by Jennifer C. Yates

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. (AP)—The victims of Flight 93 are an inspiration to all who visit the rural field where they died on Sept. 11, 2001, will now “see how a scar in the earth has healed,” first lady Michelle Obama said Saturday at a memorial service at the crash site honoring the 40 passengers and crew.

FIRST LADIES ATTEND MEMORIAL SERVICE—First Lady Michelle Obama, and former First Lady Laura Bush, right, tour the construction site at the Flight 93 memorial with Gordon W. Felt, president of the Families of Flight 93, left, who lost his brother Edward Felt on the flight, and Joanne M. Hanley, superintendent of the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., Sept. 11.

Former first lady Laura Bush joined Obama in the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania, marking a rare joint public speaking appearance by two first ladies. Obama thanked her predecessor for helping the country through the difficult days following the attacks.

Week of September 16-22

September 16

1848—The French abolish slavery in all their territories. It would take a civil war and another 17 years before slavery is abolished in America.

B.B. KING

1925—B.B. King, an American blues guitarist and singer-songwriter acclaimed for his expressive singing and guitar playing, is born on this day in Itta Benna, Miss. In the 1950s, King became one of the most important names in R&B music, amassing an impressive list of hits including "You Know I Love You" and "Woke Up This Morning," King was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.

WASHINGTON (AP)—Ronald W. Walters, a longtime political analyst and scholar at Howard University and the University of Maryland who was a leading expert on race and politics, has died. He was 72. His weekly column appeared in New Pittsburgh Courier and hundreds of other Black newspapers across the country.

RON WALTERS

Walters died Sept. 10 after an illness, University of Maryland spokesman Lee Tune said Saturday. He had been suffering from lung cancer. Arrangements are attached at end of story.

(NNPA)—According to a new analysis of cell phone usage by The Nielsen Company, African-Americans spend more time on average talking and texting than any other ethnic group. The voice and text results are compiled from one year (April 2009-March 2010) of mobile usage data gathered by Nielsen, which analyzes the cellphone bills of more than 60,000 mobile subscribers each month in the United States.

Nielsen found that African-Americans use on average more than 1,300 voice minutes a month, compared to the next most talkative segment, Hispanics, which talk on average 826 minutes a month. Asian/Pacific Islanders logged on average 692 talk minutes a month, followed by Whites, who use approximately 647 voice minutes a month.