I-TKE CASSLTCA TIKES-SATURDAY, CECEKSDI II, 1S32
. ''North- Carolina
2:
The
Future MM
By KCltoa Jordan
Executive Editor
ht 18 yean, an estimated seven
million people will live in North
Carolina amid an ever-growing
volume ot toxic industrial waste,
working in a highly technological
economy, and residing in mostly
urbanjmmunities.
How will they cope?
How will they handle life
threatening complexities such as
protecting the economy without
destroying the environment, or
providing jobs without wrecking
health? For that matter, how will
they deal with relatively simple
matters such as how close they
live to each other, in what types
of dwellings, and whether they
ride a bus, or their car to work?
For more than 18 months,
. several hundred thousand North
Carolinians have wrestled with
these hard, often elusive and
mind-boggling questions. They
have searched for possible
answers to both bridge the gap
between then and now, and build
a foundation capable of surviving
the unknown the 21st century.
They call this effort N.C. 2000.
On one level, the project is a
grandiose response to Gov. Jim
Hunt's challenge in June 1981
when he said: "We must take
responsibility for making the
world what we want it to be, for
ourselves and for our children.
' And that requires looking into
the future now. Looking at the
future can help us anticipate
cnanges ana mane decisions, u
can prepare us for what lies
ahead and put us in the driver's
seat, to chart the course for
North Carolina.",
But on another level, the effort
that has spanned the state, in
volving people from the status
quo and beyond on both ex
tremes, has been what one
woman called: "the frustrating
understanding of how little you
really know about yourself, your
world and your place in it."
For two days last' week, more
,than 800 people, many of them
involved with the project from
the beginning, met in Raleigh to
discuss and refine the work thus
far, before a final executive sum
mary goes to Hunt in March. The
project's final report is due in
April. .
For two days, between stirring
charges , and rambling history
lessons, - these people talked,
argued and debated about North
Carolina's natural resources,
economy, communities and peo
ple. The conferees, to use the
term loosely, ranged from politi
cians and professionals to
farmers and housewives. V
Over gallons of coffee and
cola, two lunches and a dinner,
they haggled, for example, over:
Whether in natural resources,'
specific sources of pollution such
as sedimentation, acid rain and
wood stove smoke should be
somehow controlled.
Whether in an effort to pro
tect the community from growing
crime, should plea bargaining be
outlawed, and judges held more,
accountable for their conduct of
the judicial system.
On that same issue, would
higher salaries attract a better
caliber of persons to be law en
forcement officers?
In education, how to get the
state's public schools, which are
fifth from the bottom in the na
tion in pupil expenditures, more
in line with North Carolina's col
leges, which are 13th from the
top in money spent on students?
How to help the working
poor be less poor, and help the .
people "trapped" in poverty to
be more comfortable?
Interestingly enough, two"sub
jects apparently did not surface
during the discussions: one was
the level of black involvement in
the process. Fewer than 100
blacks took part In last week's
conference. It is not clear,
however, just how many blacks
have been involved in the project
from the beginning, or to what
extent they've been involved.
Another subject that apparent
ly didn't coihe up is the effect of
this project on North Carolina's
black citizens. The general
assumption, it seemed, was that
proposed solutions would have
the same effects on all citizens.
For example, a recommenda
tion from the Natural Resources
panel suggested: "...by the year
2000, all hazardous wastes
generated in North . Carolina
should be safely recycled,
neutralized or destroyed at the
source, where possible and all
hazardous waste disposal sites
should be made secure against
any significant risk to health or
v environmental contamination," .
Though discussions . brought
about suggested modifications of
this recommendation," most'
discussions did not raise the issue
of how this objective would af
fect North Carolina blacks.
But on the other side of that
question when a black woman
suggested during a discussion on
education that the state's educa
tional policy makers should also
work to retain the quality and
historical mission of
predominantly black state
supported colleges and univer
sities, the suggestion raised
several questions.
' 'What would be a goal of such
a recommendation," asked one
discussion participant "Why is
that important?"
"Would you consider adding
women's coDtges to that state
ment?" asked another partici
pant. "They have made signifi
cant contributions, too."
And in explaining all the ques
tions, another participant said:
"I'm sure you can understand the
need to clarify that recommenda
tion, because afterall, if the con
cern was raised here, surely it
would be raised elsewhere."
All this caused another black
woman in the discussion group to
retort, under her breath, "we
have to clarify everything and
you all just say it and it's suppos
ed to go."
The group agreed to accept the
recommendation, but in that ex
change, minor and even isolated
as it might have been, is found an
undercurrent emotion that will,
make N.C. 2000 difficult to im
plement. And according to blacks both
involved and uninvolved with the
process, the problem creating the
emotion does not always stem
from white policymakers being
unwilling to include black people
in the process.
Sometimes, according to some
blacks at last week's convention,
"I('';:n
YQU
it is a matter of blacks not taking
full advantage of the access that
is available.
"Black people We just going to
haveto be more aggressive in go
ing through the doors that are
open," said Mrs. Edna'Davis, a
citizens involvement advocate
: who works with the Raleigh
Citizens Advisory Council.
' "Sometimes,, instead of waiting
for someone else1 to carry the ball,
we have to pick it up and run with
it ourselves."
According to Dr. Elizabeth
Koontz, a retired educator, who
is vice chairman of the N.C. 2000
Commission, the project's policy
body that will decide on what
recommendations are in the final
report; the project is historic.
"It is the first time in my
lifetime," she said, "that all peo
, pie have had an opportunity to
say what they thought should be
done before the decision was
made." : "vV :, ? ;'
Hunt, in his keynote speech to
the group Monday night,' in
timated that black people , had
played a pivotal role in
establishing process such as
N.C. 2000. :'-:V;V,uc-:; :;.,
. "Whether you agree with them
or not, and oftentimes I did not,
you cannot overlook . the
significance of the fact that the
great movements in America over
the last two decades civ jl rights
came not frora the top ttown,
butfrom the bottom up?" he
said. "Those changes are ex
hilarating, but they . are- ex
hausting. Sometimes, we react by
seeking refuge in the past. We try
to shape tomorrow by bringing
back yesterday. But' yesterday is;
, gone; it won't come back."
" ;This statement alone appears
! to indicate that more , blacks
should be flocking to be involved:
with N.C. 2000, designed, accor-,
ding to William Friday, chairman
of the project's Commission and
president of the , state-wide
university system, to ".i.give us a
perspective on the future." '
But sighing with the slightest ,
tinge of frustration, Herbert"
McNeal, of Eden, N.C, one of a
rather small number of blacks at
last week's convention, said: "I
Continued on Pae 7).' I
Over 16,000 babies were born to '
North Carolina' teenaers la 1980.
I
Almost half of these were bora
out of wedlock.
: 1ME
REVHOUND
THE
KOLIDAYS.
Blacks Should
Continued from Page T
Persons involved T formation i on N.C. 2000,
blacks interviewed for
with the project could:
always ; disseminate in
formation into establish-'
ed community com-i
munications channels.
Apparently, all the
systems broke down in
Durham County. . , :
"It really seems that
something slipped
through the cracks,"
Lovett said, "and maybe
one of the things we need
to discuss is how we'
make sure that informa
tion like this gets to the
entire black,
community."
But with or without in-
this article contend that
long range planning is
something that black
people should begin con
sidering. "I don't mean that we
should do it in lieu of
short range considera
tions," said Lovett, "but
in connection with where
we want to go and how
we get there, we need to
begin looking at long
range plans."
Mrs. Burton was even
more emphatic about the
need for long range plan
ning.
"It
seems to me- that
Dial 682-2913 For Ad Taker
Your City Council
TWO-WEEK
CALENDAR
December 20-31, 1982
There's nothing better than
visiting family and friends over the
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Greyhound can take you home
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The Durham CRy Council wl hoM a ragular Hinting Monday Right at
7:30 p.m. in tha City Counel Chambara at City Hay. Tha mooting la
opon to tha public
City Government meetings schadulad during tha mat twa iraakt in
chida: j s
-i f i MOMMY, 0ECEM8ER 20, INt ;
4:15 p.m. COMMUNITY CONCERNS COMMITTEE OF THE
, HUMAN ft&ATIONS COMMISSION
(Human Halations Confaranca Room4th Fleer)
7:30 p.m. CITY COUNCIL MEETING
(Counel Charnbers1st Floor)
TUESDAY. 0ECEMBER 21,1982
5:00 p.m. PUBLIC ACTIVITIES COMMITTEE OF THE HUMAN
RELATIONS COMMISSION
' (Personnel Briefing Raom1tt Roar) "
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1882
9:30 a.m. COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE '
. v (Council Committee Room2nd Floor)
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1982
2:30 p.m. FINANCE COMMITTEE
- ; (Counel Committee Room2nd Floor) . ,'
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1982
CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYNO MEETINGS
MONDAY. DECEMBER 27, 1982
, CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYNO MEETINGS
TUESDAY. DECEMBER 28, 1982
10:00 a.m. BOARD OF ADJUSTMENT
(Cound Committee Room2nd Floor)
WE0NESDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1982
NO MEETINGS SCHE0ULE0
THURS0AY, DECEMBER 30, 1982
10:00 a.m. C0MMITTEE-0F-THE-WHOIE
(Council Committee Room2nd Root)
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31. 1982
8:30 a.m. SUBDIVISIONS REVIEW BOARD
(Impactions Conference RoomSrd Fleer)
NOTE: All meetings are held mine City Hal. 101 City Hal Plaza,
enleu otherwise indicated. Additional meltings may bo scheduled
attar this 1st la submitted tor publication. Free parking h available
during the Council Meeting in the Chapel HM Street Parking Oarage,
heated across Mangum Street Horn CRy Holt. The City Coundi "
meeting wll bo carried Rve en CABLEVISION CHANNEL B.
Any CRlzen wishing te be heard en agenda mi tiers, please can ,
683-4168, City Clerk's Office, ta place your name an tha speaker's
1st. ': , '.'.:.
all our time and energy is
consumed in responding
to one crisis or another,"
she said, "and so we
Often just don't have the
energy to think about
long range considera
tions. But if we are to
ever acquire a decent
level of living, we are go
ing to-have to lay some
concrete long range
plans and work to imple
ment them."
On the other hand,
Dr. Allison said certain
short range considera
tions must take prece
dent over long' range
questions.
"Before we can begin
talking about long range
matters," . she said,
i "there are a number of
: short term situations that
we need to deal with."
Among other things,
Dr. Allison said the need
for more black voter
registration, a higher
percentage of turnout in
elections and more work
on the local "precinct
levels are short range
situations that must be
successfully addressed
before long range plans
can be made. .
t , But others say the long
range approach must be on how to bring about ,PIe and now t0 prioritize
a top priority. the long range planning whatever findings turn
However, no one had process, how to involve a , UP ,nt0 80 action agenda
any specific suggestions broad selection of peo- jfr l.ne future.
0!
ID
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