NEW PITTSBURGH COURIER NATIONAL NOVEMBER 25-DECEMBER 1, 2009 A3
As hunger
Shuttle crew includes two Black astronauts
increases across
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP)—The
first orthopedic surgeon in space is flying
aboard shuttle Atlantis, along with a for-
the nation, so do
mer NFL pick.
Atlantis and its crew of six hooked up
with the International Space Station on
Nov. 18. Atlantis is delivering big spare
helping hands
parts to the space station. It’s an 11-day
flight, which will keep the crew in orbit
over Thanksgiving.
Lynchburg native Leland Melvin and
by Pharoh Martin Hampton native Dr. Robert Satcher Jr.,
For New Pittsburgh Courier
both African-Americans, are among the
crew.
WASHINGTON (NNPA)—As a new
Melvin is the primary robot arm operator
USDA report finds that more than a quarter
and is on his second spaceflight. Satcher is
of all African-American households suffered
on his first spaceflight. He will perform two
from food insecurity last year, compared to
spacewalks outside the space station and
15 percent of White households, public and
serve as the crew’s medical officer.
private agencies are scrambling to help feed
Satcher’s specialty is bone cancer.
those who might otherwise go hungry.
“Being a physician and treating cancer
“Our agencies are reporting seeing in-
patients was very rewarding,” he said. But
creases from 30 to over 100 percent in the de-
space beckoned. “It was something that I
mand for food assistance and are reporting
always dreamed about, going into outer
longer lines, seeing new faces and the need to
space.”
reduce the amount of food being given to each
For his first spaceflight, Satcher will per-
family so that everyone gets something,” said
form two spacewalks outside the Interna-
AP PHOTO/NASA
Shamia K. Holloway, spokesperson for Capi-
tional Space Station and serve as the
IN ORBIT—Eight of the 12 crew members currently on the International Space Station pose for a
tal Area Food Bank, a Washington-based free
crew’s medical officer. He also will file
photo Nov. 20 while space shuttle Atlantis remains docked. From left: NASA astronauts Leland
food distributor. “The economic crisis has
Twitter updates from orbit.
Melvin, Robert L. Satcher Jr., both STS-129 mission specialists; Charles O. Hobaugh, STS-129 com-
touched so many people in unexpected ways;
Born in Hampton, Va., Satcher, 44, has a
mander; Nicole Stott, STS-129 mission specialist; Russian cosmonauts Roman Romanenko and
and it puts a squeeze on those already strug-
medical degree from Harvard University
Maxim Suraev and NASA astronaut Jeffrey Williams, all Expedition 21 flight engineers; and European
gling individuals and families. We expect to
and a doctorate in chemical engineering
Space Agency astronaut Frank De Winne, Expedition 21 commander.
see more people this year.”
from Massachusetts Institute of Technol-
The face of hunger is changing. Holloway
ogy. He was teaching at Northwestern Uni- year-old son and a 5-year-old daughter. being picked by the Detroit Lions in the
said that her organization has received
versity and as an orthopedic surgeon at Melvin, the primary robot arm operator, 11th round of the 1986 NFL draft. He
calls from former donors and volunteers
Children’s Memorial Hospital in Chicago is taking up a poem he’s written titled “Ex- never made a final NFL roster because of
who are finding they need assistance from
when NASA invited him into the astronaut ploration” that has been set to music. It’s hamstring injuries and instead focused on
the very organization they used to support.
corps in 2004. on his iPod. science and engineering.
More than 49 million people lived in food
“It’s a very diverse training, not only He wants to draw youngsters in, by com- He began working in fiber optic sensors
deficient households last year. Nearly 27 per-
mental but physical, and in that sense I bining creativity and technology. at NASA’s Langley Research Center in
cent of African-American and 27 percent of
think it’s very unique and certainly as “I’m always excited about making the 1989. He was selected as an astronaut in
Hispanic households had food deficiencies,
challenging as anything else I’ve gone connection between science, math and the 1998. This is his second spaceflight.
compared to 10.7 percent of White house-
through,” he said. arts,” he said. “We are the very lucky ones or blessed
holds. Food insecurities among African-
His father, Robert Satcher Sr., is presi- He’s also taking up a football and a nee- ones to have the opportunity” to fly in
American households grew by 17.7 percent
dent of St. Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, dle to pump it up, but is mum on the de- space, he said. “And it’s our mission, re-
from 2007 to 2008 and 35.3 percent for His-
Va. His uncle, Dr. David Satcher, served as tails. ally, to try to convey that in whatever the
panic households, according to the USDA.
U.S. surgeon general from 1998 until 2002. Melvin, 45, who’s from Lynchburg, Va., best way possible is, for people to under-
“The faces that we’re seeing coming
His wife, Dr. D’Juanna White-Satcher, is a was a 6-foot, 205-pound wide receiver at stand just how magnificent and how
through our door are the same faces that
pediatrician in Houston. They have a 2- the University of Richmond and ended up beautiful it is.”
we have seen previously—only more,” said
Roxanne Rice, executive director for Food
for Others, Northern Virginia’s largest
non-profit distributor of free food to the
needy. “We see young families with chil-
Police: N.C. girl raped, killed on day she was taken
dren and the working poor or who had
part-time work previously but were laid-off
by Alysia Patterson
“Right now I just think
or lost their jobs completely, and they are
Associated Press Writer
it’s best that we let the jus-
coming to us for a little bit of help.” tice system take its
Donations from individuals have stayed FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP)—A 5-year- course,” Lockhart said on
steady or have even risen but donations old North Carolina girl was raped and the show. “I try to keep my
from foundations and corporations have killed the same day she was taken from heart as pure as possible,
suffered, according to food bank directors her home, according to an arrest warrant and I’m sure one day I will
interviewed by the NNPA News Service. released Nov. 20. be able to sit down and
Bread for the World is lobbying Congress Shaniya Davis was sexually assaulted talk to her, try and under-
to reauthorize and strengthen federally and asphyxiated Nov. 10, the day her stand what was going
funded nutrition and food subsidy pro- mother reported her missing from the through her mind.”
SHANIYA DAVIS ANTOINETTE DAVIS MARIO McNEILL
grams such as the WIC Program and the trailer park where she was staying, ac-
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro- cording to the warrant. Authorities em-
gram, which is the new name for the fed- barked on a nearly weeklong search that
eral Food Stamp Program. ended when the girl’s body was found
“We are urging our members as well as dumped off a rural road.
other people to write to the members of Mario McNeill is charged with first-de-
Congress urging them to support the reau- gree murder and first-degree rape of a
thorization of the child nutrition legislation child in the warrant, which was issued
because that legislation will be coming up for after police said they collected hair and
a vote again in 2010,” said Racine Tucker- fibers, clothes, and a straw from his 1997
Hamilton, communications consultant for Mitsubishi Galant. He was initially
Bread for the World, a Christian-based non- charged only with kidnapping.
profit focused on eradicating world hunger. McNeill seemed nervous as he appeared
“Programs like that and the school lunch in court Nov. 20 for a brief hearing on the
program and the food stamp program will latest charges. He nodded his head
[help] families keep food on the table.” slightly to the judge’s questions but did
Community churches like Dominion not enter a plea. His lawyer, Allen
Church of Washington, D.C., are trying to Rogers, left the courtroom with his client
step in and help. The church adopted a and didn’t speak to reporters. He also
local school over the summer and they help didn’t return messages left at his office
them out in special times such as back-to- from The Associated Press.
school and Thanksgiving. This year as in The girl’s mother, Antoinette Davis, is
previous years, Dominion Church mem- charged with filing a false police report,
bers are providing Thanksgiving baskets trafficking her daughter and child abuse
with complete turkey dinners for 15 fami- involving prostitution. Her mother said
lies. The baskets are completely funded by she doesn’t believe the charges.
the church through donations from their “She did not harm her kids. I was there,
100-member congregation. I should know,” said Ann Summers, who
“It is known here—don’t just clean out also is the girl’s grandmother.
your cabinets. We want you to give the Summers said she saw McNeill and
same things you would want to have at Davis hanging out together, but she
your Thanksgiving dinner,” said Wanda didn’t think they were romantically in-
Crawford, the events coordinator for Do- volved.
minion Church who has been overseeing “To me, he ain’t nothing but a maggot.
the program for the last 10 years. The He’s going to get what comes to him,”
members are asked to give their best. Summers said outside court.
“We have members inside of the church Earlier in the week, authorities said Mc-
that have had difficulties because of the re- Neill admitted taking the girl. Fayet-
cession,” Crawford said. “We’ve had people teville Police Chief Tom Bergamine would
that have worked on Capital Hill that are not say during a news conference late last
now unemployed and have come to us and week whether McNeill admitted to the
said that they need a basket this year, child’s death.
which wasn’t easy for them to do because A search warrant says McNeill picked
they were always ones to give but this year the girl up in front of her home and drove
they have nothing.” her more than 30 miles to a hotel in San-
Washington-based Martha’s Table is ford, where she was last seen alive.
among the many community charities that Surveillance video captured McNeill car-
are serving hot dinners and groceries in rying the girl in the building.
need. The non-profit saw one of the most “It is our sincere hope that the Davis
heavily-attended pre-thanksgiving dinners family may now begin to put this horrific
they’ve seen in some time. An estimated event behind them and begin the healing
1,000 residents showed up on the Sunday process,” Bergamine said.
before Thanksgiving. Tomeka Gray, 20, who is dating Mc-
Homeless residents like James Russell Neill’s brother, said the accusations don’t
depend on organizations such as Martha’s jibe with what she knows about him. She
Table. said McNeill was a good uncle and father
“If it wasn’t for places like Martha’s Table who came to see her daughter in the hos-
I would’ve lost like 60 pounds,” said Rus- pital with an armload of baby items right
sell, who volunteers as a youth basketball after she was born earlier this year.
coach. In addition to government assis- “I’ve never known him to do anything
tance, Russell depends on many other non- like that,” Gray told The Associated
profit organizations to help him get bus to- Press. She said when she saw the story
kens and gift cards for local grocery stores. on the news her first thought was that
He said that things have become easier she hoped authorities would catch the
since Obama came into office. horrible person who did it.
Richard Gibson is a former chef that’s “And then to find out it was him…I was
been unemployed for six months. He’s also crying. I was shocked,” she said.
turned to places like Martha’s Table for Meanwhile, Shaniya’s father, Bradley
help. But, he sees hope on the horizon. Lockhart, appeared on Friday’s “The
“There’s been a greater number of people Oprah Winfrey Show,” where Winfrey
coming out to get food—people of all races,” asked him if he had anything to say to
Gibson said. “It’s going to take some time Davis. He told The Associated Press ear-
but I’m slowly seeing some signs because lier that he had cared for Shaniya for sev-
there are a lot of restaurants coming up eral years but decided to give Davis a
that might benefit me in the months to chance to raise her because she seemed to
come.” be getting her life together.
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