.
    Dr. Jones also gave positive news updates on each of the schools. At Eutaw Primary educators and scholars celebrated May Day. Scholars who participated in the After-School Program visited the Montgomery zoo on Friday, May 13, 2022. Third Grade Graduation was held Monday, May 16, 2022. Educators and scholars will show their support for Mental Health Awareness Month by wearing green on Friday, May 20, 2022.
    Robert Brown Middle School observed Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-6, with lunch and snacks provided by school partners. Faculty and students held a volley game. May 18 was Honors Day Program. May 25 is RBMS graduation.
    At Greene County High School, Cosmetology Department, over 30 students participated in the Hair Show on May 6. The track team, students from GCHS and RBMS, participated in Sectionals. Thirteen of the dual enrollment scholars received certificates in Welding from Wallace Community College Selma. Greene County High School was spotlighted in the Break for a Plate Alabama and Alabama CNP State Newsletter. Teachers and scholars participated in Community Service Project to support Branch Heights Residents impacted by the tornado. A blood drive was held at GCHS on April 22, sponsored by the Greene County Career Center’s HOSA-Future Health Professionals.
    .The personnel service items recommended by the superintendent and approved by the board are as follows:
    Non-renewal, Robert Brown Middle School: Carrie Rhodes, 4th Grade Teacher; Cyontai Lewis, Physical Education Teacher; Richard Cammon, Social Studies Teacher; LaDasia Grace, 7th & 8th Grade Social Studies; Richard Cammon, 6th Grade Teacher; Marquavius King, 6th Grade Language Arts; Glenara Faust , 5th Grade Teacher;
    Non-renewal, Greene County High School: Cassandra Freeman, Chemistry Teacher; Arthur Williamson, English Teacher;
    Non-renewal, Eutaw Primary School: Destiny Taylor, 2nd Grade Teacher; Malesha Williams, Elementary Teacher;
    Retirement: Gloria Lyons, Cafeteria Worker, Greene County High School effective May 1, 2022; Debra Waiters, Parent Involvement Facilitator, July 1, 2022.
    Medical Leave: Shirley Noland, effective February 2, 2022, thru April 22, 2022.
    Catastrophic Leave and FMLA Leave: Jennifer Reeves, starting March 28, 2022, ending May 9, 2022.
    Employment of the following teachers for Summer School June 6 – July 15, 2022.
    Greene County High School: Clifford Reynolds; Kaneeda Coleman; Tameshia Porter; Angela Harkness; Drenda Morton; Dutchess Jones; Janice Jeames.
    Robert Brown Middle School: Vanessa Bryant; Raven Bryant; Felecia Smith; Nkenge Reynolds; Elroy Skinner; Monquelle Wigfall; Leanita Hunt; Dorris Robinson; Pinkie Travis.
    Eutaw Primary School: Genetta Bishop: Gwendolyn Webb; Tara Thomas; Pamela Pasteur; Quenterica White; Montoya Hurst-Binion; Cheryl Morrow; Carla Durrett; Keisha Williams.
    Child Nutrition Program: Burnia Cripin; Sandy Wilson; Romanda Askew; Jacqueline Pickens; Rosie Davis.
    The following administrative services were approved by the board.
    * Bank reconciliations as submitted by Ms. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
    * Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
    * Contractual Agreement between Greene County Board and Behavior Aide, Denise Horton.
    * Agreement between Greene County Board and Amy Quitt, Speech Language Therapy Services.
    * Approval of 2022-2023 School Calendar.
    * Approval of Summer School Program, starting June 6, 2022 – July 15, 2022.
    * Approval of 4-day work week for all extended employees beginning June 6 and ending no later than July 29, 2022.
    * Retroactively Authorization Debit Card Account at Merchant and Farmers Bank.
    * Credit Card for Travel and Expenditures.
    Purchase New Vehicle for Superintendent.


    The Financial Snapshot as of April 30, 2022 presented by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, Chief Financial Officer is as follows: General Fund Balance – $2,873,434.22 (reconciled to the Summary Cash report); Accounts Payable Check Register – $168,727.62; Payroll Register $862,388.60; Combined Ending Fund Balance – $5,538,710. Local revenue for the month from property taxes, sales and other taxes and bingo revenue totaled $202,184.

     

  • COVID-19

    As of May 13, 2022, at 10:00 AM
    (According to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,304,710 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (1,965) more than last week with 19,628 deaths (27) more
    than last week)

    Greene County had 1,877 confirmed cases, (2) more cases than last week), with 49 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 2,594 cases with 51 deaths

    Hale Co. had 4,741 cases with 106 deaths

    Note: Greene County Physicians Clinic has testing and vaccination for COVID-19; Call for appointments at 205/372-3388, Ext. 142; ages 5 and up.

  • Greene County Emergency Medical Services
    faces financial and operating crisis

    Zack Bolding, Acting Director of GEMS, presented a report at EMS meeting

    At its regular monthly meeting, on May 3, 2022 at Eutaw City Hall, the Greene County Emergency Medical Services (GEMS) Board of Directors heard a dire report of financial and operating crisis facing the county’s ambulance service.

    Zack Bolding, Acting Director of GEMS, presented a report of difficult conditions facing the ambulance service, in terms of its equipment, personnel, inadequate base of operations, low reimbursement rates and overall operational finances. The picture he painted was one of imminent collapse and curtailed services unless the County Commission, municipal governments, major employers and others in need of the ambulance service do something to help support the operating and physical equipment budgets of the GEMS.

    Joe Lee Powell, current Board Chairperson indicated, “We called this meeting, invited sponsoring organizations and we need to hear the situation and try to act to save our ambulance service. We have used contributions to the GEMS Board over the past few months to help make the payroll. We know there are financial and equipment problems, which we can solve if we work together.”

    Bolding presented a detailed written report of the status of the ambulance service. “We are providing an ALS-1 ambulance service (a vehicle with a driver and paramedic on board), on a 24/7 basis. We are doing this with one usable ambulance and two other transport vehicles, which are well behind their safe-service life, in terms of mileage and wear and tear.”

    Bolding indicated that the ambulance service must operate under the laws of Alabama, which have minimal vehicle and personnel standards, which they are barely meeting, to meet state requirements and standards.

    Bolding said, “Greene County is the second most rural county in Alabama, behind Wilcox County. We have 660 total square miles, including 13 square miles of water with a 2020 population of 7,730 or 12 per square mile. It is very difficult to serve such a large county in and area, coupled with roadways like Interstate20/59 and State Highways 43,11,14 and 39,
    which traverse our county and bring accidents and other situations that require ambulance services.”

    “Beyond the emergency services, we also transport patients to hospitals, specialists and other regular treatments, like dialysis, wound care and cancer care. We need three (3) running modern equipped and staffed
    ambulance vehicles to handle the demand. We have one 2018 ambulance in running order; we have a second ambulance box, which is awaiting remount and replacement on a new body, which will be ready this summer; a 1995 ambulance and a 1981 ambulance that are past their safe-service life,” said Bolding.

    Bolding also pointed out that he had to recruit new staff since he took over the system from Nick Wilson, who in turn was selected as director when Bennie Abrams and Stanley Lucius retired in 2020. “ Abrams and Lucius ran the service as best they could without a lot of help and support, including in effect volunteering a lot of their time, instead of being paid. To run a modern efficient system, you must pay all of your staff under Fair Labor Standards, with minimums and overtime, The staff must also receive health and life insurance benefits, which we have arranged for the first time, ” said Bolding.

    Bolding also decried the condition of the old Warrior Academy site, which the GEMS is using as its base of operations. He complained of inoperable toilets, no showers, inadequate food preparation services,
    no areas for staff to clean and wash their clothes, which are often contaminated by blood, mud and other things, as part of daily operations.

    Bolding included a chart in his report indicating that the service rates, charged by GEMS are below allowable Medicare, Medicaid and third-party insurance payer reimbursement rates and could be raised to bring in greater revenues. The GEMS Board approved a contract with Capstone Claims in Tuscaloosa to remedy some of these problems by raising service rates for ambulance services, to bring in greater revenues.

    Bolding report indicated service revenues of $617,179 for calendar year 2021, although he estimated that the operational budget, including all costs was around a million dollars a year. This leaves a deficit of $300,000 to $400,000 in expenses over revenues, not including cost for capital improvements, ambulances and equipment.

    Powell said, “The Greene County EMS needs help and support from the county, municipalities, employers, bingos and others to save the ambulance service. One quarter of a mil in property taxes, per year, about $40,000, is not enough to cover the full costs of this service.”

    Powell suggested a meeting on May 17, 2022 at 3:00 PM at the Eutaw City Hall with the GEMS Board, County Commissioners, Mayors, large employers and other to work on the problems of the ambulance service. The GEMS Board passed a motion for this meeting and requested that Zack Bolding prepare an operating budget and a capital improvements budget for the sponsors and partners of the ambulance service to review at that time and make commitment to save the ambulance system for Greene County.

  • Newswire: Former Black Panther Sundiata Acoli wins parole appeal after nearly 50 years in prison

    Sundiata Acoli

    By Anoa Changa, NewsOne

    After nearly 50 years in prison, Sundiata Acoli is finally going home to spend his remaining days with his daughter and loved ones. The New Jersey Supreme Court released its decision Tuesday morning granting Acoli’s bid for freedom.  
    Setting aside any political concerns underlying Acoli’s case, the state Supreme Court determined the parole board’s continued denial was “not supported by substantial evidence in the record or by a reasonable weighing of the relevant factors in N.J.A.C. 10A:71-3.11(b) that govern parole.” 
    “Even under the most deferential standard of review, the Board has failed to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that there is a substantial likelihood that, if released on parole, Acoli will commit a crime,” read the decision. “Acoli must be released because the statutory standards for granting parole have been met, without regard to extraneous factors like sympathy or passion or public opinion.”  
    Advocates were pleased with court’s decision.
    “We applaud the New Jersey Supreme Court in granting Mr. Acoli’s freedom and correcting the parole board’s improper application of the law by denying his petition for release after serving more than 49 years in prison,” said Soffiyah Elijah, Civil Rights attorney and one of the primary advocates for Acoli. “It’s time now for Mr. Acoli to live the rest of his life in the loving care of his family and community,” Elijah added.  
    The preponderance of the evidence standard burden on the state is relatively low compared to the reasonable doubt standard present in criminal proceedings. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy issued a statement expressing his disappointment and choosing to lionize law enforcement as “heroes” without any acknowledgment of why the parole board made its determination. The New Jersey State Police similarly expressed disappointment in a Facebook post.
    But as the state Supreme Court noted personal feelings and opinions have no bearing on the determination of whether Acoli was eligible for parole based on his conviction arising out of the 1973 killing of Trooper Werner Foerster. According to the court’s majority, the applicable law is clear in the proper outcome. 
    As NewsOne reported in January, Acoli’s release was backed by several groups, including Black law enforcement organizations.
    “Holistic review of the parole hearing transcript from the full June 2016 hearing suggests the Parole Board does not fear Mr. Acoli has a substantial likelihood of future criminal activity,” explained the Black law enforcement groups in a brief supporting Acoli’s appeal. “Rather, the questioning by Parole Board members reveals a deep-seated discomfort with Mr. Acoli’s political affiliations and beliefs, anger and frustration at his unwillingness to accede to the facts of the crime as found by the jury which he has always maintained he does not remember, and concern that he has not been sufficiently punished even after all these years. Dissatisfaction with an old man’s contrition and memory does not equate to credible evidence of a substantial likelihood that he will commit a crime if released.”
    His case also put a spotlight on the issues involved with those aging while incarcerated and the punitive approach of some state parole boards. Estimates suggest that continued incarceration of older individuals costs twice as much as a younger person, given the additional health needs with age.  
    Lumumba Bandele, a coordinator with the Bring Sundiata Acoli Home Alliance and organizer with the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, challenged the arbitrary withholding of parole. 
    “What we found nationally is there is a huge problem around parole, and people utilizing parole as a punitive measure,” Bandele said.  
    It’s hard to believe the nature of the underlying charge and the politics surrounding his arrest and conviction had nothing to do with the continued incarceration. But as the state supreme court noted, it’s of no consequence to the statutory factors laid out for establishing whether Acoli was eligible for release. 
    As news of Acoli’s pending release spread, the Release Aging People in Prison Campaign held a justice day action in Albany, New York. One speaker said that “revenge and perpetual punishment does not equal justice.” 
    The group advocates for parole justice as a part of elder justice. A 2015 report by the Center for Justice at Columbia University argued that reducing elder incarceration is a part of comprehensive public safety strategies. The movement to release aging people has been widespread with recognition of how the application of state laws effectively converted some sentences to de-facto life sentences.  
    While Acoli won his appeal, he still has yet to be released into the care of his daughter and loved ones. His family is one of many waiting for the return of their loved ones.
    “There are, unfortunately, dozens of other incarcerated movement elders who are in similar positions, almost all of them are battling health issues and not just health issues, but life-threatening health issues,” Bandele previously explained.