Mecklenburg Law
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Volume 19, No. 46
THURSDAY JULY 1,1993
50 Cents
MN
I Charlotte
Of The World.
Museum Bill
Passes House
WASHINGTON - The
House of Representatives
Tuesday passed legislation
to establish a National Afri
can American Museum in
Washington.
Rep. John
Lewis (D-
Ga.), spon
sor of the
bill.
praised its
passage.
The bill is
expected to
be passed
by the Sen
ate soon
and get
President
signature into
Lewis
Clinton's
law.
‘ "African American histo
ry is an integral part of our.
country. It Is time to show
case the many achieve
ments and history of Afri
can Americans," Lewis said.
"It is most appropriate that
this museum be located in
our n'htion's capital, whei'e
hundreds of thousands of
people visit from all over
the nation and world."
Summer School
Starts Today
It's back to the books for
4,500 Charlotte-
Mecklenburg students to
day.
Students in grades 1-12
will have a chance at reme
diation in order to meet lo
cal and state promotion
standards in summer
school. High school sites in
clude East Mecklenburg,
Harding, Independence and
Olympic high schools. High
school hours are 7:30 a.m.-
11:30 a.m.
Elementary and middle
school students will have
summer school at their
home school site.
He's Not That
Deserving
Black Pennsylvania state
legislators have a problem
with South African prime
minister F.W. DeKlerk get
ting an award.
The Pennsylvania Legisla
tive Black Caucus Is protest
ing DeKlerk receiving the
Philadelphia Liberty Medal,
annually given to champi
ons of hu
man rights.
He'll share
the award
with Afri
can Nation
al Congress
leader Nel
son Mande
la, who is
negotiating
to give
blacks the
right to vote.
In a letter to Martin Mey-
erson, head of the commit
tee giving the award, caucus
members wrote: "The idea of
granting him a 'Liberty
Medal' is an Insult to every
individual who ever fought
for true human rights and
freedom. This travesty gives
way to further Insult by
granting Mr. DeKlerk this
medal in conjunction with
the Honorable Nelson Man
dela."
4
Mandela
Piece Of The Action
Everyone Wants Carolinas' NFL Business, But How?
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
It's as difficult as figuring
out how to tackle Emmit
Smith or keeping Jerry Rice
from catching a pass.
Four coalitions claiming to
represent the interests of Af
rican Americans are dueling
to see that a possible Caroli
nas professional football
team does the right thing by
them.
But no one seems to know
who's speaking up for black
people or if black people even
need speaking up for.
The latest group to weigh in
with an opinion is the Black
Business Coalition, which
held a news conference Mon
day at the site of the pro
posed stadium. The group's
spokesman, Edward James,
said black businesses are be
ing locked out of negotia
tions with Richardson
Sports, the group trying to
win the franchise. Business
owners, not civil rights
groups or politicians, should
do their own talking.
"We have to be Included, not
excluded. Our primary con
cern is that we as business-
people are Included in build
ing the stadium," he said. 'We
want to do buslnesss when
there are contracts to be ne
gotiated. We want to take
care of our own business."
When pressed for an answer
on the group's attempts to
meet with Richardson
GOING TO WORK
PBOTO/CALVIN rSROUSON
Clarence Johnson, executive director of the St. Francis Jobs Program, blends athletics and
education to help people find employment.
Clarence Johnson Helps People Find
Employment With St. Francis Program
By April C. Turner
THE CHARLOTTE POST
"Saint Francis, can I help
you?"
This is how Clarence
Johnson answers the
phone and when he asks
the person on the other end
of the line if he can help, he
sincerely wants to help.
Johnson, a 37-year-old
native of Queens, N.Y.,
came to Charlotte in 1976
bringing a love for coach
ing and teaching with him.
He intended to play foot
ball at Johnson C. Smith
University, but fate led
him down another road.
Not playing at Smith gave
him new perspectives on
athletics and life. Since
graduating, Johnson has
been dedicated to helping
area youth and doing his
part to build the African
American community.
Johnson now coaches
Central Piedmont Commu
nity College's basketball
team and is a 10-year vete
ran coach of the Amateur
Athletic Union (AAU) Son-
ics. But at Saint Francis,
he's the most valuable
player. •
The Episcopal Church
constructed the program at
Christ the King Church and
Walls Memorial AME Zion
Church six years ago for
African American youths
See CLARENCE On Page 2A
From
JOBS To
New Jobs
By Robin B. Redfem
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Now being a welfare recipient does not mean being
stuck in "the system."
The Mecklenburg County Job Opportunities & Basic
Skills Training Program (JOBS) is a program designed
to provide education and training to "help people who
receive Aid To Dependent Families (AFDC) become as
self-sufficent as possible," said Helen Llpman, JOBS
program manager.
JOBS was started by Congress as a part of the Family
Support Act of 1988. The program began in Mecklen-
See PROGRAM On Page 2A
Sports, James admitted "Our
group has not had any direct
conversation with the Rich
ardsons."
But someone has tried to
look out for black business.
Troy Watson, executive di
rector of the Charlotte Area
Business League, Sciid the or
ganization, along with poli
ticians led by N.C. Rep Pete
Cunningham, have met with
Richardson Sports "five or
six times."
'We were trying to represent
all the businesses out there,"
he said. "There was no ab
sence of anyone out there to
press the issue for small
business."
Everyone's trying to get
See STADIUM On Page 3A
I -I:
mm
. "■
RICHARDSON SPORTS
The Prize: A Carolinas NFL stadium would mean millions
in contracts to businesses that help build it.
Fighting Back
Agreement Is
In The Works
Communities, County Moving Ahead
By Winfred B. Cross
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Mecklenburg County officials and the neighborhood com
mittee of Fighting Back have agreed to stop fighting each oth
er and move the program forward.
Also, a decision on the fate of former Fighting Back director
Nathaniel Rock should be made before the end of the week. A
hearing for his appeal on his dismissal was held Thursday.
Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bob Walton said county
staff members and neighborhood representatives are now
working on a written agreement that "is relative to how we
function from here on out."
"This agreement will clearly state In writing that the person
hired is an employee of the county," Walton said. "I hope (the
agreement) will say that before a person Is dismissed by the
county. . .the neighborhood would be notified and have some
input."
The decision to write such an agreement came at a June 14
meeting between the county, neighborhoods and members
from the National Fighting Back organization and the Robert
Wood Johnson Foundation, which funds Fighting Back.
"At that meeting the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation made
it clear the grant for the Fighting Back program was to the
county and they would not recommend the grant be given to
the neighborhoods," Walton said. 'They want the county and
the neighborhoods to come together and get this program back
on track."
Charlotte attorney Leon Orr, a neighborhood volunteer and
ad hoc committee member, said it's the county's fault the pro
gram has stalled. He called the firing of Rock "ridiculous and a
sham."
"That's because the project was moving along fine and out of
See FIGHTING On PageSA
Joining Planning Board
W-
PHOTO/PAUL WILUAMS HI
/I
/
Leroy will jr. was sworn in as a member of the Charlotte- j
Mecklenburg Planning Commission last week. Swearing him /
in is Janice Page as sons Leroy in (second firom left) and Mark
look on. /
4A-5A Editorials
10A Religion
7B Sports
10B Classified!
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