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Issue
1.20 | Monday, Jan. 19, 2009 |
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LIST GOOD
NEWS ALSO INSIDE ___::
CALENDAR: Coming events |
ABOUT US CharlestonCurrents.com is a new online twice-weekly publication that offers insightful community comment and good news on events. It cuts through the information clutter to offer insight and news on the best of what's happening locally. More. |
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TODAY'S
FOCUS
August 28, 1963: the March on Washington. I had just graduated law school, just arrived in Washington, D.C. My classmates and I came to Washington because we felt change was coming. We didn't know what it was going to look like, but we felt it coming.
That day in August, I went to the Lincoln Memorial early, along with friends. We wound up staying the entire day. I had never seen so many black and white people together in one place. We heard the stirring speeches; we walked among the great crowd; we talked with strangers who quickly became friends. But all those people! 250,000 of them, and it felt like home. As the day ended, my friends and I walked over to Jenny's Pan-Asian Restaurant, across the street from the White House. We talked for hours about what we had just experienced. We couldn't stop. For the first time, we knew what change would look like. Somehow it would look like the dream of racial brotherhood. From that day on, the dream lived inside us. Now, I know the struggle for civil rights didn't begin that day. But that was the day the dream got a voice. That was the day Martin's dream became our dream. That day began a new era in our nation's history. Two years later, after Dr. King's march from Selma to Montgomery, President Lyndon Johnson called an extraordinary night session of Congress. And that night, the president of the entire United States joined our dream and Dr. King's dream on national TV. In his Texas Hill Country accent, he said: "Their cause must be our cause, too. Because it's not just Negroes, but really it's all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice." Then he recited the magic words of the movement, drawing out each syllable slowly and emphatically: "And we SHALL overcome." The nation was electrified. That night sent the Voting Rights Act to Congress, and it sent me to Mississippi -- or, as Dr. King called it, "a desert state sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression." The first day the Voting Rights Act became a law, I was in Leflore County, Mississippi. Because the local officials would not obey the law, a federal registrar was assigned to register voters -- just as federal registrars were assigned to some counties in this state, too. I spent that day, and many others, helping thousands of African-American citizens register. There were ordinary citizens, war veterans, college professors. Some were 70 and 80 years old. They all had two things in common: They were black, and they had never in their lives been allowed to cast a ballot.
I stayed in Mississippi, and lived among people who believed in the dream, even amidst tyranny and oppression. We civil rights lawyers lived in African-American neighborhoods where we got the warmest of welcomes. Our reception from white people was not quite the same. I was put in jail. I was shot at. They poisoned my dog on my own doorstep. Still, we could keep the dream of brotherhood because those we worked with lived that dream with us. That was where we were 40 years ago, while Dr. King was still alive. Then, without warning, it started to come apart. In 1968, Dr. King was shot to death. Bobby Kennedy was shot to death. The Vietnam War engulfed us all. In what seemed like an instant, the dream of racial brotherhood and racial justice slipped away. We have not gotten past the divisions in this country. But now the dream is back. [Tuesday's] inauguration is Dr. King's dream and our dream, brought back and about to be made real. It really doesn't matter whether you supported President Obama or not, or whether you will agree with his policies or not. Because the dream is not just about him. It's about us, and what we have done, and what we can do. So let us savor the dream, and once we have savored it, it will be time for us to get right back to work, because the inauguration is not the end; it's just the beginning. We run a great risk if we let ourselves relax. We hear some people saying we are now in a "post-racial society." That is just a code word for saying we can ignore racial issues now because we have solved them. We cannot let that be the lesson and meaning of this election. The magnificent speech about race that Barack Obama gave in Philadelphia last March can show us the way. He reminded us -- as President Johnson did in 1965 -- that we are all in this together. Barack Obama reminded us that there are no limits to the success of all of us if we don't succumb to jealousy, if we don't succumb to a fear that someone else's success can only come at our expense. All of us -- white people, black people, brown, red, yellow people, gay people, all people -- can come together in unity. Isn't that the world Dr. King dreamed of at the Lincoln Memorial that day? Armand Derfner is a Charleston attorney with Derfner, Altman & Wilborn. CURRENTS JAN. 19,
2009 – “Reform.”
It’s
a word that’s seriously in danger of being neutered politically.
Why? Because just about everyone seems to be attaching it to their partisan
agendas for, umm, “change.”
Another
reason it might be bad to “reform” the whole Constitution here
is that it would throw the entire document open to change, which could
seriously erode civil rights and liberties. Imagine, for example, if South
Carolina got rid of the constitutional protection that makes all marshes
in the state public property? That might mean there would be a lot more
development on the coast.
Rule of thumb: Be wary of all reform until you understand the details. Andy Brack is publisher of CharlestonCurrents.com. He can be reached at: publisher@charlestoncurrents.com FEEDBACK
SPOTLIGHT
The public spiritedness of our underwriters and nonprofit partners allows us to bring CharlestonCurrents.com to you at no cost. This issue's featured nonprofit partner is the Lowcountry Food Bank, which was founded in 1983 as a clearinghouse for donated food items. The Food Bank, which receives more than 10 million pounds of donated food annually, seeks to feed the poor and hungry of the ten coastal counties of South Carolina by soliciting and distributing healthy food and grocery products to nonprofit agencies serving the poor, and to educate the public about the problems of and solutions to domestic hunger. For more, visit the Food Bank online at: http://www.lcfbank.org
GOOD
NEWS If you've got friends or family in other parts of the Carolinas or Georgia, let them know that the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau has organized some special deals just for them at local inns and attractions.
The CVB's new "Good Neighbors, Great Getaways Offer" provides exclusive values on lodging and other hospitality deals to encourage visits to the Charleston area by those who live within driving distance. "These proximate friends may now resolve to leave the 'staycations' of 2008 behind, and break their cabin fever by spending a few days in the Southern capital of culture, history and diversity," the CVB says in a press release. Some of the goodies offered by various inns include free passes for carriage tours, free "welcome baskets" with Lowcountry-themed treats, complimentary buckets of range balls at local golf courses -- even a free slice of Peninsula Grill's celebrated Ultimate Coconut Cake. The special offers are good through March 31 -- which means that if you've got folks coming into town for the Southeastern Wildlife Expo (Feb. 13-15) or the Charleston Food + Wine Festival (March 5-8), you might want to refer them to a new Web site that offers all the details. The site, http://www.GoodNeighborGetaways.com, has a full list of participating properties and packages. 10th Annual Chefs' Feast to help Lowcountry Food Bank Another sellout is expected for the 10th Annual Chefs' Feast, which will be held from 6:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Feb. 22 at the Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center. "More than 95 percent of the proceeds from Chefs' Feast 2009 will support childhood feeding programs," says Robert Carter, executive chef of Peninsula Grill and coordinating chef for the Chefs Feast. "This is by far the most rewarding charity event that I am involved in. … All the money stays in our community." Hunger and malnutrition strike nearly one in four children in the Lowcountry. The Lowcountry Food Bank offers several programs to fight childhood hunger, including Kids Cafe, an after-school program that provides hot, nutritious meals and academic assistance, and BackPack Buddies, which addresses the issue of weekend hunger. The two programs serve close to 2,500 children each week. The Chefs' Feast features chefs from some of the Lowcountry's most acclaimed restaurants serving samples of their best dishes. Participating chefs this year, in addition to Carter, are Kevin Johnson of Anson; Marc Collins and Scott Lovorn of Circa 1886; John Zucker of Cru Cafe; Craig Deihl and M. Kelly Wilson of Cypress; Jeff Alexander of the Culinary Institute of Charleston; Fred Neuville of the Fat Hen; Mike Lata of FIG; Nico Romo of Fish; Frank McMahon of Hank's Seafood; Anthony Gray of High Cotton; Patrick Owens of Langdon's Restaurant & Wine Bar; Sean Brock of McCrady's; Jacques Larson of Mercato; Brett McKee of The Oak Steakhouse; Peyton Smith of Palm Tree Grill at Embassy Suites Charleston Area Convention Center; Claire Chapman of Peninsula Grill; Ben Berryhill of Red Drum Gastropub; Jim Spratling of Saltus River Grill; Frank Lee of Slightly North of Broad; Aaron Deal of Tristan; and Nate Whiting of Woodlands Resort & Inn. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased at http://www.lcfbank.org/chefsfeast.asp. For information on corporate and event sponsorships, call Miriam Coombes at 747-8146, ext. 104, or e-mail mcoombes@lcfbank.org. The Lowcountry Food Bank is a nonprofit partner of CharlestonCurrents.com. CSO, CBT to offer one-night-only collaboration
Two of the Lowcountry's most prominent arts groups will combine forces for a special Valentine's Day performance featuring music and dance. The Charleston Ballet Theatre and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra will perform at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at the Sottile Theatre, 44 George St., in celebration of the CBT's Masterpieces of Dance program. The evening will feature three ballet masterworks underscored by works from a trio of celebrated composers. Tickets are $35-$45 and are available only through the Charleston Ballet Theatre box office at 477 King St., by calling 723-7334 or ordering online at http://www.CharlestonBallet.org. Local restaurant offering gluten-free, lower-calorie fare Dining out can be difficult for many of those who deal with dietary restrictions, but the Mount Pleasant restaurant Crave Kitchen & Cocktails is trying to change that. Crave, located in the Shoppes at Seaside Farms near the Isle of Palms Connector, now offers both gluten-free and limited-calorie menus.
The gluten-free menu covers all categories, including appetizers and entrees, and offers dishes such as mahi-mahi encrusted with macadamia and coconut and accompanied by spicy mango chutney and steamed jasmine rice. Items on the limited-calorie menu include blackened grouper filet with corn salsa and black beans, served over a bed of Napa cabbage in a homemade lemon vinaigrette. The dish weighs in at only 390 calories and provides 48 grams of protein and only 6.7 grams of fat. Crave is open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays and 10 a.m. to midnight Sundays (it's closed Mondays). More info: http://www.cravemtp.com/ REVIEW
Randy Pausch knew he was dying of cancer when he gave his lecture at Carnegie Mellon University. His book, "The Last Lecture," expands on the message he gave to that audience. He encourages everyone to focus on what really matters by having us ask ourselves if we are spending our time on the "right" thing. This book is a wonderful gift to his children as well as an encouraging read for anyone who needs to reprioritize. His informal writing style and transparency will appeal to all readers wanting to evaluate how they are living their lives.
HISTORY
SPOTLIGHT The Sewees were a Native American nation based along the Santee River and the Sea Islands. Nicholas Carteret, an early settler, noted that when the English came to Carolina in 1670, the Sewees showed them the best harbors and gave them ritual greetings of friendship. The Sewees helped the Carolinians militarily against the Spanish in Florida and with food when the colony ran short. Living in close proximity to Europeans, the Sewees fell victim to a variety of plagues, including smallpox. Interested in trade from the beginning, the Sewees noticed that various middlemen made profits on their trade with Charleston and that certain goods, such as furs and pelts, were sold for high profit back in England. The Sewees determined to make direct trade contact with English merchants. Seeing ships from England appear on the horizon, they believed that their own sturdy canoes could easily traverse the seas to England, a voyage they imagined as very short. A large number of the nation set to work on this plan and, when ready, loaded their canoes with supplies and trade goods. On open sea they ran into storms that wrecked the fleet, and many Sewees drowned. A passing English slave ship picked up survivors, who were then sold in the West Indies. By 1700 only a handful of this tribe remained alive in the colony. Other tribes absorbed them, and they ceased to exist as a distinct group by the early eighteenth century.
CREDITS CharlestonCurrents.com is provided to you twice a week by:
© 2008-2009, Statehouse Report LLC. All rights reserved. CharlestonCurrents.com is published every Monday and Thursday by Statehouse Report LLC, PO Box 22261, Charleston, SC 29413. |
Volunteers are needed at the historic Edmondston-Alston House at 21 East Battery, and an orientation class will be held Feb. 2. If you're interested, call Marguerite Getz at 722-7171. Meanwhile, here are five bits of history about the Edmondston-Alston House. The property is administered by the Middleton Place Foundation.
"Democracy is the recurrent suspicion that more than half of the people are right more than half the time."
MLK Holiday Parade: 11 a.m. Jan. 19, beginning at Johnson Hagood Stadium. The parade route flows through downtown Charleston and will be immediately followed by a "Youth Speak-Out" at Charleston Progressive School. WCBD-TV will air the parade live. More info. City Leaders' Talks: 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Jan. 21, Holiday Inn Mount Pleasant. Mount Pleasant Town Administrator Mac Burdette will speak to the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's East Cooper Area Business Council about what's happening in the town and what to look for in the year ahead. Part of the chamber's Mayor's Month series. Up next: Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley, 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., Doubletree Guest Suites Historic Charleston, 181 Church St. Cost: $15 chamber members, $30 nonmembers. More info: http://www.charlestonchamber.net or Diane Owens, 805-3094. E-commerce for Small Businesses: 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Jan. 21, Charleston County Public Library Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St. Free class to help small-business owners learn about choosing e-commerce solutions, including choosing the right software, selecting a cost-effective e-payment system and picking a reliable web hosting service provider. Speaker: Tina McDuffie, WebWoman LLC. More info: Click here or 805-6930. Charleston Home + Design Show: Jan. 23-25, Gaillard Auditorium, 77 Calhoun St., Charleston. More than 100 local vendors of custom home and design products and services. Seminars on Saturday and Sunday include "Planning Your Dream Kitchen," "How to Green Your Home with Solar Energy" and "Picking the Best Window Treatments." There will also be a "speed-dating" style chance to interview groups of architects, builders and interior designers. Tickets: $7 per person (good for two days), 12 and under free; $15 per person for "Kitchens, Baths + All That Jazz" (special Friday night event with beer, wine, food, cash bar and the Frank Duvall Jazz Trio). Hours/details. Camellia Clinic: 1 p.m. Jan. 24, Garden Market and Nursery at Middleton Place, Highway 61. Free seminar on camellia care with Sidney Frazier, Middleton's vice president of horticulture, and nursery manager Matt Jackson. Learn about which varieties work best in local gardens and get advice on when, where and how to plant. In addition, seedlings from some of Middleton's historic, internationally known camellias will be available for purchase. More info: http://www.middletonplace.org. 26th Annual Lowcountry Oyster Festival: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 25, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant. Enjoy oysters, live music, an oyster shucking and eating contest, and a kids corner with pony rides and a jump castle. Sponsored by the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association; money raised goes to Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center, and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center. Tickets: $10 in advance from the GCRA Web site or Applebee's restaurants; $12 at the gate; free for children under 10. Oysters sold by the bucket (3 dozen to 4 dozen for $8). More info: 452-6088. Art and Music: 2:30 p.m. Jan. 25, Gibbes Museum of Art, 135 Meeting St., Charleston. Charleston Symphony Orchestra's Woodwind Quintet will present a performance inspired by the current Gibbes exhibition "Painters of American Life: The Eight." Program will include two rags by Scott Joplin as well as contemporary work by Paquito D'Rivera. Tickets: $7 museum members and students, $15 non-members (price includes both concert and museum admission). Available at http://www.gibbesmuseum.org/events or at the museum store (10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday or 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday). CALENDAR: ONGOING AND SOON Murray Boulevard Centennial: 6:30 p.m. Jan. 28, Charleston County Public Library's Main Branch, 68 Calhoun St., downtown. The most scenic drive on the Charleston peninsula celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009. Using archival documents and images, Dr. Nic Butler of the Charleston Archive will present an illustrated review of the boulevard and how it was developed by the city. Details: 805-6930. Southeastern Wildlife Exposition: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 13 and Feb. 14; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 15, downtown Charleston (eight venues). SEWE features 120 artists, lectures, Busch Wildlife shows, sporting outfitters, and conservation exhibits. In addition, the popular Dock Dogs competitions return, along with retriever demos, free flight shows by the Center for Birds of Prey, and children's activities. Tickets start at $10 & kids 10 and under are free. VIP packages available. More info/tickets: http://www.sewe.com or 723-1748. Winter Golf Classic: Feb. 16, Wild Dunes Resort's Links and Harbor courses, Isle of Palms. Sponsored by Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, with 60 teams and plenty of chances to network. Following the event, there will be a Business After Hours at the Sweetgrass Pavilion. Sponsorships still available. Tournament cost: $650 per team, or $200 per individual. To register or learn more, click here. For sponsorship info: Laura Kate Whitney, 805-3113. An Evening in the Orient: 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Feb. 21, Charleston Museum, 360 Meeting St., Charleston. Annual fundraiser sponsored by Friends and Needed Supporters (FANS) of the Charleston Museum. Far East food, culture and items from the museum's Asian collections are showcased. George Read of Sotheby's will preside at an auction, with items including vacations, jewelry, Charleston silver, a 100-person oyster roast, a quail hunt, and artwork by local artists. Tickets: $60 members, $70 nonmembers. To register: 722-2996, ext. 264, or http://www.CharlestonMuseum.org. In this section, we offer a list of good reads that you might want to consider reading:
FOCUS ARCHIVES 8/20:
Yarian:
New local music CD THRASH ARCHIVES 8/20:
Good,
bad, spineless BRACK ARCHIVES 8/17:
RIP
to old clunker LIST ARCHIVES 8/20:
You
know you're from... SISTER PUBLICATIONS We encourage you to check out our sister publications:
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The
Charleston Law Review of the Charleston School of Law and the
Riley Institute at Furman last week had a symposium attended by hundreds
on the notion of constitutional reform. To learn more, 
