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Protesters rally against Georgia immigration law

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 19:11:27 +0000

Thousands of marchers stormed the Georgia Capitol on Saturday to protest the state's new immigration law, which they say creates an unwelcome environment for people of color and those in search of a better life.

Men, women and children of all ages converged on downtown Atlanta for the march and rally, cheering speakers while shading themselves with umbrellas and posters. Capitol police and organizers estimated the crowd at between 8,000 and 14,000. They filled the blocks around the Capitol, holding signs decrying House Bill 87 and reading "Immigration Reform Now!"

Friends Jessica Bamaca and Melany Cordero held a poster that read: "How would you feel if your family got broken apart?"

Bamaca was born in the U.S., but her mother and sister are from Guatemala. She said she fears they will be deported.

"I would be here by myself," said Bamaca, 13. "I have a feeling (the governor) doesn't know the pain affecting families. If he were to be in our position, how would he react?"

Adelina Nicholls, executive director of the Georgia Latino Alliance for Human Rights, said the crowd was sending a message.

"They are ready to fight," Nicholls said. "We need immigration reform, and no HB87 is going to stop us. We have earned the right to be here."

Several states propose birther legislation

Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:14:00 +0000

Georgia is the latest state to propose legislation that questions whether President Barack Obama was born in the U.S., joining 10 other states who have measures that want more proof before his name is put on the 2012 ballot.

Even though Hawaii officials have repeatedly confirmed Obama's citizenship, his birth certificate has been made public and courts have rebuffed challenges, the so-called "birther" issue hasn't gone away.

Georgia Rep. Mark Hatfield, a Republican, said he still doesn't know if Obama is eligible to serve as president, and 92 of his GOP colleagues and one Democrat support the bill introduced Monday.

"Most people feel it's an issue to a significant enough portion of our population that it needs to be addressed by the state," Hatfield said. "It is, in a sense, a response to ... the sitting president and his inability or unwillingness to release his original birth certificate."

So-called "birthers" have contended since 2008 that Obama is ineligible to be president. They argue he was actually born in Kenya, his father's homeland. They have also not been satisfied with the "Certification of Live Birth" Obama has released, which is a digital document.

Martin Luther King III to pay tribute to father

Mon, 17 Jan 2011 12:44:00 +0000

The eldest son of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was expected to address a crowd of hundreds gathered Monday to mark the 25th anniversary of the federal holiday named for his father.

Martin Luther King III, president and chief executive officer of The King Center, was to deliver the keynote address at the annual holiday observance, held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where his father preached from 1960 until his death in 1968.

He has linked the holiday honoring the winner of the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize winner to the tragic shootings in Tucson, Ariz., which left six people dead and Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords fighting for her life, saying the horrific incident underscores the continued need for King's message.

King would have been 82 on Jan. 15. Members of the King family also planned to lay a wreath at the tombs of Martin Luther King Jr. and his widow, Coretta Scott King.

T.I. sentenced to 11 months

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 21:35:00 +0000

A federal judge revoked rapper T.I.'s probation Friday and ordered him back to prison for 11 months, according to a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office.

The Atlanta native, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was in federal court here following his arrest last month in Los Angeles on suspicion of drug possession. He was on probation after serving 10 months behind bars on federal weapons charges.

During the hearing, T.I. begged U.S. District Judge Charles Pannell Jr. not to send him back to prison, saying he needed to get help for drug addiction. He told the judge he "screwed up" and pleaded for mercy.

"I want drugs out of my life. If I can get the treatment and counseling I need ... I can beat this," T.I. told the judge, according to U.S. attorney spokesman Patrick Crosby. "I need help. For me, my mother, my kids, I need the court to give me mercy."

The Associated Press was relying on information from the spokesman because the judge closed the courtroom after it was filled and several media outlets, including AP, were not allowed in.

The Grammy Award-winning artist walked out of court with family and friends. Crosby said he will be allowed to voluntarily surrender.

T.I. pleads with federal judge to avoid prison

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 20:19:00 +0000

Rapper T.I. is asking a federal judge not to send him back to prison for violating his probation.

A spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office says T.I. said during Friday's hearing that he needs help for drug addiction and asked the judge for mercy.

T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., was in court following his arrest last month in Los Angeles on suspicion of drug possession. He is on probation after serving 10 months behind bars on federal weapons charges.

U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates urged the judge to consider a sentence of two years in prison.

The Associated Press was relying on information from the spokesman because the judge closed the courtroom after it was filled and several media outlets, including AP, were not allowed in.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ATLANTA (AP) -- T.I.'s help in talking down a suicidal man from an Atlanta skyscraper may also help the rapper's image as he faces the possibility of returning to federal prison after prosecutors say he violated his probation.

T.I. is scheduled to appear in court on Friday to explain to a federal judge why he should stay out of prison. If found guilty of violating his probation, T.I.'s attorneys say he should face at most between five and 11 months in prison.

Megachurch pastor to speak out on sex charges

Thu, 23 Sep 2010 14:43:00 +0000

Bishop Eddie Long built one of the nation's best-known black megachurches by being an outspoken religious leader who campaigned against same-sex marriage. Now he's preparing to break the silence about accusations that he used jewelry, cars and cash to lure three young men into sexual relationships.

Long, a married father of four, has planned a news conference Thursday to speak about the lawsuits filed this week by the three New Birth Missionary Baptist Church members who say that they were coerced into sexual liaisons by the prominent pastor.

The lawsuits say the young men were 17 or 18 years old at the time, enrolled in New Birth's ministry for teen boys.

A lawyer for Long, who writes books on heterosexual relationships and has strong ties to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s family, adamantly denied the allegations.

B.J. Bernstein, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said she opened her investigation after getting a call from one of the men. The Associated Press normally does not name people who claim they are victims of sexual impropriety, but Bernstein said all three -- Maurice Robinson, 20, and Anthony Flagg, 21, and Jamal Parris, 23 -- have consented to making their identities public.

Megachurch pastor denies sex with young men

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:41:00 +0000

The prominent pastor of a 25,000-member megachurch near Atlanta denies allegations in a lawsuit that he coerced two young men from the congregation into a sexual relationship, his attorney said.

Lawyers for the men, now 20 and 21, say they filed the lawsuit Tuesday in DeKalb County Court against Bishop Eddie Long. The Associated Press generally does not identify people who say they were victims of sexual impropriety.

President George W. Bush and three former presidents visited the sprawling New Birth Missionary Baptist Church in the Atlanta suburb of Lithonia for the 2006 funeral of Coretta Scott King, the widow of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Long introduced the speakers and the Rev. Bernice King, the Kings' younger daughter, delivered the eulogy. She is also a pastor there.

The men who filed the suit were 17- and 18-year-old members of the church when they say Long abused his spiritual authority to seduce them with cars, money, clothes, jewelry, international trips and access to celebrities.

Craig Gillen, Long's attorney, says the pastor "categorically denies the allegations."

"We find it unfortunate that these two young men would take this course of action," Gillen said late Tuesday after news of the lawsuit broke. He said Long had not yet been served with copies of the lawsuits.