?Volume 9, No. 33 Sunday, July 4, 2010 Price $1.00
Independence irony
Black spy's contributions long forgotten
Dwight Ott Tribune Correspondent Samuel Fraunces was the Revoluionary War's answer to James Bond at least, that's the view of one oted historian. Charles Blockson, curator emerius of the Blockson Afro-American ollection at Temple University, conends that not only was Fraunces one f this country's first spies, but that much of the Revolutionary history of New York revolved around Fraunces nd his tavern. Fraunces operated the tavern, called simply "Fraunces Tavern," for 23 years in New York. Later, he moved to Philadelphia. There he established two businesses - a restaurant on Second Street called the "Tavern Keeper," and a tavern called "Golden Tun Tavern" on South Water Street. He also served as a chief steward in charge of George Washington's household at the Presient's House for four years until 794. Despite Washington's holdings of ver 300 slaves, he and Fraunces - a free Black man - remained close friends before the Revolutionary War and after. In an unabashed note, Washington thanked Fraunces. Fraunces - Page 9BGun ruling leaves city laws uncertain
Philadelphia police officers collect firearms during a recent Goods for Guns drive, an effort local lawmakers promote to get guns off the streets. - TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO'Clay' Armbrister's winding path to success
City chief of staff has worked hard and his career shows it
Barbara Daniel Cox Tribune Correspondent Growing up in southern Florida, Clarence "Clay" Armbrister never dreamed of being the chief of staff to the mayor of America's fifth largest city. Being the youngest of four children, Armbrister's siblings were all in college during his childhood years and they were great role models. His parents grew up in the Bahamas, where his maternal grandfather was a Baptist minister in Coconut Grove, as well as a Garvey disciple. When Armbrister's other was six years old, the KlanINSIDE
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Caribbean Sports Classifieds Religion Obituaries 5-B 6-7B 8-B 10-B 12-B kidnapped her father, kept him for three days and beat him within inches of his life. After the beating, they demanded that he take his family and never come back to the Bahamas. The family packed its bags and moved to Florida, but the cornerstone of the church still remains. Armbrister's mother was a seamstress and homemaker; his father was in World War II and was one of the few Black submariners. He was on the USS Croaker that dry docked in Buffalo, N.Y. Armbrister had a chance to take a six-minute selfguided tour and it felt like a religious LEISURE SPORTS NEWS Buffalo Soldiers & Troopers ready to ride Club to participate in Welcome America parade. 1BHappy Fourth of July!
This is a portrait of Samuel Fraunces, circa 1770-1785, that once hung in Fraunces Tavern in New York. - PHOTO COURTESY OF WIKIIPEDIA COMMONS Larry Miller Tribune Staff Writer The right to bear arms has always been a part of the American way of life but one can argue that the level of gun violence in the nation's cities was not what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they wrote the Bill of Rights. The Second Amendment states: "A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be experience imagining how men actually lived on a submarine and went back home to raise a family. That is one of the reasons he admires his parents so much. "They tried to instill a sense of resilience in us," he said. "They were extraordinary." *** Armbrister's journey to the second floor of City Hall had several twists and turns. His first job was as a newspaper delivery boy for the Miami Herald where he worked every day (includ- Armbrister - Page 12A Tiger Woods still struggling in AT&T Ten strokes off lead after two rounds. 6BPresident's House pays tribute to slaves
Dwight Ott Tribune Correspondent Some have called it a "house of horrors." Others, a "house of bondage." And still others simply see it as "The President's Executive House." Which was it? With Independence Day upon us and memories of George Washington and the Founding Fathers once again in the air, questions about recently unearthed aspects of the President's House at Sixth and Market streets have become pressing. Who were the nine slaves reported to have lived in the house with Washington during the period when Philadelphia served as the country's capital beginning in 1790? What were the circumstances? A memorial to the house was to have been unveiled on Independence Day. But the concept of a memorial to the house seems to have been a kind of a racial Rorschach test. It appears to have conjured up different images depending on whether it was whites or Blacks viewing it. It is unclear whether such differences caused the postponement of the July 4 unveiling to sometime in November. According to one organizer, Michael Coard, the event is on schedule. "The unveiling of the President's House/Slavery Memorial project was infringed." But in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia and Chester, Pa., where incidents of gun violence are high, legislators often wrestle with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to frame laws that don't infringe on the rights of the people but come down hard on gun-wielding thugs. Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that Chicago's current gun laws were "unenforceable," moving Mayor Guns - Page 9B Ackerman names West Philly High principal Ozzie Wright takes the helm of school. 4A Slaves - Page 8BAdvocates say Philly's regs consistent with Supreme Court
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New wedding chapel open for businessNation endures 'jobless recovery'
Job market not growing fast enough for rebound
Christopher S. Rugaber WASHINGTON - A second straight month of lackluster hiring by American businesses is sapping strength from the economic rebound. The jobless rate fell to 9.5 percent in June, still far too high to signal a healthy economy. It came in slightly lower than the month before only because more than a half-million people gave up looking for work and were no longer counted as unemployed. The private sector added just 83,000 jobs for the month. Looked at from that angle or almost any other, from a teetering housing market to falling factory orders, the recovery is limping along as it enters the year's second half. And that is when the benefits of most of the government'sstimulus spending will begin to wear off. The fate of the economy will hinge on whether it can stand on its own. President Barack Obama acknowledged the slow pace of the recovery and used the new jobs figures to argue for more stimulus spending and extended unemployment benefits. "We're not headed there fast enough for a lot of Americans," the president said. "We're not headed there fast enough for me, either." Overall, the nation's total payroll actually shrank last month by 125,000, the first decline in six months, the Labor Department said Friday. The loss reflected the end of 225,000 temporary jobs helping the U.S. Census Bureau complete its 10-year head count. The 83,000 jobs added by the private sector was a Economy - Page 9B Clarence Armbrister works with his executive assistant Kathleen Lonie. - HIROKO TANAKA/TRIBUNE STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER The Philadelphia Tribune, a reflection of you. The Philadelphia Tribune
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