Judge delays Central Park 5 case
NEW YORK (FinalCall.com)–Manhattan Supreme Court Judge Charles Tejada announced that he would not rule on a motion to set aside the convictions of the Central Park 5 until Feb. 6, 2003. It was an announcement that did not sit well with an attorney of the young men falsely convicted of a 1989 rape. "Our position with the court from the...
Voices of hope and peace
CHARLENEM SANTA MONICA, Ca.(FinalCall.com)–Before addressing nearly 250 members of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council at the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Nov. 14, Jean Zaru, Adi Dagan and Muna Shikaki explained to a small contingent of press how they were trussed together by devastating results of an over 35-year-old war that has impacted life, death, economics, and social well...
UN Report Controversy simmers beneath proposed UN ‘reform’ package
UNITED NATIONS (FinalCall.com)–The Fifth Committee of the United Nations General Assembly, at Final Call press time, was set to resume discussions on the reform measures of the world body that were presented by Secretary General Kofi Annan. Mr. Annan addressed the General Assembly on Oct. 30 to explain his reform package that he submitted in September against a backdrop...
Illegal gun pipeline ran from small town to big city, prosecutors say
By Richard Muhammad CHICAGO (FinalCall.com)–It was a lucrative venture, in which guns purchased from a small town in Mississippi sold for up to 10 times their value on city streets. The alliance between a licensed White gun dealer and Black alleged gang members brought 83 firearms from Grenada, Miss., to Chicago, between 1995 and 1997, said prosecutors, following the Nov. 13...
Does Republican control of Congress make Black vote irrelevant?
McKinney: Democrats in 'valley of death' WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)–The aftermath of the stunning nationwide sweep for Republicans on Election Day 2002 may open the door for harsh government retrenchment, new legislative initiatives favoring the rich at the expense of the poor and middle class, little hope for relief in the federal court system, and even more political isolation of Blacks...
Adoption brings joy into the lives of children and families
National Adoption Information Clearinghouse WASHINGTON (FinalCall.com)–Mustafa Muhammad is a bright and curious nine-year-old. When he was just six, he began to look around at the people in his family. He looked at pictures of his grandparents, his cousins and other relatives and asked his mother, "Why don’t I look like everyone else?" His mother, Aishah, knew this day was coming,...
McKinney: Democrats in ‘valley of death’
By Carla Sanders Cynthia McKinney Speaks On Election Results CHICAGO–With her woolen hair neatly twisted into two braids, former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney of Georgia talked straight Nov. 10 to an audience of more than 200 people at Chicago’s Kennedy-King College during a discussion of politics and the electoral process. The congresswoman described the recent congressional election as a march into the...
New research on inner city asthma
Ten-year-old Faatima Muhammad has been to the emergency room so many times for her asthma that her family has lost count. It started with a bad cold and cough. The cold went away but the cough remained. "I could see her laboring to breathe. Every breath became an effort. We rushed her to the emergency room," said Aisha Muhammad. Inner...
Get fit to live Exercising during Ramadan
Q: Is it okay to exercise during Ramadan? AM: There is nothing wrong with exercising during Ramadan, as long as you exercise during the earlier morning hours so you have time to drink some water before the sun comes up. Or you may choose to exercise after the sun goes down. I definitely wouldn’t recommend exercising at 8...
Urban League president to retire
WASHINGTON (NNPA)–Hugh B. Price, who took over a fading and financially strapped National Urban League eight-years-ago and transformed it into a revitalized and refocused civil rights voice, is leaving his post in April. The Nov. 6 announcement was unexpected and Mr. Price says he has no definite plans for the future except a "better balance" between his professional and personal...