Pennymon named V.P. at Citizens Bank

AMERICUS -- An Americus native long term employee of Citizens Bank has been appointed assistant vice president of the branch in Americus.

Charlene Pennymon joined Citizens Bank six years ago and works as a mortgage lender and customer service official. She said she is very excited about her new work. "I've always worked to achieve the highest goal," she said. "I give 110 percent."

Pennymon, a Tri-County High School graduate attended Georgia Southwestern State University, where she worked on a degree in market management. Helping people to purchase their own home, offers a special satisfaction for Pennymon. "Owning your own home has always been the American dream," she said. "And, I like helping people achieve that dream."

Pennymon, who grew up in Ellaville, GA, is married to Kenneth Pennymon. They have a 22-year-old daughter, Clarissa, who works as a civil docket clerk for the Sumter County Courthouse.

Charlene Pennymon is a member of the NAACP, Kiwanis Club, the Americus-Sumter County Chamber of Commerce, March of Dimes, American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

She is a member of Mt. Zion Baptist Church.

Citizens Financial Group has $161 billion in assets, making it the eighth largest commercial bank holding company in the United States. It has branches in 13 states and non-branch offices in more than 40 states.
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Troy Anthony Davis to be put to death

Troy Anthony Davis is a thirty-eight-year-old African-American man from a large middle-class, churchgoing family in Savannah. When he was a younger, he was the type who would buy the kids in the neighborhood ice cream when the ice cream truck came around. He was the type who went to night school so he could care for a paralyzed sister during the day. In 1989 he was planning to join the U.S. Marines. That year he got caught up in a police investigation.

Troy Anthony Davis is a model prisoner on death row in Georgia who has steadfastly maintained his innocence. He is preparing himself to be killed by the State, and he is relying on other people to tell his story and plea for his last chance.

In 1989 an off-duty police officer was shot dead in a dark parking lot. Both Sylvester "Red" Coles and Troy Davis were near the scene. The next day Sylvester "Red" Coles showed up at a police station with his lawyer and told the police that Troy Davis had been the shooter. After that, the police investigation seemed to focus on Davis. Witnesses who pointed to Red Coles as the killer were ignored and Coles became a key eyewitness in the case against Davis.

In the years since Davis' conviction, trial witnesses and new witnesses have come forward and signed affidavits saying that Red Coles had been carrying a gun that night, that he hid his guns after the shooting. In one affidavit a former friend tells how Coles confided that he had killed a police officer and let Davis take the fall for it. Another affidavit reveals that the shooter was holding the gun in his left hand. Coles, not Davis, is left-handed.

When Davis heard there was a warrant for his arrest, he turned himself in to the sheriff's department. The police found no gunshot residue on him and they never found a murder weapon. As a result the prosecutor had to rely on witness testimony to convict Davis.

Already at trial the witness testimony showed inconsistencies. In the years since Davis' conviction, seven out of the nine non-police prosecution witnesses who were the heart of the State's case against him recanted or contradicted their testimony. One remaining witness is Red Coles; the other can only identify the color of the shooter's clothes.

The affidavits tell a story of fear and coercion. Witnesses say they lied when they said Troy Davis was the shooter that night. Under pressure from the police, one witness signed a statement although he could not read. Another, pregnant and on parole, was scared that she would be thrown back in jail unless she told the police what she thought they wanted to hear, that Davis was the murderer. One sixteen-year-old was made to believe that he would be charged as an accessory to the murder if he didn't implicate Davis.

Troy Davis' last chance comes on July 16 when the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles considers clemency. The five-member board has the sole authority to prevent the execution.
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Part I: African Americans in Americus

The history of Americus and Sumter County, Georgia dates back to 1832 when it was founded. It is debated whether Americus was named after the explorer Amerigo Vespucci or by the locals at that time. Americus used to be the 8th largest city in Georgia. The stagnant growth is mainly due to the denial of economic growth by those who are in power and whose incentives are to only see advancement of their race.

African-Americans who live in the city of Americus have seen some social, economical and political growth over the years of the existence of this community but not nearly enough. Negative attitudes such as racism and segregation along with power hungry people within this community will have to be replaced before positive people with unprejudiced authority can move forward to create a more viable community environment.

Racism, prejudice and segregation dates back to the early years of Americus and sadly still exist today. Two recent occurrences solidify that we still have a big problem in our community. In April, 2007 a White policeman beat an innocent, disabled Black male citizen who later died. A Black female is seeking an arrest warrant by way of a court hearing in July, 2007. She alleges that a prominent White lawyer sexually assaulted her sometime in 2006. She claims she was afraid to come forward when the incident happened because of the threats made to her by the lawyer. These two examples show the boldness of White power in Americus.

Dr. John D. Marshall is the local branch President of the NAACP and has held this position for over fourteen (14) years. "Doc", as we who know him personally call him, is a very faithful man who strives to put God and Jesus first above all else. He often states that, "I give all of the glory to God for all of the victories that I have won personally and those that the NAACP has won".

Dr. Marshall knows that the problems that he deals with stems from the social and public positions that he is in. He sees and hears about many blatant injustices done to the local Blacks and other Blacks outside of this community. He is a compassionate man whose spirit and soul is very much disturbed when racism raises its ugly head.

Americus is the county seat of Sumter County which according to the 2000 Census was comprised of 18,800 citizens. The Community Overview according to the Americus and Sumter County Chamber of Commerce says that the average household income within the city is $41,584.15; the average household income within the county is $45,977.63. Sumter County according to the 2000 Census consisted of a population of 33,421 citizens. By race according to the 2000 Census there are; 48.2% White; 49.0% Black; 0.6% Asian; 2.7% Hispanic and 2.2% Other.

These numbers are somewhat misleading. Sumter County has more millionaires located within its borders than anywhere else in the state of Georgia. This leaves me to believe that the average household income is off by a substantial margin for non-millionaires. Another reason I think that these numbers are off is when I visit the Black communities, there is no/little evidence of homes, cars and other material substance that people with a substantial income buy. Therefore, the median household income represented has to be incorrect.

Dr. John D. Marshall and the Executive Board Members [of which I am a member] are in a constant struggle with the local White leaders trying to get representation for the Black community.

"The issue that I deem extremely important in Americus is the exclusion of strong Black representation in the school system, local hospital, city council, county commissioners, payroll development authority, law enforcement, and the county court system. Only weak Black elected and appointed representatives are serving in these capacities (J.D. Marshall, M.D., personal communication, June 27, 2007).

An example of how the chemistry of the present City Council work: the ratio and race is three (3) Black council members and three (3) White council members with a tie breaking vote from the Mayor, who is White. The term of a mayor and Council members is four (4) consecutive years.

The same holds true for the County Commissioners with five members: two (2) White and two (2) Black with a White Chairman who can always swing the vote. This system keeps the Black representatives at a disadvantage. Another disadvantage is the reporting by some of the local media according to a substantial number of Blacks in the community and Dr. Marshall.

The local media is made up of four newspapers; a daily, two weeklies, and one monthly. I own the monthly paper and we are constantly countering the absolute racist and bias news reporting of the daily paper. The two weeklies are more tabloid and sensational. The daily paper has been around for over 100 years and the people of this community have been divided along racial lines primarily because of the treatment of Blacks by the Americus Times-Recorder. Blacks are regularly portrayed negatively; especially prominent Blacks or Black activists, while some of the most heinous Whites are rarely exposed for their negative acts.

For example: The county attorney was fired a few months ago, the Times Recorder only mentioned he was removed without any explanation. On the other hand, we have seen the same paper scandalize the only Black superintendent whose contract wasn't renewed, a high school principal who had four full pages of negativity about her; A Black candidate for county commissioner was exposed with a background check on him and not 7 other White candidates in that election cycle. The local daily paper is one of the main reasons why our county cannot grow. You can't continue to keep the Black community down and play up the Whites without any shame whatsoever. (J.D. Marshall, M.D., personal communication, June 27, 2007)....

To Be Continued In August Edition....
Research conducted by Linda Wright.
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Deficits prompt cutbacks at NAACPBaltimore staff to shrink 40%; regional offices to be closed

By Kelly Brewington
The NAACP is cutting about 40 percent of the staff positions at its Baltimore headquarters and plans to temporarily close its seven regional offices to cover three years of budget shortfalls.

Dennis C. Hayes, the NAACP's interim president and chief executive officer, said yesterday that the organization's 119-member staff would be reduced to 70 through layoffs and attrition.
Hayes, who would not say how many people would be laid off, called the cuts necessary to prevent the organization from dipping further into its diminishing reserves.

"We are right-sizing our organization to meet present circumstances," Hayes, who is also the NAACP's general counsel, said in an interview yesterday.
"We had the unexpected departure of our CEO at a time when we were already without a chief development officer. So, understandably, we have to regenerate our revenue machine, our fundraising machine, to get us to where we should have been."
For the past three years, Hayes said, the NAACP has used about $10 million in reserve funds to cover shortfalls. He would not say how much is left in the rainy-day fund.
There is no single reason for the budget troubles, he said.

"Gas is more expensive, the cost of living is higher, people are not giving as much as they used to," Hayes said. "And membership, we always need more members. ... Our impression is we can improve and enhance the way we do things."
The reductions are being made this month at a crossroads for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a 98-year-old civil rights organization struggling to build membership and remain relevant.
In March, Bruce S. Gordon, resigned abruptly as the NAACP's president and CEO after 19 months at the helm.
At the time, the NAACP was in the midst of major membership drive and a fundraising effort to move the organization's headquarters from Northwest Baltimore to the nation's capital.

Last month, the NAACP leadership announced that it would have to hold off on the $20 million relocation because of weak fundraising and an inability to secure a buyer for its property on Mount Hope Drive in Baltimore.
Some board members have blamed the current fiscal problems - and the NAACP's postponed move to Washington - on Gordon's tenure, saying the retired Verizon executive came to the NAACP with a promise to jump-start fundraising but failed to meet projections.
Gordon responded to critics, saying in an interview with The Sun that the organization was struggling financially before he became CEO.
"Annual revenues had been on the decline for five or six years, and its ability to balance its budget had been an issue for three to four years," he said.
Gordon said he began a capital campaign - lining up several corporate donors - with the goal of raising $100 million by 2009, the NAACP's centennial.
"There has never been a capital campaign, there were no real estate consultants, there was no incentive package to move to Washington until I arrived at the NAACP," he said. "I can only tell you that I believe from a fundraising standpoint that we were developing incredible momentum."
In recent months, Gordon has said that he left the NAACP because he and its 64-member board had ideological differences.
The board favored traditional civil rights advocacy, and he wanted more programs devoted to social justice, Gordon said.
Gordon hinted that he and the board also differed on how to raise money.
"The board is not as effective as it could be by a long stretch in terms of being a fundraising arm for the organization," he said. "And there are some who think it is not their responsibility."
Nevertheless, Gordon said, the financial problems are cyclical and will not hurt the image or the purpose of the NAACP.
"I'm a believer that the NAACP is an important institution, and there needs to be a healthy NAACP," he said. "Anything that sets it back is a terrible concern, a real concern to me."
NAACP Chairman Julian Bond bristled yesterday at Gordon's comments, saying that when previous presidents departed, they made a point of not speaking negatively of the organization.
"That has hurt our fundraising tremendously," Bond said. "What he said when he left really poisoned the well that we drink from."
This is not the first time in recent history that the NAACP has had budget troubles.
In 2005, the NAACP used reserve funds to cover a $4.7 million budget shortfall and asked a dozen employees at its Baltimore headquarters to take lower-paying positions.
Before that, the NAACP had several million dollars in cash reserves and had recovered from a fiscal crisis in the mid-1990s, when it was about $3.2 million in the red and was reeling from accusations of financial mismanagement.
Hayes said the organization hopes to streamline its activities, depending more on the Internet and other technology to be more efficient.
He said board members have begun a campaign to raise $1 million by the end of the year and that the organization's programs and activities to fight discrimination would remain intact.
Nevertheless, some close to the NAACP expressed concern over the newest financial troubles.
A former employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of jeopardizing his relationship with the NAACP, characterized the organization's financial status as "serious trouble."
"You have corporations hesitant to invest in an organization that appears to be in disarray and financially challenged," the source said.
Worse, the source said, is the elimination of the regional offices, which provide a vital link between the organization's more than 2,200 grassroots branches and the headquarters in Baltimore.
"When you look at the NAACP, what makes it different ... is our branches, our tentacles into the community," the source said. "The strength of the organization is at the state and local level. When you eliminate those offices, you eliminate the capacity to strengthen the strongest part of the organization."
The cutbacks have hurt morale at headquarters, the source said, and some staffers have questioned why the organization is planning numerous expensive receptions during its annual convention, scheduled for next month in Detroit.
Hayes said the convention plans have been scaled back to cut costs. He said the regional offices would be eliminated in name only and that their services will continue to be provided by the Baltimore headquarters.
"We have a structure that is somewhat archaic, and our satellite offices have little technology as it is," he said. "In order to be good stewards of our money, we want to modernize. ... Overall, our employees are very committed to our mission."

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