The document summarizes several local news stories from Atlanta: 1) Reverend Gerald Durley was honored for over 25 years of leadership at Providence Missionary Baptist Church. Former Mayor Andrew Young praised Durley's leadership in the city and community. 2) Mayor Kasim Reed appointed Christopher Evan Ward as associate judge, citing his legal experience and interest in fair administration of justice. 3) Advertising executive Kent Matlock won a national award for a MINI car advertising campaign targeting African American men. 4) Mary Frances Early, the first African American woman to graduate from the University of Georgia, will be honored on the 50th anniversary of her graduation. 5) Upcoming local events are

1. August 10 - 16, 2012
T H E A T L A N T A V O I C E 3
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Rev. Gerald
Durley, senior pas-
tor of Providence
Missionary Baptist
Church in Atlanta,
recently was honored
for more than a quar-
ter century of leader-
ship at the church.
Scores of Atlanta leaders and lay
people attended a retirement celebra-
tion to honor Durley, who also serves
as president emeritus of the Concerned
Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta.
Former Atlanta Mayor Andrew
Young, who attended the celebration,
said of Durley: “Gerald Durley is a pas-
tor’s pastor. He is a pastor of this city,
of our nation, and of our community.”
Mayor Kasim
Reed recently ap-
pointed Christo-
pher Evan Ward
to serve as associate
judge on the Mu-
nicipal Court of At-
lanta.
Reed said he appointed Ward to
the bench because of his “impressive
depth of legal experience” and because
Ward has “a keen mind and a genuine
interest in the fair administration of the
law.”
Ward previously had been chief se-
nior assistant district attorney for Ful-
ton County. He also formerly served as
senior staff attorney for Georgia Power.
Kent Matlock,
chairman of Matlock
Advertising and
Public Relations, re-
cently was honored
with a National Silver
ADDY Award from
the American Adver-
tising Federation.
won for their advertising campaign in
the consumer/trade publications cat-
egory for the MINI 2011 Countryman.
The ad ran in black publications to
attract African American men between
age 25 and 45 to the European car.
“Cheers!” is an Atlanta Voice feature highlighting
the everyday accomplishments of everyday people—
things like special honors, awards, job announcements,
graduations, promotions and other achievements.
If you have a “Cheers!” item you would like to
nominate, please send item and photo (if possible) to
cheers@theatlantavoice.com.
ATLANTA – Longtime
educator and civic activist
African-American to gradu-
ate from the University of
Georgia, will be honored
Aug. 15 at the school’s Fine
Arts Building.
Civil rights pioneer Lon-
nie King Jr., who helped
launch Atlanta student pro-
tests during the early 1960s,
will deliver the keynote ad-
dress at the event commemo-
rating the 50th anniversary of
Early’s graduation.
Early will be honored by
several colleagues from a
former civic group called the
Wataushis, who will present
her with a “Torch of Knowl-
edge” statue representing var-
ious aspects of achievement
and civic activism.
Early transferred to the
University of Georgia as a
graduate student in 1961 after
Charlayne Hunter and Ham-
ilton Holmes integrated the
school that January. The fol-
lowing year, she became the
from the university.
Genealogy workshop
scheduled for Aug. 15
ATLANTA – A free “In-
troduction to African Ameri-
can Genealogy” workshop
will be held 2 p.m. Aug. 15 at
lab, One Margaret Mitchell
Square.
Participants will learn
how to use the latest internet
resources to research their
family’s history.
For more information,
call 404-730-1896.
‘Kate’s Club’ set
to host fundraiser
ATLANTA – Kate’s Club
will host its ninth annual cab-
aret from 8 p.m. to midnight
Aug. 17 at the Foundry at
Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E.
Lowery Blvd.
The fundraiser supports
-
powering children and teens
facing life after the death of a
parent or sibling.
For more information,
call 404-347-7619 or visit
www.katesclub.org.
Free health fair
set for Aug. 18
JONESBORO – Con-
gressman David Scott will
host the Eighth Annual 13th
Congressional District Health
Fair 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.Aug. 18
at Mundy’s Mill High School,
9652 Fayetteville Rd. (Hwy.
54).
The event will feature free
health screenings, including
prostate cancer, breast cancer,
HIV/AIDS, diabetes, blood
pressure, cholesterol, sickle
cell anemia, vision, hearing
and dental.
For more information,
call 770-210-5073 or visit
www.davidscott.house.gov.
Jamaicans celebrate
‘Golden Jubilee’
COLLEGE PARK – The
Atlanta Jamaican Association
Inc. and the Atlanta Jamai-
can Cultural and Educational
Fund, Inc. will host the An-
nual Jamaican Independence
Ball and Scholarship Awards
at 6 p.m. Aug. 18 at Geor-
gia International Convention
Center, 2000 Convention
Center Concourse.
The black-tie gala cel-
ebrates Jamaica’s 50th year
of independence. Dr. Stephen
Vasciannie, Jamaica’s ambas-
sador-designate to the U.S.,
will speak.
For more information,
call 404-556-3773.
– Compiled by Kalin
Thomas and Monica Thorpe
‘Civil Rights Weekend’ to honor Lewis
BY MONICA THORPE
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
ATLANTA – U.S. Rep. John Lewis
and Harvard Law School professor
Charles Ogletree will headline the sixth
annual Civil Rights Game Weekend on
Aug. 17-18 in downtown Atlanta.
The Civil Rights Game Weekend,
which celebrates people who fought
include a youth summit, the 2012 Ma-
jor League Baseball (MLB) Beacon
Awards, and a roundtable discussion
about the pivotal role baseball played in
the civil rights movement.
The events will begin with a “Base-
ball and the Civil Rights Movement”
roundtable discussion” at 10 a.m. Aug.
17 at The Carter Center, moderated by
Ogletree. At 10 a.m. Aug. 18, hundreds
of young people will join professional
baseball players and celebrities in inter-
active stations and clinics at the Braves
Youth Summit at Turner Field.
That afternoon, the Beacon Awards
will be held at the Hyatt Regency. That
event will honor people whose lives
symbolize the spirit of the civil rights
movement. Among the honorees are:
-
time civil rights activist, will receive the
Beacon of Life Award.
American pitcher to play in an All-Star
Game (1949), will receive the MLB
Beacon of Hope Award.
-
formed music that expressed the strug-
gles of the 1960s – will receive the MLB
Beacon of Change Award.
Baseball Commissioner Allan H.
(Bud) Selig says the Civil Rights Week-
end is an ideal time to cherish one of
America’s oldest sports.
“The Civil Rights
Game is an opportu-
nity to honor the na-
tional pastime’s place
in this important era
in our country’s his-
tory,” Selig said. “Ap-
propriately, the game
will feature the Braves
and the Dodgers, the
respective franchises
of two legends of our
game, Hall of Famers
HankAaron and Jackie
Robinson.”
The game will fol-
low at 7:10 p.m. at
Turner Field.
‘Negro Leagues’ forum
A community forum on “The Rise
and Fall of Negro Baseball” will be held
at 4 p.m. Aug. 11 at the Auburn Avenue
Research Library, 101 Auburn Ave.
The forum, held in recognition of the
2012 Civil Rights Game Weekend, will
discuss the historical legacy of Negro
League Baseball and its impact on con-
temporary sports in the U.S.
For more information, call 404-730-
400, ext. 100.
1st
black UGA grad
honored on Aug. 15
Hall of Fame pitcher Don Newcombe (left) honors ac-
tor Morgan Freeman during last year’s Civil Rights
Weekend Games in Atlanta. The event returns to At-
lanta on Aug. 17-18. (Courtesy photo).
Mary Frances Early