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Legendary Bass Guitarist James Jamerson to Be Honored at USS Yorktown Dec. 11

see JAMERSON page 3

Staff Reports - On Sunday,December 11, The Independ-ent Tone Awards will honorFunk Legend and LegendaryBass Guitarist James Jamersonat the USS Yorktown inMouth Pleasant, SC. Whilethe honor is appreciated, thestruggle continues to gainrecognition here in South Car-olina.

Anthony J. McKnight, a localmusician and first cousin ofJamerson, has been fighting toget the bass guitarist inductedinto the South Carolina Hall ofFame for the last 20 years to noavail. He recently started anonline petition (http://peti-tions.moveon.org/sign/james-jamerson-sc-hall?source=c.em&r_by=4064865) to gain sup-port for his efforts.

“Mr. Jamerson is known asthe "Father of the ModernBass" that changed the waythat we listen to the Bass andhow it is played today so here's

the question - What's wrongwith South Carolina?,” Knightsaid with frustation.

Jamerson is acknowledged asone of the greatest influences inmodern music. As bass guitarplayer for Motown Records,the Edisto Island native whowas inducted into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame in 2000performed on 30 number onehits and 70 R&B hits, morethan any other person or groupin music history.

As a studio musician and per-former with the Funk Brothersband, Jamerson’s opening basslyrics on the Temptations’ hitsingle ‘My Girl’ was typical ofthe distinct style he displayedon other hit tunes by StevieWonder, The Miracles,Martha and the Vandellas,Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knightand the Pips, the Four Tops,the Supremes and other Mo-town performers.

Jamerson’s bass playing was

considered an integral part of‘the Motown Sound’ as he tran-scended the standard bass lineand created a duet with the vo-calist, but remained tightlylocked with the drum groove.He has influenced a renownwho’s who list of bass players injazz, rock and funk.During his lifetime (1936-1983),

Jamerson received little formalrecognition for his contribu-tions. He was the subject of a1989 book by Allan (Dr. Licks)Slutsky titled “Standing In theShadows of Motown”. In 2004he was honored with a GrammyLifetime Achievement Awardand in 2009 was inducted intothe Fender Hall of Fame.Jamerson was presented with aresolution in his honor by theS.C. House of Representativesthat same year. In 2013, he andhis band mates of “The FunkBrothers” received a star on theHollywood Walk of Fame.

Staff Reports - Opening state-ments are set to begin Wednes-day in the Dylann Roof Murdertrial following the mistrial of theother local high profile murdercase of former North CharlestonPolice Officer Michael Slager.

The African-American commu-nity is frustrated after the resultfindings in the Slager case andhopes for a better outcome in theRoof trials. “At this point, we justwant justice,” said one commu-nity member. “How long will wehave to wait for the system to doright by us?”

see ROOF page 2

The late James Jamerson

First Cousin of Funk Legend Still Fighting South Carolina Hall of Fame for Induction

Coming Off An Upsetting November Election Harrison

Hopes To Uplift National Democratic Party

By Barney Blakeney

Although South Carolina isamong the nation’s moststaunchly conservative Republi-can states, S.C. DemocraticParty Chairman Jaime Harrisonthinks he’s best suited to headthe national party as DemocraticNational Committee chairman.If successful Harrison, SouthCarolina’s first black state partychairman, at 40 would becomethe national party’s youngestchairman. But the answer towhether or not Harrison has thechops to lead the national partydepends on who’s asked.

The Orangeburg native cut hispolitical teeth as director of oper-ations for Sixth CongressionalDist. Cong. James Clyburnwhile Clyburn was House Ma-jority whip. With a Bachelor ofArts Degree from Yale Univer-sity and a Juris Doctor Degreefrom Georgetown University,Harrison quickly moved up theparty’s leadership ladder. Heserved as executive director ofthe House Democratic Caucusand vice chair of the S.C. Demo-cratic Party before in 2013 as-cending to the chairmanship. He

is a lobbyist for his Columbia-based company, Podesta Group.But as they say it’s not what youknow, but who you know thatcounts. Knowing one of theDemocratic Party’s most promi-nent and powerful legislatorsdoesn’t hurt. Clyburn has carriedmore than one young protégé tothe pinnacles of party leadershipon his coattails. Still, being oneof Clyburn’s young turks has itspitfalls.

Charleston Rep. WendellGilliard defeated Clyburn pro-tégé, Clay Middleton in an up-setting 2008 victory to win theS.C. House Dist. 111 seat. Hesaid Harrison is part of an eliteleadership that has lost its con-nection to the grassroots founda-tion of the party. That dynamicalso exists at the national level,Gilliard said. Despite the gener-ational shift, a Harrison chair-manship of the nationalcommittee would continue thatelitist philosophy, he said.

Dimitri Cherny who unsuc-cessfully in November chal-lenged Republican MarkSanford for the First Congres-sional Dist. seat characterized

South Carolina Democratic Party!Chair Jaime Harrison

see HARRISON page 4

Frustration Continues AsAfrican-American Community

Seeks Justice In Roof Case

By Barney Blakeney

After hearing some 55 wit-nesses testify over the six-week long murder trial offormer North Charleston po-lice officer Michael Slager,the jury of 11 whites and oneblack man deliberated some22 hours during four days andstill failed to return a verdict.Slager, who is white, shot anunarmed Walter Scott who isblack five times in the back asScott ran from him. Slagerwill remain free on bondawaiting an as yet undatedfederal court trial or retrial ofthe state’s case.

After the April 4, 2015 inci-dent Slager lied saying heshot Scott as they struggledfor Slager’s taser. A videorecording of the incident sur-faced three days later show-ing Slager shoot Scott as see !MISTRIAL page 4

mentary on our system,” sheadded.

North Charleston NAACPPresident Ed Bryant wasblunter. “Everybody’s beingapologetic, but the wholething was a fiasco. The out-come was supposed to bebased on the evidence. Well,the evidence was blatant. Yougotta be psychotic, an idiot ora racist not to find Slagerguilty. Apparently the jurorwho said he could not in goodconscience vote for a convic-tion had his own agenda. Themistrial in the Slager case sayswe have a community that isracist and will not give justiceto people of color,” Bryantsaid.

Black Live MatterCharleston leader MuhiyyidinD’baha said, “The criminal

Scott ran away. Until thenNorth Charleston officials sup-ported Slager’s version of theincident. After the video sur-faced, Slager was charged withmurder and fired.

Despite fielding a jury that in-cluded only one black member,many in the community heldhope the weight of the video ev-idence would produce a guiltyverdict. As the trial began itsfourth week, CharlestonNAACP President Dot Scottsaid, “I’m not optimistic thatthe community will be pleasedwith the outcome. Based onwhat we know about thesetypes of killings, I hope with atape that shows undisputed ev-idence this won’t be anotherRodney King.” She referred tothe 1991 taped police beating ofKing who was stopped afterleading offices on a high speedchase. Scott said Slager’s trial

is unprecedented. “But for thevideo of the incident, we’dnever be at this place. Othersimilar incidents never even gotto a trial. This kind of abusehas been ongoing for sometime. We need to believe wewill get a just verdict.”

Monday after the mistrialwas declared Scott said, “I’mdisappointed. Friday when wefound out that one juror washolding out, that said therewould not be a conviction.That the juror couldn’t vote fora conviction even with thevideo tells us how far we stillhave to go as a community.”The failure of the jury to returna conviction neither for murdernor manslaughter, its two op-tions, sends the message to po-lice officers any of their actionscan be explained away, Scottsaid. “With this outcome, giventhe evidence, this is a sad com-

HUNG JURYMistrial Declared In Murder Trial of Former

North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager

Ex-North Charleston Police Officer Michael Slager(center) is escorted from the courthouseby security during his murder trial at the Charleston County Courthouse December 5, 2016.photo:!Tolbert Smalls, Jr.

Dylann Roof