Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Feb. 18, 1993, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 2A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, February 18,1993 Sit-Ins Provided Frank McCain, Blacks Another Vehicle To Gain Rights other students from N.C. A&T State University to stage the first sit-in protest at an F.W. Woolworth lunch counter Feb. 1, 1960. "Actually the way I felt be fore the sit-ins started was that life really didn't mean anything for me. You know that old Negro spiritual that says Td rather be dead and burled In my grave before I'd be a slave?' I really felt that way," he said. "I certainly didn't feel free. I certainly didn't feel I had the kind of manhood that I deserved. I didn't have much self worth. To me that's worse than death. Death would be a re lief. "I concluded one day that I was less than my parents and grandparents because here I was with many more opportunities than they and I belonged to NATO too — no action, talk only. I couldn't Justify that. So I had to find a way to get the belief that I de serve and the belief my fa ther deserved and do some thing for the reposed and the souls of my grandfather and ancestors. I had a responsi bility in this life and I should be ashamed to die if I don't leave any kind of con tribution for the betterment Reflections On The Civil Rights Movement: Frank McCain of Charlotte, one of four instigators of the sit-in movement in 1960, said he and three N.C. A&T classmates were determined to shake off second-class citizenship. "There is no mid-pc Int for one who is trying to achieve a right that is impopular. You've got to put your life on the line." Pholo/CALVIN FERGUSON section leader at Hoechst- Celanese In Shelby, said there's also the notion that he and Ezell Blair Jr., Joseph McNeil and the late David Richmond jumped the gun. "The other thing that keeps coming back to all of us Is that You guys knew that they were planning to do some thing very similar to this In Nashville, Term, and you stole the idea from them.' The movement was supposed to start a week later In Nash ville. They had done a lot of practicing and research work and we obviously heard about It and wanted to start something," he said. "I really don't have a prob lem with that if people want to feel as though they had something going and it just happened to start in Greens boro. I take the position that we were not the first people to go Into places where black people weren't supposed to go. I did It on my own two or three times as a young boy. I'm sure my father went into places where he was not sup pose to go. I'm sure try grand father tried to sit at the front of the bus or the train. In that respect I don't think that It was unique. "I think the difference Is one of vision and one of com mitment. I was, along with the other four, ready to lay down my life for the princi ple and the cause. I still am., Because of that, I was persis tent enough to go back and get some changes made. I won't say that my father or my grandfather or the folk in Nashville weren't com-, mltted. I'll just say there's no proof. And all the folk that were tired and fed up before me. I think what was miss-' Ing was vision and commit ment. "When you want to do some thing like this, it's all or none. There Is no mld-polnt for one who Is trj'ing to achieve a right that Is unpop ular. You've got to put your life on the line." McCain Is still directing his anger Into positive chan nels. He sees February as the best time to make sure the truth is told about the sit-ins and the movement in gener al. "Every month to me is Black History Month. I seize the opportunity in February to mEike sure our past is not forgotten. And to hopefully tell our young people the real story," he said. "I'm finding that most of the magazines and periodi cals are so unreliable In terms of telling our truths. If our truths are to be told, I think Its up to us to tell it. History for the most part is really the result of a group of white men who got together and said this is how we want it to be. "People ask me if I was In Greensboro at A&T when Jesse Jackson came to start the sit-ins. That doesn't par ticularly bother me, but Its a misconception about what really happened. I'm also asked If the NAACP and CORE (Congress Of Racial Equality) had me on their payrolls to get this thing started. In fact. I'm told that by some people." McCain, now employed as a 'Genial Gene’ Was City's First Black Radio Star Continued From Page lA some featuring live gospel performances. Potts hosted some of the soul and gospel shows, which gained followings for the lo cal groups he featured. Listeners remember Potts for his ability to say things In rhyme during announcements and commercials. Listeners re call him saying, "Here's 'Stardust': it's a must," and "We're set ting the pace for others to trace." Potts constantly mentioned people and events In the black community. He spotlighted residents' achievements and dedi cated songs in response to caU-lns. He also discussed events In the news, including the civil rights marches sweeping the South. "We thought he was wonderful. He was confident and well- spoken, and he gave us a sense of pride," said Elizabeth Broom, an administrative assistant at Johnson C. Smith University. Listeners loved Potts. "Gene was like a member of the fami ly." George Parks recalled. "He was a very generous man," Martha WUllamson, a close •friend said. "I remember when our church was purchased In 1949, and It needed to be renovated. Gene took It upon himself to pay for It entirely. He said he just wanted to do It for his church." Potts was also known for helping students with scholar ships and the less fortunate with food and clothing, often us ing his own money to assist people. Potts was part of the Original Thirteen, composed of disc jockeys on the first shows aimed at blacks. Jack "The Rapper" Gibson of Atlanta started the group, and all but four members had shows on Southern stations. Potts was bom In Charlotte, attended Second Ward High School and graduated from Johnson C. Smith In 1933. After graduate school at Columbia, he became a teacher in the local schools and from 1939 to 1946 served as principal of BUlings- vllle School, one of the largest all-black schools in the area. Potts and his wife Ethel had no children. He retired from WGfV In 1975 and died In 1988 after a long Illness. Friends held several fund-ralstng events to pay his medical bills and It was widely believed that WGIV had been stingy in Its retire ment provisions for Its biggest celebrity. Potts overcame racial barriers and paved the way for other black personalities on WGIV, including "Chattle Hattie" keep er, "Rockin' Ray" Gooding and "Joy Boy" Sanders. Leeper started to work at the station part time as a high school student tn the mid-1950s. She was hired mainly to help Potts handle his huge volume of fan mall. Today she laughs at her nervous fright the first time she was unexpectedly thmst on the air when an announcer failed to arrive on time. But soon she was filling in for Potts and the other disc jockeys regularly. "Gene was like a mentor to the other announcers.’He was old er than we were, and we looked up to him," she said. "His en thusiasm quickly rubbed off on me." Soon Leeper was a celebrity In her own right. She also was the manager of the Appreciations, a group of Johnson C. Smith students who made a few nationwide hit records before they disbanded to pursue other careers. Gooding, who still does a Sunday night show carried on sta tions along the East Coast, became a celebrity on WGIV in the 1960s. He was on from 5 to 6 a.m. to warm up the audience for Potts, who came on at 6. After a change hi ownership, disputes rose between Potts and his fellow disc jockeys and WGfVs new management. The DJs moved to another station, taking many listeners and spon sors with them before the changes in station operations that followed the payola scandals. U.S. BANKRUPTCY COURT #91-612705 Uonel Warehouse. I lONEL’S LOW, SAVE ONr"" • tolls, incluwng'WRWEff Eg . action figures TOY®g|^g. plush crafts •PRESCHOOL^^^P^ glj^gg ^ ANIJ^S • BABY FURW ^ to our cashiers, ^ g^ie price ciiving you total J OFF our lowest ^ ?a\InQSOtupto60%andMORE- ^ LOW PRICES! FAMOUS NAME BRANDS! ^ MAriEL - TONKA. LARAMI • MATCHBOX - TIGER TOYS - PLAYSKOOL - KENNER - TYCO - FISHER-PRICE - HASBRO - PARKER BROS. - WILSON - GRACO - MILTON BRAOLEY - ERTL - PLAYMATES - GALOOB - PRESSMAN - OHIO ART - WESTERN PUBLISHING - HUFFY - ROADMASTER - CENTURY - GERBER - EVENFLO - PLAYTEX - SCHOLASTIC MANUFACTURER’S WARRANTIES VALID ON ALL APPLICABLE ITEMS! Quantities limited to stock on hand. Sorry, no returns, exchanges, rainchecks, mfrs. coupons or other discounts. All items subject to prior sale. Hurry in for best choice first! SHOP MONDAY THRU SATURDAY 10AM TIL 9PM SUNDAY 11AM TIL 6PM 6301 East Independence 4555 South Boulevard Boulevard 1 Block North of Woodlawn Corner of Wallace Lane Just off I-77 irS BUSINESS-AS-USUAL AT ALL OTHER LIONEL STORES
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Feb. 18, 1993, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75