The Post Salutes
High School
Seniors
Special Section/ Page 1C
Cooking Caribbean In Charlotte
Lifestyles/ Page IB
View 100 Years Of Black Art
Entertainment/ Page 9A
'Alliance
Shirley Chisholm
At Gaston College
Page 14B
Clje Cfiarlotte
Vol. 14, No. 52 Thursday, May 25,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
Brown: Make
Schools Seek
Better Results
'What We're Asking For Isn't That Much'
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
African-American students
are being shortchanged aca
demically by a slow-moving lo
cal school
system, says
Don Brown. So
he wants the
Mecklenburg
County Board
of Commis
sioners to
light a Are un
der it
Brown, an
unsuccessful
candidate for
the school
board last Brown
year, went before the commis
sioners Tuesday with a propo
sal: get the school board to Ini
tiate "measurable objectives" In
raising black achievement test
scores.
Brown, representing the Char-
lotte-Mecklenburg Action Com
mittee, a group Interested In
raising black achievement, said
the school board has been unre
sponsive to his proposal of rais
ing black test scores to the 50th
percentile by 1991 and 75 per
cent by 1993.
African-Americans scored In
the 32nd percentile of the na
tional average on the California
Achievement Test (CAT), a tool
for measuring progress In basic
subjects.
"V^at we're asking Isn’t that
much," he said. "There just
doesn't seem to be any commit
ment"
The commissioners, who were
to meet with school representa
tives Wednesday to discuss the
proposed 1989-90 budget of $92
million, have the Influence to
persuade the board to enact
goals. Brown said. Although the
commissioners didn't take any
official action. Brown Is hopeful
something will be done.
"We're going to have to wait
and see," he said. Tm just trying
to get the problem to the fore
front"
Bob Walton, the only black
commissioner, said he was Im
pressed with Brown's Initiative
and would support his efforts.
"It's always good when citizens
express their concerns to public
officials," he said. "There Is cer-
See ACCOUNTABIUTY On 2A.
NAACP Files Suit
Against Anson Co.
Mr. Kelly Alexander, state
NAACP president, and Ms. Car
olyn Coleman, director, NAACP
Southern Voter Elducatlon Pro
ject, announced recently that
the NAACP and Its affiliate, the
Anson County Branch along
' with two citizens Ada Ford Sin
gleton and Geneva Llsenby filed
suit In the United States District
Court In Charlotte against the
Anson County Board of Educa
tion. The suit under the Voting
Rights Act seeks to change the
at-large, majority vote and stag
gered term method of elections
to a district system where resi
dents of the district vote for the
respective
candidates.
The present
Board Is com
posed of nine
members
elected at-
large.
The suit al
leges that the
election proce
dure In Anson
County, North
Carolina effectively dilutes the
black vote and denies the black
community a fair opportunity to
elect representatives of their
choosing.
See ANSON On Page 2A.
Alexander
Photo/L«NEY
Actor Danny Olover greets Johnson C. Smith University Presi
dent Robert Albright. Glover was commencement speaker at
Smith last Sunday when the university graduated 123 students.
The screen star said he was Impressed with Smith and he con
gratulated Dr. Albright for his commitment to education. Glover
and NCNB Chairman Hugh McCoU were awarded honorary de
grees during the commencement exercise. Theresa Childs was
valedictorian and Winston Crisp was salutatorian.
fcv ',t-
■
CM,
V
Photo/CALVIN FERGUSON
THANKS FOR THE PARK, MR. PRESIDENT...Four-year-old Carter raised money to build a park for children in the Op-
Marcus Sturdivant appears to be telling former President timist Park community. The park now bears the former
Jimmy Carter that he approves of the his latest endeavor. president's name.
Carter Dedicates Park Near Habitat
From Staff Reports
When former President Jimmy Carter came to Charlotte to help
Habitat for Humanity in 1987, he saw more than the home he
was helping build. He saw that a park was needed for the chil
dren. While In Charlotte, he raised the money for that park from
his fellow workers.
Now a year and a half later, that park Is a reality and the mon
ey raised has more than quadrupled as an additional $35,000 in
materials and In kind contributions were added to the original
$8,000.
Monday, Carter relumed to Charlotte to dedicate the park
which will bear his name.
Idle Jimmy Carter Park Is located In Optimist Park on 16th
Street between Caldwell and Davidson Streets.
Carter officiated over the dedication, then attended a neighbor
hood reception.
The park was designed by Ed Evans of FWA Group. Major con
tributions were made by Blythe and Crowder Constractlon Com
panies with major plantings donated by Furr Nurseries and Fli st
Union. Additional contributions were made by a large number of
churches, companies and Individuals.
"President Carter saw It first. We needed to build a neighbor
hood, not Just homes. We had to provide for the children who live
here, for their future. That's what makes Habitat strong --- look
ing beyond simple shelter to the other needs our families have.
The commitment of people have to this work and their vision
and generosity make it all happen," says Hancock.
Program Targets Basic Self-Reliance
By HERB WHITE
Poat Staff Writer
Pulling the family from the
grip of poverty Is the goal of Pro
ject Independence, a venture
that works with area churches
to help low-income families
gain self-sufffency.
Mary Staton, an Income man
agement specialist with the
Charlotte Area Fund (CAF) and
a coordinator of the project,
said single-parent, low Income
families are the primary clients.
The area fund works with
churches to pool resources.
Two families have completed
the year-long program, Staton
said, and more are being sought,
along with churches to work
with them. Family eligibility Is
determined by total Income,
which can't exceed the U.S. gov
ernment's poverty threshold. A
family of four must make less
than $12,100 per year to be eli
gible, for example.
The CAF screens families for
the project, working with them
to decide on a plan of action to
help achieve self-sufflency. The
Staton
family Is then referred to a
church, which provides for the
family’s Immediate needs, such
as food, clothing and shelter.
Later, the church will help the
head of the family find long
term employment through its
congregation or contacts.
The CAF provides an H -hour
Income management course
where clients get counseling to
help control the family finances.
After completing the course,
graduates become eligible to
participate In a consumer club
to help them save money. The
area fund refers families to
money management programs
and other services as well.
For the financially strapped,
the CAF provides emergency aid
as well as food, clothing and
shelter through other non-profit
groups and local churches on
an Individual basis.
Even with the program's help,
the family unit has to be con
vinced it can help Itself, Staton
said.
"They have to be motivated to
the point that they want to get
off welfare,” she said.
Local churches have provided
support for family members by
offering job training and educa
tion opportunities In addition to
giving emergency aid.
"Whatever the area fund cannot
provide In services, the churches
will," Staton said.
For more Information on Pro
ject Independence, call Mary
Staton at the Charlotte Area
Fund at 372-3010.
Will Inner-City Kids Have A PAL After This Year?
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Charlotte’s Police Athletic
League (PAL), the target of City
Manager Wendell's budget knife,
would cut off an outlet between
Inner city youth and the police
department, says PAL's direc
tor.
Sgt. Robert Reives, who has
worked with PAL for five years,
said the league's uncertain fu
ture won't hurt the athletic
skills of youngsters, but could
have a negative Impact none
theless.
"The decision won't hurt us
physically, but It does mentally,"
he said." Is It going to get to a
point where we have to defend
PAI^ every year, or every few
years?"
White has proposed saving the
city the $149,670 it takes to fund
PAL and Its staffers, but Reives
said those savings could be lost
If the children PAL serves have
nothing else to do.
"I realize the city Is trying to
save money, but think of what It
would Idc like If these kids didn't
participate In sporting activi
ties," he said. "Instead of having
something to do, these kids
could be on the streets watching
someone commit a crime or
commltlng a crime themselves."
The fight over PAI>'s survival
has taken an emotional turn,
with officials defending the pro
gram while others acknowledge
the city’s need to trim expenses
In the face of a tightening bud-
Sce POLICE On Page 2A
City Offices
Closed May 29
All offices of Charlotte City
government will be closed on
Monday, May 29 in observance
of Memorial Day. Regular busi
ness hours will resume Tuesday,
May 30, at 8 a.m.
The City Sanitation Division
will operate on a normal sched
ule on Monday, May 29. Resi
dences that nonnally receive ei
ther backyard garbage pick-up
or curbside trash collection on
Monday MU receive that service
on Memorial Day. Call 336-2673
See MEMORIAL On Page 2A
Inside This Week
Editorials
. Pq.
6A
Obituaries...
. Pg. 6B
Entertainment.
. Pg.
9A
Sports
.. Pg. 8B
Lifestyles
. Pq.
1B
Classifieds..
.. Pg. 13B
Church News.
.. Pg.
3B
Alliance
., Pg. 14B
Subscribe To
The
CharU
)tte Post, Call
376-0496