ti fTTE PI fST
BLACK MAIKIT
“The Voice Of The Black Community " CALL 3TI-04f|
? — ■' j . if1 i* - , _•
^11> ^ a - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, September 12, 1985 ~ ---——
______rrice: 4U Cents
Local Slcklo Coll I
What's School Mko
To A Boginnor
Story On Page 14A
I* Vlo Per
Prestigious Title
Story On Page 12A
Threatened Or
Intimidated By
. y , • >
Independent Women?
"Wfc" i
Story On Page 10A
Warnings
Special TO The Post
Can suicide be predicted? Several
studies have tried to answer that
question with mixed results. How
ever, two Michigan physicians re
port that disturbed adolescents of
ten exhibit certain behavioral and
emotional clues - especially de
pression and alcohol abuse -
that suggest suicidal tendencies.
While such indicators are not ne
cessarily foolproof, they may be
helpful guidelines for professionals
who work with troubled youths.
The study examined 64 psychia
tric patients, both male and female,
between 13 and 18 years of age.
Approximately half of them had
made at least one suicide attempt.
Diagnoses of the group Included
anorexia, anxiety, schizophrenia
and depression; in fact, five of the
six patients who had made serious
suicide attempts were disgmw««H
with major depressive disorder.
The researchers used a standard
interview to describe four dif
ferent dimensions of the youngsters'
suicidal tendencies: Their pre
occupation with suicide, for exam
ple, and the seriousness of their peat
attempts. Thefour parameters were
then matched against 38 emotional
or behavioral symptoms to see if
these symptoms might suggest self
destructive tendencies.
Of the 38 symptoms, depression
and alcohol abuse were closely asso
ciated with all four suicidal para
meters. Other symptoms that may
suggest suicide Include hopeless
ness, Insomnia, poor concentration,
and generally joyless outlook on life.
The researchers also stress the
fact that every patient who had
seriously attempted suicide had
made a previous, less serious at
tempt. Even seemingly minor self
destructive gestures should this be
considered as indicators of future,
perhaps lethal, attempts. Finally,
the authors note that most adoles
cents are very adept at describ
ing their emotional states (es
pecially when the family Is not
present in the interview) and should
thus be carefully heeded.
Credit Counselors
To-"Assist Piedmont
Natural Gas Customers
Consumer Credit Counseling
Service (QCCS) began a pilot project
with Piedmont Natural Gas Com
pany on August 15 to assist elderly
customers who are about to have
their gas cut off because of unpaid
bills.
Under this project, Piedmont will
refer up to 25 delinquent customers
each month to CCCS for budget
assistance and counseling. Indivi
duals who elect to receive coun
seling and who need to go on a debt
repayment plan with OCXS will
include the gas company as part of
their repayment plan to creditors.
‘‘The limited size of the counselii*
staff and the manageable number of
elderly residents served by Pied
mont Natural Gas make this public
utility an ideal candidate for the
pilot project," Pickens aald.
CCCS is a division of United
Family^ Services, a United Way
aHBH
ty lnvolvw raaponalbillty;
to It* last partlcla, la duty .
Michelle Boyce “ -
.Garinger sophomore
Boyce Aspires lo Be
i ' V ■ li ■ . . i
A Child Psychologist
By Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
This fall, 15-year-old Michelle
Boyce became a sophomore at
Garinger High School. And, already,
she’s sure she doesn’t like that
status. "The upper classmen give
you a hard tlr..e," she complains
Her other o^.. jn on high school is
"I thought it would be more ex
citing but it's not much different
than junior high."
But she still has three years to test
the waters and Michelle confesses
she's still looking forward to
“what’s going to happen now that
I’m in high school." She’s greatly
anticipating taking driver's educa
tion this year and eventually get
ting her driver’s license. Plus, she’s
excited about attending the school's
football games. Though, "Garinger
has gotten beat already," Michelle
fusses. "Twenty one to zero, that’s
terrible!"
At school, Michelle also has plans
to join the Adelphians which is a
type of social chib and booster or
ganization at Garinger. But first
she’d have to go through initiation.
"You have to do embarrassing
stuff," she laughs. “I think I can
prooaDiy do it.”
Currently, Michelle ia a member
of Garinger’s orchestra in which she
plays the violin.
Some things about youth and high
school never change What do most
lS-yenr-cfd female sophomores talk
about? “Mostly boys,” admits
Michelle. “To have a boyfriend who
is a senior would be nice. If he has a
car that's a good thing, too." Then
somethings about high school do
change. "Guys who are athletea are
no Mg deal," relates MicheUa.
Michelle’s other Interests include
finding a Job. "So I can gat a car,"
she tails. And she also enjoys shop
ping for clothes. “I like aawttdiM
that’s in,” aha says, "Ilka two
tonsd Oaaollne Jeans and Lari’s.
Maybe soma dresses.”
This week’s beauty else likes
going out with friends to parties and,
In^uiatar times, aha enjoys a good
"l have a lot of Wands," relates
Michelle, who desert bet herself aa
"friendly and idea. I talk a lot and
I'm outgoing," aha adds.
In the far future, after high school
and college, bor aspirabon ls to bo a
rhild psychologist "I ftnjoy working
with children," Mlchella notes. "Aa
• psychologist I would be a friend to
children who may have problems I
would also help thorn learn dlf
ferent things. I think I’d also like to
work with foster children.”
Michelle has one sister, LaShelle,
who is 14. Michelle says of her sister,
“We are getting closer as we get
older. We share a lot of things.”
Their parents, Howard and
Frances Boyce, are the people
Michelle most admires. “They work
hard to help my feister and I,” she
expresses. “Some kids can’t talk to
their parents but I can talk to mine.
My mom and dad always help me
with my problems.”
Two lessons that Michelle has
learned in life that she would like to
pass on to others her age are: “Don’t
take people’s feelings for granted,”
and “Value your education.” Ela
borating on education, she con
cludes, “A lot of young people drop
out of school in their sophomore or
junior year, but that’s a waste be
cause they really don’t have that
much more to go.”
Lowery: Intrusion Into
Religious Matters Justified
“The growing concern about the
interference-intrusion of the govern
ment into the internal affairs of the
church is justified. Thousands of
cases across these United States
testify to the fact that the courts, as
well as government agencies are
usurping the Constitutional rights of
church bodies.
“Ministers have been jailed in
several states as they refused to give
in to court-ordered takeovers of
churches. The U.S. Supreme Court
has steadfastly refused to deal with
at least one historic case which
could have been a beacon light for
all involved.
"The President, who steadfastly
claims to uphold the separation of
church and state and who pro
claims his support of religious free
dom, has been strangely silent as the
number of intrusions swell to tin
precedented level during his ad
ministration.
"Perhaps part of the failure to
bring a halt to governmental in
trusion in the affairs of the church
must be placed at the doorstep of
religious leaders," Dr. Joseph
Lowery said.
“Too many of us have been willing
to give ‘line-item’ support to the
struggle for freedom and liberty for
all. We have been unwise enough to
think that we can remain silent or
even support the erosion-violation of
liberty and human rights in care
fully selected instances, and at the
same time effectively protect our
own favorite liberties," he con
tinued. “Some of us even now while
^Cr3osep^Lower^™
.SCLC president
engaged in rhetorical support of
freedom and rights in this context,
have identified with and offered
support to the most vicious viola
tor of rights and freedom on the face
of the earth...South Africa,” Lowery
explained. "There is something
inconsistent if not hypocritical
about demanding that our govern
ment in America respect our rights
and liberties, while aiding and
abetting a foreign government that
is engaged in the most murderous
and brutal denial of rights in mo
dern history.
“Nor does it help the true and
noble cause of religious freedom for
religious leaders to offer some form
of automatic absolution and or af
firmation for officials on matters
that suit our fancy...and thereby
abdicate our role as moral con
science-advocates on all matters of
public policy,” he stated.
Added Lowery, "The struggle for
freedom must be wholistic Either
we are for everybody’s freedom and
human rights or we cannot effec
tively secure anybody’s freedom or
human rights.
"So let us be faithful to our calling
and loyal to our faith. Let us chal
lenge this administration io put its
deeds where its claims are Our
nation is in far more danger from
within than from without. Oppres
sion of and intrusion into religion by
government, racism, militarism,
and economic exploitation and in
justice...all represent clear and pre
sent dangers to the nation we love.
Freedom of religion is necessary to
keep a government free from
tyranny and a people from enslave
ment.
"A government that does not gua
rantee the rights of racial minorities
will violate the rights of religious
minorities. A government that jails
the unpopular to please the crowd
will soon jail any crowd it pleases
Love of country compels us as did
Esther... to put love of God and
country above popularity with the
King (indeed for Esther it was her
survival).. and demand freedom
and justice,” he concluded
Histone Freedom Convention Set
Special To The Poat
“Give us a plan...a 10 Black
Commandments, simple, strong that
we can carry in our memories no
matter where we are and reach out
and touch and feel the reassurance
that there is behind everything we
do a simple, oral, intelligent plan
that must be fulfilled in the course of
time.
-“Even if all of our leaders, one by
one, fall in battle, somebody will rise
up and say, 'Brother, our leader died
while we were on page three of the
plan. Now that the funeral is over,
let us proceed to page four.’”
Those were the words of Ossie
Davis in 1971 at the Congressional
Black Caucus Dinner. He will utter
similar words at the Cleveland
Convention Center on Sunday,
September 29, when he calls for The
Freedom Plan - and gets it.
There to lend their support to the
Buy Freedom drive and to make
guest appearances will be : John
Amos (Kunta Kinte of "Roots");
legendary musician Lionel Hamp^
ton; Sheryl Lee Ralph (star of
“Dream Girls”); Whitman Mayo
(“Helltown”); and Grady on
“Sanford and Son"); and
Marla Gibbs ("227” and “The
Jeffersons”). Delegates and friends
of freedom from across the country
will also attend this gathering,
which is free of charge
Percy Sutton, chairman of the
board of Inner City Broadcasting
and owner of the Apollo Theatre, will
serve as master of ceremonies.
Wesley Toles, vice chairman of First
National Association Bank in Cleve
land, is the planning chairman for
the convention.
Tony Brown, chairman of the
Council for the Economic Develop
ment for Black Americans, will
respond to Davis1 “Freedom Call"
with a multi-year plan to move black
America in the direction of com
munity independence The sequence
of objectives for business growth,
See HISTORIC On Page 18A
something Exciting In Store For Health
Of Black Women Who Live In Charlotte
By Loretta Manago
Managing Editor
Something exciting is in store for
he health of black women who live
in this area. Plans are already
underway for a workshop that will
deal specifically with the health
needs and concerns of black women,
for this coming November.
This project which is referred to
as the black women s health project
grew out of another organisation
also concerned with women,
Blueprint. Blueprint is comprised of
numerous women’s organisations,
that takas upon Itself a different
issue of concern each year. This
Blueprint ^concentreted Its
Joaa Kennedy-Ross, past
president of Blueprint and
coordinator of^ Uta^bla^woman’s
VRIQUIli QllVRH I HI HUM DlICk
r
a gpinj (na|Ms|A iWmf giraniia fr..
.Projoct coordinator
We North Carolina Statu* of Woman
The workshop which Is scheduled
for November ll end id will focus on
three concerns - women taking
chart* of thair own health; black
and f amnia: what ta reality? and
organising a naif health program, in
charge of tha workshops will be
Billye Avery, director of the Black
Women’s Health project in Atlanta
and two of her staff members, Lillie
Allen and Sharon Smith. The
workshop which has been
tentatively scheduled to be held at
Greenville Center will begin that
Friday evening at 7:30 p m with the
workshop being covered the next
day from 9 a m. until 3 p.m.
The workshop’s immediate goal la
to better educate those in attendance
about the health issues of black
women; the long range goelp of
those who came up with the Idea of
the black women’s health project la
to establish a center that would
concern itself primarily with the
health needs of black women.
According to Mrs. Kennedy-Roas
part of what the group that la
sponsoring the workshop hopes to
learn Is how to go about formlM
their own permanent health center
for black women ”Wa hope to Bad
out everything we need la
about getting a center str-*-*
the course of workshop
the alia tat a inter afBihi —.
Atlanta and we fee! that with I
of^Charlotte'^black pMidj ■!
fee SOMETHING On Page UA