The Greene County Democrat

Category: history

  • Federation provides update on Black farmer debt relief lawsuit

    By: John Zippert, Co-Publisher

    The Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund (Federation), a regional Black farmer, landowner and cooperative development association has been the primary advocate for Black farmers in combating lawsuits by white farmers to block debt relief assistance under Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan.

    The Federation filed a motion to intervene in the Texas case of Miller vs. Vilsack, in October 2021. Judge Reed O’Connor denied the Federation’s motion to intervene on December 8, 2021. The Federation appealed this decision to deny its motion to intervene at the end of December. Both sides have submitted briefs in the appeal which is currently pending.

    “It is with great concern that the Federation continues to work to persuade the Texas district court in Miller vs. Vilsack to allow the voices of and interests of our member-farmers to be heard during the Texas case that threatens their very existence. The impact of the delayed debt relief for Black and underserved farmers as it pertains to the American Rescue Act is already being experienced by our member-farmers in the form of foreclosure letters and lost land,” said Cornelius Blanding, Executive Director of the Federation.

    The Federation continues to advocate for its member-farmers with all of the legal instruments available for the USDA promised black farmer debt relief under Section 1005 of the American Rescue Plan. The Federation cannot allow their voices to be excluded from this lawsuit because they have far too much to lose. The white farmers in the case will be able to provide their reasons for trying to prevent Black, Indigenous and other farmers of color (BIPOC) from receiving the USDA promised aid. In the spirit of racial justice and fairness, the Black and other farmers of color must be afforded the same opportunity to share with the judge why the case should be thrown out and they receive the USDA promised aid.

    There were provisions in the proposed Build Back Better Act to provide debt relief to economically disadvantaged farmers, which included many of the Black farmers promised debt relief in the American Rescue Plan. The Build Back Better legislation has stalled in the U. S. Senate because of the opposition of all Republican and two Democratic Senators.

    “With the shift away from the racial equity focus on debt relief provisions of the Build Back Better legislation and its passage at a standstill, our members desperately need the Judge in this lawsuit to allow them to intervene as parties so they can share their experiences of racial discrimination and the very real risk of foreclosure our member-farmers, especially those with guaranteed loans, continue to face if Section 1005 is not fully implemented as passed last year,” said Dania Davy, the Federation’s Attorney and Director of Land Assistance Programs.

    Blanding stated, “The Federation of Southern Cooperatives celebrates the commitment Secretary Vilsack and the Biden Administration has shown towards the plight of the Black farmers and all farmers and ranchers of color. Secretary Vilsack and the USDA continues to honor their commitment to racial equity, as shown by the last week’s January 10th renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) extending the partnership between the USDA and the Federation of Southern Cooperatives at our administrative offices. We remain committed to executing all existing avenues available to remove all barriers experienced by farmers of color.”

    The MOU renews a partnership between the Federation, the National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the US Forest Service, and the National Agroforestry Center aimed at increasing the number of black and underserved landowners in the South and support them in sustainable forestry and agroforestry practices.

    Additionally, Secretary Vilsack announced the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund is the recipient of a new NRCS Equity agreement focusing on the critical role African-American and other underserved landowners play in forest management, food production, conservation, wood energy, and climate mitigation.

    “The Federation is honored to continue to serve our members and their communities in ways that promote fair and racially equitable access to USDA programs and services and the critical technical assistance to improve program participation in programs towards promoting a more just and sustainable environment for all the communities we serve and the Southern region as a whole. The Federation’s Rural Training and Research Center, located in Epes, Alabama (Sumter County) and Regional Community Forest Initiative will be critical components of this work, “stated Blanding.

    The Federation can be reached through its website: http://www.federation.coop or by calling 205-652-9676 in Epes, Alabama.
    ______________________


     

  • COVID-19

    As of February 8, 2022, at 10:00 AM
    (according to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,250,3 83confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (26,487) more than last week with 17,407 deaths (261) more
    than last week)

    Greene County had 1,770 confirmed cases, (36) more cases than last week), with 47 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 2,325 cases with 43 deaths

    Hale Co. had 4,476 cases with 95 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 : Kenyan tealeaf pickers, overworked and underpaid, get their day in court

    Kenyan tealeaf pickers at work


    Jan. 31, 2022 (GIN) – After years of seeing their complaints stalled, postponed, and thrown out of court, some 700 Kenyan plantation workers have finally won their bid to sue a British-based tea company for imposing work conditions that they say caused crippling physical harm while getting paid poverty wages at a Kenyan tea plantation.
     
    In the landmark lawsuit, the James Finlay (Kenya) Ltd. Tea company is alleged to have exposed workers to conditions that would result in permanent damage to their spines. The case was filed by Ronald K. Onyango Advocates, a Nairobi-based human rights-focused law firm.
     
    Tea country in Kericho – where one of Finlay’s massive estates stretches across 25,000 acres – is a hot spot for tourists who are drawn to the region’s “beautiful rolling hills carpeted in neat, bright green tea bushes as far as the eye can see,” writes TripAdvisor. “The climate here is perfect for tea with rain falling almost every afternoon.”
     
    Yet workers have few opportunities to appreciate the area’s natural beauty. In testimony before court, tea-pickers said they had to work up to 12 hours a day in a six day week and carry up to 26 lbs of the tea leaf pickings on their back for over half a mile of rough and hilly ground and slopes. In some cases, they were expected to collect up to 66 lbs of tea in a day or not get paid.
     
    This gave rise to tripping and falling while carrying the pickings baskets and also prolonged the bending, twisting and reaching required in gathering the tea.
     
    The case strikes at the heart of an uncomfortable reality, wrote Emily Dugan, prize-winning reporter for the UK Sunday Times, “that British companies continue to impose working conditions in poorer countries far below what would be acceptable at home.”
     
    In the U.S., Finlay has headquarters in Lincoln, Rhode Island, and offices in Texas and Florham Park, NJ. It is sold widely in the ShopRite chain in NJ.
     
    In Kenya, some 7,000 people live and work on Finlay’s farms, harvesting 28 million kilos of leaves every year. The work is alleged to have accelerated the ageing of its pickers’ backs for as much as 20 years.
     
    An initial lawsuit was filed in 2017 against the Finlay company which has been fighting the case since then. Initially, Finlay avoided liability by using a ‘complex corporate structure’ which, they claimed, alienated it from the management of its global subsidiaries.
     
    They further deny that anybody still picks by hand. However, handpicking is still used to harvest quality tea, notes the Voice of America, because it is easier to take two leaves and a bud without damaging the plant.
     
    Efforts by growers to introduce mechanization, however, are making headway. Hundreds of employees have lost their jobs since a court ruled last year against a union’s attempt to ban tea leaf harvesting machines. Kenya Tea Workers Union rep Jared Momanyi says job losses are likely to increase.
     
    When contacted by the press, a spokesman for Finlay said the company was saddened by the alleged mistreatment of employees. “We cannot comment on the ongoing litigation, but Finlay’s is committed to maintaining high standards and working conditions for our employees,” the spokesman said.
     

     

  • Newswire: Critical Race Theory and the banning
    of Black authors in schools, libraries, and prisons

    ESSA Demands Full Transparency on K-12 Educational Funding By Lauren Poteat (NNPA Newswire Contributor) Public school systems throughout the nation will now be required to be a lot more transparent when it comes to school funding. According to the federal Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), signed into law by President Barack Obama in 2015, all public schools nationwide, will be required to give fully-detailed reports on how and where they spend institutional funding. The ESSA reporting requirement for school funding begins in December 2019, and supporters of the rule, including the NAACP, believe it will help to encourage greater educational equity, particularly among schools serving large numbers of Black and Hispanic students in low-income neighborhoods. “We need more equitable and adequate funding for all schools serving students of color,” said Victor Goode, the education director for the NAACP. “Why? Because education funding has been inadequate and unequal for students of color for hundreds of years. Second, privatization forces are working to eliminate our public schools and, with it, transparency, public accountability and access to all.” Goode said that ESSA requires a breakdown of how student need is met with a focus on equity over equal distribution for funding. Goode continued: “That explains the reason behind the school-by-school, per pupil spending report. This kind of public transparency is a good thing and can help provide more meaningful parental and community engagement, which is also essential to accountability and achieving educational equity.” According to the Brookings Institution, a nonprofit public policy organization, based in Washington, D.C., that conducts research on solving societal problems locally, nationwide and globally, to date minority students are still far more less likely than White students to have adequate school resources. In addition, the Brookings Institution reported that schools with predominantly Bl

     

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    Celeste Headlee paused as she contemplated how Black authors have for decades endured the banning of their books in schools, libraries, on shelves across the country, and even in prisons.
    In the summer of 2020 and the aftermath of the murder of George Floyd, a major publishing house turned down the opportunity to obtain Headlee’s book “Speaking of Race: Why Everybody Needs to Talk About Racism – and How to Do It.”

    The reason?“They said they had enough books on race and that this topic is covered for us,” Headlee recounted. “It was very surprising since we were offering it in the summer of 2020.”

    Headlee, who co-hosts the Retro Report on PBS and is affectionately known as the “light-skinned Black Jew,” ultimately sold her book to Harper Collins Publishing, who published it in 2021.

    She counts among dozens of Black authors whose works are being pulled from school libraries under the pretext that they’re teaching critical race theory.As noted in a recent report, most of the books targeted don’t teach critical race theory but are written by and about people of color.

    According to the American Library Association, its Office for Intellectual Freedom reported that 273 books were affected by censorship attempts in 2020, many with content highlighting race, gender, and sexuality.

    Since September 2021, at least 230 challenges have been made against Black-authored books.
    Tiffany D. Jackson, the author of the 2018 novel “Monday’s Not Coming,” about missing girls of color, remains in the throes of a similar controversy.

    Yahoo! News Writer Tat Bellamy-Walker reported that during a school board meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, parents demanded that officials ban Jackson’s work for “sexual content.” In an email to Bellamy-Walker, Jackson, a Black woman, said the book discusses friendship, dyslexia, community, healing, and mentions sex, though it’s not acted.

    Further, celebrated Black children’s author and illustrator Jerry Craft told NBC News that he received a message saying a school library in Texas pulled some of his books. “I was caught off guard,” stated Craft, the Newbery Medal-winning author of the 2019 graphic novel “New Kid.”

    “I felt bad for the kids because I know how much they love ‘New Kid’ and ‘Class Act.’ I know what my school visits do. … I felt bad if there was going to be some kids that would not be able to take advantage of that.”

    NBC reported that the individual who sent the message to Craft hailed from Katy, Texas, a town near Houston that’s come under fire for attempts to limit the public’s access to books that teach about racism.

    In October, the Katy Independent School District made headlines for temporarily yanking two of Craft’s books, which tell the stories of Black boys who experience racism in schools, from school libraries and postponing his virtual visit.

    “Apparently, I’m teaching critical race theory,” Craft wrote in response to a parent confused about the ban, citing the decades-old academic and legal framework that teaches about racism in America.

    The banning of works by Black authors extends to American prisons. Andy Chan and Michelle Dillon, who serve on the board of the nonprofit organization Books to Prisoners, said the need for educational and self-empowering materials in prisons remains vast.

    In an op-ed, they contended that prisons routinely impede access for arbitrary and biased reasons despite the need. The duo pointed out that it’s a practice long overdue for public examination.

    “A recent rejection from South Central Correctional Facility (SCCF) in Clifton, Tenn., epitomizes this issue. In late December, SCCF returned a package of rejected books to Books to Prisoners,” the pair summarized.
    “Inside were three books we had sent to an incarcerated reader and a note scrawled by a prison guard reading simply: ‘Malcolm X not allowed.’ The offending book, ‘Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary,’ is a Scholastic biography intended for grades 7-12,” Chan and Dillon asserted.

    “Prison censorship is still shocking to us, even after years of work with Books to Prisoners, but it rarely surprises us now.”

    Headlee noted that even the late Pulitzer Prize-winning author Maya Angelou endured censorship. “For quite some time, Maya Angelou was called the most banned author in America,” Headlee recalled.

    “Her book, ‘I know why the Caged Bird Sings,’ was banned several times. She is an author who won the Pulitzer Prize and an Emmy. But there was one case in which they claimed her book caused bitterness and hatred toward white people. So, here we are again. It has happened again and again. You can’t get through a decade in the United States without seeing books by Black authors banned.”

    She said her book could offer some assistance. “It’s meant to diffuse some of the apprehension that people feel about talking about race without getting into an argument,” Headlee said. “And maybe make a little progress.”

  • Newswire: Justice Breyer retiring, opening way for first Black woman to serve on Supreme Court

    Ketanji Brown Jackson, Leondra Kruger, Michelle Childs, Sherrilyn Ifill

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    When President Joe Biden campaigned for office in 2020, one of his most profound pledges included naming a Black woman to the United States Supreme Court. He now has an exceptional opportunity to fulfill that promise.

    Justice Stephen G. Breyer, the senior liberal wing member, announced his retirement, standing beside President Biden at the White House last Thursday. The oldest member of the court, Justice Breyer, 83, was appointed in 1994 by President Bill Clinton.

    Following two appointees by former President Donald Trump, the court spun into conservative control, making President Biden’s upcoming pick more vital.

    But Democrats must act fast with the midterm elections fast approaching, and Republicans could seize control of the Senate and block a Biden appointment.

    “I’m looking forward to making sure there’s a Black woman on the Supreme Court, to make sure we, in fact, get every representation,” President Biden declared early in 2021. Out of the 115 U.S. Supreme Court Justices in history, there have been just two African Americans, one Latina, and only five women.

    “This is a big moment in the making,” Ben Jealous, the former NAACP leader and current president of People for the American Way, said recently. “The presumption is that whomever Biden nominates, the first Black woman to the Supreme Court would be filling both the shoes of Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall,” Jealous asserted.

    Earlier, Aimee Allison, the founder of She the People, an activist group that aims to elevate women of color, called President Biden’s pledge “a step in the right direction.”
    “Appointing a Black woman to the Supreme Court may be his attempt to right past wrongs,” Allison insisted.

    Daniel L Goldberg, legal director of the progressive Alliance for Justice, has said a Black woman on the Supreme Court was long overdue. “It is stunning that in the entire history of the republic, that no African American woman has sat on the highest court in the country,” Goldberg said. “For way too long in our nation’s history, the only people who were considered suitable and qualified for the court happened to be white males.”

    In a statement, the White House said “multiple individuals” are under consideration among them: Judge Michelle Childs of the South Carolina District Court, DC Circuit Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, California Supreme Court Justice Leondra Kruger, and civil rights attorney Sherrilyn Ifill.

    Others reportedly being considered include 9th Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Holly A. Thomas, federal Circuit Court Judge Tiffany P. Cunningham, civil rights attorney and 11th Circuit Court candidate Nancy G. Abudu, 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals nominee Arianna J. Freeman, NYU law professor Melissa Murray, 7th Circuit Judge Candace Jackson-Akiwumi, District Judge Wilhelmina “Mimi” Wright, North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Anita Earls, and 2nd Circuit Judge Eunice Lee.

  • Eutaw City Council January 2022 meetings
    move city forward

    Eutaw Mayor Latasha Johnson shown surrounded by the Eutaw City Councilmembers Jacqueline Stewart, Valerie Watkins, Larrie Coleman and Tracie Hunter as she displays resolution in honor of Ms. Rosie Carpenter 100th birthday.–Photo by Corey Martin

    The Eutaw City Council, under the direction of Mayor Latasha Johnson, met for its two regular meetings for the month of January 2022 on the 13th and 25th. The City continued to make progress in getting its financial records and activities in order.

    CPA Rick Harbin of Tuscaloosa made a compilation report of the city’s finances for the years 2018, 2019 and 2020. He said he was unable to audit these years because the documentation accompanying funds received and deposited was not traceable back to specific accounts and activities. For example, deposits were made for the water department without itemizing which accounts were being paid. These years were under the administration of the prior mayor and council.

    Harbin said he had established account balances at the fiscal year ending September 30 2017 through September 30, 2020 and financial activities for the three years showing the city’s net assets increasing year over year. For the Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2020, the City of Eutaw had current assets of $1,821,038 and fixed assets, less depreciation, of $9,758,554 for total assets of $11,579,592. There was a total of $2,466,056 in current and long-term liabilities for a net assets of $9,113,536.

    Harbin said he hoped to be able to audit the last fiscals year from October 1, 2020 to September 30 2021 because there were better records and documentation for this period. He said the city was currently utilizing a better system of computerized accounting which will help in the audits for the future. Several of the city’s funders and lenders require audited financial statements to continue receiving assistance. Harbin said he would present his information to them and promise auditable figures going forward.

    At the January 13th meeting the Council approved a lease agreement between the city and Supreme Electrical LLC. The Council approved a deed transferring the airport property to the Eutaw Airport Authority Board of Directors, for them to seek grants to improve the airport. If the Airport Authority no longer needs the property, it will revert to the City. The Council accepted and approved a bid of $14,000 from Travis Service Company to provide a 2–5-ton split heat pump system for R. H. Young Community Center in Eutaw.

    The Council approved seeking bids for speed bumps on Kirksey Avenue, Brown Avenue, Roebuck Avenue, O’Neal Street and Vera Vista Avenue. Councilwoman Valerie Watkins has been pushing for these traffic safety measures since her election to the council last year.

    The Council approved appointment of a Litter Advisory Committee to help encourage residents of the city to be neater and not throw litter on the streets. The city has also secured anti-littering signs which will be posted around the city advising of a $500 fine for littering. Chief Tommie Johnson said the police department would be enforcing the anti-littering laws.

    In the January 25th meeting the Council also heard a report from Douglas Fulghum with the Auburn Extension Service about plans to improve transportation and walking in the city. The Council also approved advertising for a “grant writer” to compile funding proposals for the city to public and private funding agencies. The Council also approved settlements with past employees for leave time and other benefits owed.

    The Council approved a Tax Revenue Enhancement Agreement for business license administration with Avenu Insights & Analytics to ensure that all businesses in the city are paying their business license fees. Mayor Johnson reminded the public that January 31, 2022 was the deadline for paying for 2022 business licenses, after which a penalty and interest will be assessed.

    The Council approved travel for several employees to training conferences and meetings.

  • COVID-19

    As of February 1, 2022, at 10:00 AM
    (according to Alabama Political Reporter)

    Alabama had 1,223,896 confirmed cases of coronavirus,
    (51,236) more than last week with 17,146 deaths (198) more
    than last week)

    Greene County had 1,736 confirmed cases, (71 more cases than last week), with 47 deaths

    Sumter Co. had 2,273 cases with 43 deaths

    Hale Co. had 4,407 cases with 95 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.

  • Sharlene French qualifies for County Commission,
    District 5

    To the Citizens of Greene County in District 5: I, Sharlene French, would like to introduce myself as a candidate for Greene County Commission, District 5. I am a lifelong resident of Greene County, raised in Boligee, AL I am ready to serve the people of District 5. I love providing service to my people. I care about health, safety and the welfare of all the citizens in Greene County. I will be an effective leader for district 5. I am asking for your support and vote to become your next County Commissioner. I look forward to working with all of you for the progress of Greene County. Vote Sharlene French for Greene County Commissioner, District 5.

  • Hank McWhorter seeks Greene County sheriff’s position

    Retired Greene County Sheriff’s Department Chief Deputy, Henry “Hank” McWhorter, recently announced his candidacy for the office of Greene County Sheriff in the May 24, 2022 Democratic Primary.
    McWhorter has over thirty-five years of experience in law enforcement and spent almost ten years working in the Greene County Sheriff’s Department. He is a full-time resident of Greene County and resides in the Tishabee community.
    McWhorter understands first-hand the problems and issues that face crime victims, county deputies and county residents. Among his concerns facing the county is that there is one deputy on average patrolling 632 square miles (not counting waterways) with sparse radio or telephone reception. This must be a top priority to correct to ensure the safety of deputies and citizens alike to prevent a tragedy from occurring.
    According to McWhorter, “If you live in the county, you are aware of the problems, because you see them every day. I feel I am the best qualified and experienced candidate to lead the Greene County Sheriff’s Department for the next four years.”
    McWhorter added, “Please support my campaign. With new ideas, we can bring about a change to the current sad state of affairs in the department and in our County. Remember the darkest hour is just before the dawn, and together we can bring about the changes so drastically needed in Greene County. Please vote for me on Tuesday, May 24, 2022 in the Greene County Democratic Primary, and may God bless each of you and Greene County.”

  • Summerville seeks re-election as County Commissioner, District 5

    Roshanda Summerville

    Do not withhold good from those whom it is due, When it’s in your power to act. -Proverbs 3:27


    Citizens of Greene County and Voters of District 5, I am seeking your support, prayers and votes to be re-elected as Greene County Commissioner District 5. My plan has always been relatively simple but also beneficial. When I took my oath back four years ago, it was to serve the voters of District 5 and the citizens of Greene County. I would like to continue representing and serving the citizens of Greene County and voters of District 5 with profound integrity and grace.
    I am always dedicated, fair, and firm in what I believe will move Greene County and District 5 forward. I have made improvements to District 5 and Greene County and yet we still have a long way to go. I ask you, the voters of District 5, to vote for the obvious choice in the Primary Election on May 24, 2022 and re-elect Roshanda Summerville, a proven leader as Greene County Commissioner District 5. Keep Progress Working For You.