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Reggae: ... A "new" sounjl in the
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2
Words Of Wisdom
A great deal of latest b lod in the world for
want of a little coarafce. ,
Sydney Smith
He who does notanish evil command it
to be done.
Leonardo da Vinci
VOLUME 60 - NUMBER 4f
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY. OCTOBER 16. 1982
TELEPHONE (919) 682-2912
PRICE: 30 CENTS
1 ',
By Donald Alderman
For some folks in the largely rural 2nd Congres
sional District, it's Michaux in Congress nothing.
So )hey plan to take their pens to the polls in
three weeks, and write in H.M. Michaux rather than
pull the lever for LT. "Tim" Valentine or Jack
Marin.- J' -.
Michaux, a Durham attorney led the field of
three Democrats for; the district nomination in
June, but later lost a runoff race with Valentine.
Marin is the Republican candidate. Almost all Of
the district's white voters supported Valentine. .
1 To i , the surprise and chagrin, of many state
Democratic Party leaders, the Michaux defeat
brought -about a strange response in many black
voters. Historically, black voters have accepted the
defeat of black candidates philosophically: But this
time, 'they bolted, saying in effect, "We want
Michaux and Valentine won't doJ' V
"No doubt, :we, will be accused of turning our
back on the- Der6cratic Party and of being
disloyal, however, we are not dissuaded from our
course," said Frank Ballance, one of the leaders of
the write-in. "We can only say that as good loyal
Democrats, we have been more patient than Biblical
Job and more loyal than the average canine that
you can name anywhere. Yet, our distress signal has
not been heard, and we have continued to receive
only the crumbs from the Democratic table. The
time has come for us to stand up and be men and
women and stop being beggars and boys, so we urge
the people of this District to join with us in the ef
fort to elect' a man who will represent them and will
not sell out to Ronald Reagan."
At first, party leaders sort of chuckled, But the
Second District Black Caucus, - the group
spearheading the move, persisted. Then Michaux
said he didn't support -the movement. Still the
caucus persisted. Then Michaux endorsed Valen
tine, and the caucus, through one of its spokesmen,
Frank Ballance of Warrenton, said: "People are
responding with what they, the masses, want, not
wutu suuicuiic cisc wains mem iu mu.-
-So the write-in, is ojny and now party
pear- more tomuuwtx&smLSi:
Brent Hackney, Hunt's deputy press
reiterated the governor's position that blacks get
behind Valentine.
Wayne toftin of the state Democratic Party,
headquartered in Raleigh, said it's "unfortunate"
that blacks can't support Valentine, but conceded
that relations between blacks and Democrats are
' strained.
Proponents' of the write-in, on the other hand,
say it's unfortunate that the Democratic Party
didn't support Michaux and holds the concerns of
blacks secondary.
They argue that the black vote shouldn't be pro .
stituted for the sake of party label, party unity and
hollow promises.
Party loyalists say- the write-in effort is
treacherous, but supporters counter by saying that
white Democrats often cross-over and vote for,
Republicans when they consider that to be in their
best interest. '
The evidence is obvious. North Carolina has two
.Republican senators in a state where voter registra
tion is predominantly Democratic, by an almost 2-1
margin.
Therefore, write-in proponents say the movement
represents an effort to champion the best interests r interests.
sub-committee supports the write-in. Several weeks
ago, the group sent the; question back to the sub
committee, hoping to bury it there until after the
-election. But just a few days ago, the sub-committee
approved the movement again, and so the issue is
back on the floor. ,
In other counties of the second district, there ap
pears to be a lot of support for the effort, par
ticularly in Warren, Vance and Granville.
Butit is difficult to pinpoint an accurate assess
ment of how theAbattle is shaping up in the
hinterlands becausetapparently blacks who oppose
the move either arfin't being vocal, or just don't
have, access to a foAim. f ' s,
Basically, the opponents who are talking fall into
twd camps: those who say the effort is too complex,
that time has defeated the effort and that it would
be a losing, cause. Other opponents oppose the ef
fort: because it cooflicts with their special political
I? ) V i f.'f!:'- Co
of black voters
Write-in proponents, and even those in opposi-
tion to it, note that the movement represents far(
more than a political love affair with Michaux.
Rather, it reveals a growing, almost virulent
disenchantment with the Democratic Party, and its
habit of taking black voters for granted, according
to a caucus spokesman. .
For example, say officials of the N.C.-Black
Leadership Caucus, white Democrats did not sup
port the Howard Lee bid for lieutenant governor in
1976, despite the fact that Lee led a field of eight,
candidates in the primary. He lost to Jimmy Green .
in a hotly contested runoff race.
What this all means is that North Carolina"
politics might not ever be the same after the,
November 2 elections. Here are just a few of the k
things that could happen:
Democrats could lose their century-old lock on,
the growing black vote that more often than notjt
becomes the swing factor in many key elections. ,
The black political leadership picture could
come out completely' different, - depending upoir
Proponents of the movevconsider it the only sen
sible movje for black voters in light of current
political events. JThey also feel the write-in effort
has a better than even' chance of sepding Michaux to
Congress' Here's what they point to: . ,
In several Of the district's ten counties, there are
highly charged Ujcal races that will get a higher than
normal rjumber tof black voters to the polls.
t ? Mo black voters agree that Valentine, cut
from'jMsame political cloth as L.H. Fountain who
held thexongressional seat for more than 30 years,
is little flif ferent rtian Marin, the Republican.
Many of the'-black aivdidatfes who are running
either with nooppositi6ri' br'tojeen opposition owe
their position largely to enthusiasm generated by
Michaox's lively campaign earlier.
' J ) : y
Governor Jim Hunt
MICHAUX
So supporters are optimistic.
Ballance says that while the district black caucus
will coordinate the write-in effort, leaders in each of
the counties are responsible for getting out the vote
in their areas.
Proponents also say that since white voters will
be split between Democrats, Republicans and
Libertarians, the write-in effort should be in pretty
good shape.
And finally, if the write-in is successful, that is if
Michaux gets as much as half of the votes he got in
the runoff race, Democrats might be willing to sup
port elimination of the second primary rather than
risk losing all or most of their black voters to
Republicans and Independents.
So, in the 2nd District the stage is set, the actors
are in place, and the curtain is about to rise on one
of the fiercest political fights in recent memory.
Fiafe Another Fight Before
.-('.
sateUiJii .11. II riiNNA
irittjii-u" Reoub icans xouia onne meir nauunai ic-vei , wwAmmyi-v VkKv-ii.iLVjtJiMitv
COUrilng Ol DiaCK voters iu inumidiuima, u r i'. ; .,
likely find some willing ears.
The battle lines have already been drawn.
For example, in Durham, home of the powerful
Durham Committee, the organization's political
Durham City School Aides
"Organizing For More Clout
By Pam Banks
Teacher aides in
Durham's City schools
want the right to vote in
the local and v state
educators association,
and , they arc forming
their own professional
organization to fight for
that, - ....
The new organization,
named the Durham City
Support Personnel
Association, wants fuM
membership status with
the Durham City
Association of
Educators (DCAF) and
'rhc N.C Association of
Educators (NCAE).
Currently teacher
aides have an associate
membership status in the
two organizations: They
pav $64 in annual dues,
half of the $128 teachers
pay, and' the aides can
not vote.
Organizing' efforts by
the city's 200 or so
teacher aides have spark
ed some controversy,
with both sides blaming
the other. It is not clear ,
how many aides are in
volved. Orcanizcri
wouldn't release specific
figures.'
Mrs. Emma Bass, a
teacher at F..K. Powc
School and president of
the Durham City
Association of
Educators (DCAE), says
the state NCAE constitu
tion has to be changed
before, the local group
can ; accept , the aides'
association.
However, Vernon
Bridges, an aide at Y.E.
Smith School, and the
constitution committee
chairman for the aides
association, contends
that if 75o of the DCAE
would approve their
membership in the local
group; the state body
.wouia recognize tne
.aides group.
As part of the organiz
ing effort. Durham's
aides arc being urged to
join both DCAE and
NCAE.
But the real question is
can this fight for full
professional status by
teacher aides be
prevented from spilling
over into "the classroom
and creating ill will bet
ween aides and teachers.
Mrs. Mcrticc Monroe,
one of the principal
movers behind the
organizing move, and an
aide at C.C. Spaulding
Elementary School, says
she hopes so. .
sionals," said Mrs.
Monroe. "We care what
happens to our schools
and we care what hap
pens to the children."
- But. the professional
issues are also impor
tant, according to the
aides organizers. For ex
ample, they say, aides
have only year-by-year
contracts, rather than
multiple-year contracts,
and training workshops
arc held only once a
year. Teachers, on the
other hand, the aides
contend, have periodic
workshops throughout
the vcar. It is not clear
"What we arc trying how many teachers in the
to gain is a better work- system has multiple-year
Ing environment between , contracts.
Bridges and Mrs.
Monroe also sav teacher '
aides don't enjoy due
process rights and don't
have a grievance pro
' cedure that applies to
dismissals and some con
tested disciplinary, ac
tions. But ; Howard
i McAllister, assistant
:. i V r.. :
Mjpciuuciiuviir I'm 1'v.i- (o attract more
sonnel in the city system, voters. The issue
says tne same, que pro
cess and grievance pro
cedure that-applies for
teachers is applicable to
aides as well.
Mrs. Monroe said her
colleagues feel the aides
association as a unit of
the local, state and na
tional NCAE would reap
the same benefits as
(Continued on Page 10)
By Donald Alderman
Many of , North
Carolina's f , more than
40(t,000 black Democrats
appear ready to jump
out;, of the Democratic
Parly's hip pocket, but
it's not clear where they
will land. "
What is clear is that a
smoldering black disen
chantment with the
Democratic Party, lurk
ing under the surface for
years, has exploded into
the open.
The fallout could have
far-reaching repercus
sions, not only for black
voters and their rclation
viip to the Democratic
Parly, but lor the
Republican Parly as well
in its stepped up efforts
black
could
also fuel interest in in
dependent politics for
blacks, a move that has
loomed on ' the fringes
for more than 20 years
now. f
But the leap's more
immediate impact could
be on ' the all -but -announced
candidacy of
Gov. Jim Hunt, for the
U.S. Senate race in 1984
against Republican
Senator Jesse Helms.
1 Everyone agrees that a
Hunt-Helms Senate race
will be a vicious political
fight, with the financial
and political armies
already gathering.
Everyone also agrees
that black voters could
play a pivotal role in that
fight;
"It's not enough to
say he (Helms) is a bad
guy." said Hunt's-dcpu-tv
press secret arv. Brent
Hackney. "He Hunt)
can't take blacks for
granted because you
'can't win a statewide
election without the sup
port of blacks."
Willie l.ovett, chair
man of the powerful
Durham Committee on
the Affairs of Black Peo
ple, agrees: "Hunt needs
a lot of work and en
thusiastic support. The
choice is not whether
you're going to support
Hunt or not. but how
much are you going t
put into it."
At first glance. Hunt
appears to be the ob
vious choice for black
voters mainly because
Helms is perceived as be
ing totallv auainst issues
that blacks consider to
be in their best interest.
Additionally, large
numbers of blacks have
not voted Republican in
this ' state since
Reconstruction.
But recently. Hunt's
"black silver lining"
developed a cloud.
Neither the governor
nor state Democrat it
Party leaders activclv
supported the 2nd
District congressional
candidacy of Durham at
torney H.M. "Mickey"
Michaux.
In addition to that, the
Hunt administration's
decision to dump tons of
toxic waste material in a
Warren County landfill
has angered many black'
with significant politic;'!
clout. The decision ap
pears 10 many to be '
racist because ... the
population of Warren
County is about 60"'.
black, and in the are;;
immediately adjacent to
teachers and paraprofes-
City Officials
Not Convinced Sexual Harassment Exists
"l:
By Isaiah Singlet ary
Despite recent allega
tions (hat women under
arrest in Durham arc
often propositioned for
sexual favors by Durham
police officers, city of
ficials say they aren't
convinced that the pro
blem is as serious as
many say.
City officials even
minimize comments
front a veteran police of
ficer, who asked to re
main unidentified, who
described the problem as
serious and widespread.
"If the problem is as
widespread as the officer
says it is, 1 would expect
to sec a lot of complaints
about it," said Durham
Cky Manager Barry , Del
Castilho. "The last one
that I personally
" remember was a .highly
publicized one about six
or seven years ago. But
I'm just not aware of any
.reccntcomplaints,"
However, ; "one recent
situation that at least
hints at the problem in
volves a former
magistrate and a former
Sheriff's Department
deputy who have been,
charged with, illegally
disposing of drunken
driving charges against a
woman in exchange for
sexual favors.
The case is still pen
lig. ': It is difficult to assess
the number i of com
plaints because when a
citizen files a Charge
against a police off iecr
with the department's iiir
lernal affajrs division,
the complaint is usually
never discussed publicly,
and there is no public
report on cither the
humbcr of citizen com
plaints or the type of
"hit.
on
police officers
them."
For example,, in its
continuing investigation
of sexual harassment by -local
police officers, V77k'v
Carolina Times learned
of the case of Ms. Cyn
thia Bynum, who ' said
she was propositioned .in'
an interrogation room in
the sheriffs department
area ot the county cour
, (house.
'Ms. Bynum filed- a
complaint ; with the
police, andf it is unknown
if any action has been ;
taken on the complaint.
Their. ln;.ihe heal? of
the recent sheriff's, race,
District Attorney Dan
Edwards filed charges
against a dcrfut.v and a
magistrate, alleging that
they both had sexual
relation with a woman
complaints madi against ; , who had been arrested
police officers.
i But many women in
Durham have told The
Carolina Times that
on drunken ddnving
charges. Thcmen, later,
according to the charges,
arranged for the charges
against the woman to be
dropped without her
having to go to court.
One woman, who ask
ed not to be identified,
said these cases show
what's really happening
in Durham's v law j en
forcement agencies. "I
don't think they would
have tried it," she said,
"unless they were sure
they'd get away with it.
And for them to think
they could get away with
it, it's got to be happen
ing all the time."
But complaints .not
withstanding, - city of-
, ficials aren't convinced
that the problem is real,
or at least not to the ex
tent that many citizens
think i is. :
Del Castilho said, for
example, that a two year
summary of complaints
against police " officers
shows only 'one com
.plaint where sexual
harassment was alleged.
( Complaints -v. which
dominated the summary,
he said, fell into one of
four categories. They
arc: unprofessional con
duct, excessive force,
operational, and other
a not so' clearly defin
ed category. It is not
clear if actual sexual pro-'
positions could fall
under the "unprofes
sional conduct" or "ex
cessive force"
categories.
Of the allegations
made by the veteran
police officer public
safety chief Talmadge'
I.assitcr said, "1 don't
sec that there's anything
there. What you have is
an officer making ac
cusations too general to
check out. But if that of
ficer would call me and
give us 'more informa
tion, I'd be "happy to
pursue it. But without
more concrete informa
tion, I couldn't justify
the use of time and man-
disprove those allega
tions." So, without more for
mat complaints or more
concrete evidence from
those officers who think
there's a real problem of
sexual harassment in the
police department, of
ficials arc stilt unwilling
to investigate these
claims of police miscon
duct. It is even unlikely
that they are willing to
review police com
munications tapes to
determine if they show
patterns which may sug
gest a misuse of police
equipment.
"Reviewing the
tapes," said ' Chief
Lassiter, "is such a
lengthy and in-depth
process, that I'm not too
optimistic that it would
prove anything. But if
we had more specific in
formation, I'd be more
apt to think about doing
iti It would .be a
ine landfill site, the
population is about 73
black.
So, all of a sudden.
Hunt is not quite so ob
vious a choice, but
Hackney doesn't seem
worried. In a recent in
terview, Hackney hinted
that the recent Hunt
de sions that have
en, aged blacks were
made with the thinking
that Hunt's generally
good relationship with
Blacks wouldn't be
seriously hurt, or that
blacks would forgot
these decisions by 1984.
"I think there's a trust
between Hunt and
blacks," he said, "that
was built . over a long
time.. And 'I don't think
fhat one or two issues
will tear that down."
Whether the relation
ship between blacks and
Hunt can withstand the
decisions plus the grow
ing disenchantment with
Democratic Party
politics is certainly open
to conjecture. Floyd
McKissick thinks now is
the time to do something
about that.
"I don't think either
party has the best in
terest of- blacks at
heart," McKissick said.
"I think both need to
change their policies.
, McKissick. uce chaii
man of the N.C. Black
leadership ("aucu., a
statewide black political
organization, also a
black voters have -not us
ed their political strength
effectively. Said
McKissick an Oxford
attorney, who has been a
member of both political
parties in 1984. blacks
should be in a position to
"...have the parties
come to us instead of go ing
to them begging..."
"Blacks should
.nillinc some concrete
and practical
objectives," McKissick
continued, "things that
outline progress for the
whole race. Thai's how
'you play the game. You
say what you want, you
don't ask what you can
get. It's a power game
and if you're not going
to play the game, you
ought to get out of it."
Neither Helms nor his
power to prove or Continued on Page 4) (Continued On Page 7)