Muncie Times, Muncie, Delaware County, 19 April 2001 — Page 3

The Muncie Times, April 19, 2001, page 3

NEWS BRIEFS

Compiled By Andre Scott Detroiter wants to buy Vegas casino A black entrepreneur from Detroit, Mich., Donald Barden, is poised to become the first African American owner of a Las Vegas Casino. Barden, who operates a casino in Indiana, is expected to invest millions of dollars of his own money towards the purchase of the Fitzgerald Hotel Casino, which is in bankruptcy. The deal, which is expected to cost Barden $149 million, is contingent upon the forgiveness of $205 million in public debt. Arizona State University gets 1st black police chief EAST VALLEY, ARIZ.— John L Pickens, who has a long history in law enforcement recently became the first African American director chief of police at Arizona State University. Pickens began his career in law enforcement with the St. Louis Law Enforcement Department. Mernoy Harrison, vice provost for Administration Services says the university is delighted over its .choice and is grateful that, after a national search, Pickens accepted the post of director /chief of police. Republicans deny Va. black judge reappointment hearing NORFOLK, Va.— Local supporters took to the streets of Norfolk to

protest the blocking of the reappointment of Judge Katherine Jones, an African American, to the district court. Jones claims she was grilled for nearly 2 hours during the reappointment hearing and no information surfaces questioning her ability to provide quality service as a judge on the district court. Jones has asked for a hearing before the state legislature but has been denied a hearing. The republicans said Jones exhibited obnoxious behavior towards individuals appearing in her court. Judge Jones is awaiting a decision on her appeal for a hearing. Jacksons appeals for unity with Hispanics ATLANTA—The Rev. Jesse Jackson and Hispanic leaders see eye-to-eye on efforts to provide tax breaks for state contractors that employ Hispanic-owned companies. “We must turn to each other, not turn on each other. We must coalesce,” Jackson said in Atlanta, where he also attended a Georgia State symposium featuring former President Bill Clinton and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young. Jackson said his Chicago-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition is forming a partnership with Latino Initiatives for the Next Century to promote blacks’ and Hispanics’ business opportunities. LING is a Chicago-

based nonprofit organization that offers Hispanics scholarships and financing for small businesses. Ramon Rodriguez, chief operating officer of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, noted that the 2000 census figures show nearly equal populations of blacks and Latin Americans in the United States. NAACP; Let Dayton desegregation order stay DAYTON, Ohio—The NAACP, whose desegregation lawsuit led to 25 years of busing by the city’s public schools, recently opposed an efforts by the school board and the state to lift the order. Jessie Gooding, president of the Dayton chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, said school officials have not shown they have dealt with the remnants of segregation and discrimination. “They haven’t said anything about the quality of education,” Gooding said at a news conference. “ That’s why we’re upset about it.” Gladys Gunn, NAACP education chairwoman, said that when the lawsuit was filed, schools attended by white students had newer textbooks and better materials, which caused black students to struggle. She said poor achievement scores by students in the city’s public schools today

show that the school district has not addressed the conditions caused by segregation. Sen. Byrd uses N-word against whites WASHINGTON, D.C.— People were amazed by West Virginia U.S. Senator Robert Byrd, the resident historian of the all white U.S. Senate and its senior Democrat, concerning his comments about “white niggers,” in a live interview on race relations aired over Fox-

TV.

Byrd, who at 83, seemed to be having a “senior moment” or a mental lapse, is former Ku Klux Klan member who voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act. He said he was not referring to African Americans but to whites and said it was a phrase that he “learned while growing up” in the South and he was referring to people in his race who are aggressively mean about race. Sharpton leads demo against Florida liquor store The Rev. Dr. Al Sharpton led 40 activist to the Perry Package Liquors Store & Bar in Perry, Fla. along with Maryland legislator Talmadge Branch. This was to protest the bar’s refusal to serve Branch in February and showing him to a back room for African American customers. Following the demonstration, Sharpton held a meeting in local church, attended': by M--\ io’fr. t j-T£» f j t r^rR. %

Mayor Richard Firth and an integrated group of supporters. Florida’s Attorney General Bob Butterworth last week filed a civil complaint against the owners of the liquor store

and bar.

Radio One now owns 63 radio stations BALTIMORE, Md.— Baltimore’s Radio One Chain held it’s Black Expo in downtown Baltimore last weekend. The expo, featuring African American entrepreneurs, attracted thousands of people. This year was the seventh annual anniversary of the event. Radio One a Latham Md. firm, recently purchased a chain of 15-19 more radio stations for about $190 million. Included in these was

WTLC.

The purchase confirms Radio One, as the largest black-owned broadcast company in the nation, with 63 stations. Black Caucus rallies behind fledging DC Air WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Congressional Black Caucus threw its support behind DC Air Chairman and CEO, Robert Johnson. The caucus has written President George W. Bush expressing its strong support for the creation of DC Air and noted the benefits the airline would offer consumers, including additional flights from Reagan-Washington National Airport. DC Air, which wifi fly to “i-1'.- i ;/t Amntfiiff