m
j
You Better Work:
How Charlotte
Gets Fit/7A
China Trip Is Goal
Of Charlotte Artist
Lee Stewart/IB
Queen City
Striders Run For
The Fun Of lt/7B
Cliarlotte Bosit
f f
'r^
Volume 19, No. 47
THURSDAY JULY 8,1993
50 Cents
News
And Th(
Leadership
Caucus Meets
The N.C. Black Leadership
Caucus will host its annual
conference July 16-18 at
McDonald's Inn at Inter
state 85 and Beatties Ford
Road in Charlotte.
The
Blue
con
ference's
theme is
"Improving
our com
munities
through ed
ucation, ec
onomics,
health,
anti-
violence
and poli
tics."
Guest speakers during the
conference include N.C.
House Speaker Dan Blue
and Carolyn Coleman, as
sistant to Gov. Jim Hunt.
Giving Students
A Helping Hand
A Charlotte ottomey is
reaching out to help black
students at Davidson Col
lege.
Calvin Murphy (Davidson
Class of 1970) made an un
disclosed gift to the David
son Black Alumni Scholar
ship, which honors African
American students who
demonstrate distinguished
service to the community.
The scholarship fund,
spearheaded hy the David
son Black Alumni Network,
hopes to establish an en
dowment of at least $20,(XX).
When the program is fully
implemented, three $500
stipends will be granted, one
to a student in the rising
sophomore, junior and sen
ior classes.
2 On Board
Two Charlotteans have
been named to the N.C.
Board of Elections.
Edward J. High and Dot
Presser were named to the
five-member board by Gov.
Jim Hunt last week.
High, 73, is a retired ad
ministrative services offi
cer for the City of Charlotte
and a self-employed public
accountant. He is a member
of the board of directors at
First Baptist Church.
Preser is president of E.J.
Presser & Co., an industrial
advertising agency. She is a
member of the Business and
Professional Advertising
Association.
A Mass Rally
Against Killing
The Stop The Killing Cru
sade will be in the streets
this weekend to help stem
violence.
The organization will hold
a mass cleanup of the block
between 9th and 10 streets
starting at 9:30 a.m. Satur
day. Volunteers will meet In
the parking lot of the United
House of Prayer at 600 N.
Davidson St.
A mass rally will be held
with members of Charlotte
Fighting Back at First May-
field Memorial Baptist
Church at 900 Oaklawn Ave.
at 6 p.m. For more informa
tion, call Rev. James Bar
nett at 333-6471.
at Next For^ 12th?
Court Decision May Reverse Mostly/]^lack District
By Cassandra Wynn
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The U.S. Supreme Court
could be bending too much to
conservative "political
winds" in ruling against
N.C.'s majority-black dis
tricts, according to Rep. Mel
Watt of Charlotte .
Justice Sandra Day
O'Connor's comparison of
the state's black districts to
"political apartheid" has
been labeled as "strange,"
"confusing," and a "political
smoke screen," by politi
cians and civil rights groups.
The high court ruled that
the U.S. District Court must
be given justification for
creating the 12th district
Watt represents. The district
stretches 160 miles, some
times very narrowly, from,
Gastonia to Durham to en
sure black representation.
See DISTRICT On Page 3A
RACE MATTERS
Cornel West on his book "Race Mat-
ters"^ "My book is an attempt to ex
tend the conversation about public
life. We can hardly talk with one an
other without name-calling and fin
ger-pointing."
PHOTOe/CALVXN FER0U80N
Cornel West:
More Dialogue
Between AU
Conmiunities
By Cassandra Wynn
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The author of a critically
acclaimed book on race
made an urgent plea for
more "public conversation"
and public mindedness" in
order to save a deteriorat
ing society.
Gomel West, whose "Race
Matters" was published a
year after the Los Angeles
riots, was in Charlotte re
cently to address the gener
al assembly of the Unitari
an Universalists, a liberal
creedless religion with
Jewish and Christian
roots.
"My book is an attempt to
extend the conversation
about public life. We can
hardly talk with one an
other without name
calling and finger-
pointing. When there is no
public conversation, mis
understanding takes
place," said West.
His book (published in
April by Beacon Press)
gives an analysis of race
relations in America, at
tacking liberals and con
servatives for carrying on
a superficial, simplistic di
alogue with a "worn out vo
cabulary." Director of
Princeton University's
Afro-American Studies
program, he is an activist
for inter-racial dialogue.
See CORNEL On Page 2A
Baltimore Lashes Out
At NAACP Agreement
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The agreements signed last week by
the NAACP, Flagstar Cos. Inc. and
Richardson Sports may put money
into black businesses here, but it's
still a controversial subject.
Last week, the clvd rights organiza
tion signed two agreements with Jerry
Richardson, Flagstar's chief execu
tive; a $1.01 billion pact with Flag-
star, parent company of Denny's re
staurants. The other is a groundbreak
ing deal with Richardson Sports that
could pour about $26 million in con
tracts to black-owned businesses
should Charlotte be awarded a Nation
al Football League (NFL) expansion
team.
The Flagstar pact hasn't drawn criti
cisms like the Richardson Sports deal,
both locally and regionally. The
NAACP's efforts were blasted by some
groups in the Charlotte business com
munity as not taking their concerns
V
The ruling Issued last week
catapulted Watt and the 12th
to headlines across the coun
try and it opened the doors to
other court challenges over
district lines.
A new standard for draw
ing up voting districts seems
to have been created: that
shape or appearance is an
important consideration.
Writing the 5-4 majority
iX
/ JL ' OAViDJOt.
W' ''
\ EOWA.V- ^ 1
‘ —J
5^
A Who’s Who
At NAACP’s
Convention
Mandela, Guinier Are Expected To Attend
Conference; President May Be There, Too
ASSOCIATED PRESS
I lNDIANAPOLi:3 - Prc: 'dent Clli.tcn could be among the fea
tured spealcers at the atmual NAACP National Convention, an
organization official said.
Clinton's appearance depends on his return from this week's
economic summit In Japan, said NAACP Chairman William
F. Gibson. Clinton's staff doesn't announce his schedule as far
in advance as the convention, which runs Sunday through
July 15.
The convention's lineup already Includes Nelson Mandela,
president of the African National Congress, who give speech
before the convention. His address is scheduled for 3 p.m. Sat
urday In the Indiana Convention Center.
Gibson said the NAACP plans to present the Torch of Cou
rage Award on July 13 to Lanl Guinier, who Clinton nominat
ed to head the Justice Department's civil rights division. The
president later withdrew the nomination after questions
arose about Gulnler's legal writings.
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored
People criticized Clinton's decision, saying he was discrimi
nating against both blacks and women.
'We want to make certain that these kinds of actions don't
happen again," Gibson said.
On the same day as Guinier, the convention will hear from
Roberta Achtenberg, the first openly homosexual ever con
firmed by the Senate for a top federal post. Her confirmation
as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity
with the Department of Housing and Urban Development
came after three days of acrimonious debate.
She is scheduled to speak at a panel discussion on fair hous
ing, the NAACP said.
At least two Cabinet secretaries are on the agenda, with Ron
Brown of the Department of Commerce scheduled to appear
July 13 and Hazel O'Leary of the Department of Energy the
next day.
A black citizens' group in Indianapolis, Concerned Citizens
for Traditional Family Values, has announced plans to picket
the meeting to protest the organization's support of gay rights.
The Issue of gay rights has touched off intense debate within
the black community. Some blacks feel discrimination
against homosexuals is a civil rights Issue, while others see
no comparison to racial prejudice.
See AGREEMENT On Page 2A
PBOTO/CALVIN FEROUSON
Mark Richardson, Kelly Alexander, Jerry Richardson, Dr. William Gibson,
Ben Chavis and Mike McCormick (left to right) sign the Fair Share agree
ment between the NAACP and Richardson Sports at the Charlotte Chamber.
^A-5A Editorials
9A Religion
7B Sports
10B Classifieds
Story Idea? Call 376>0496