4A
EDITORIALS/The Charlotte Post
January 23,1997
tKijc Charlotte ^os(t Black Monday is decidedly gray
Published weekly by the Charlotte Post Publishing Co.
1531 Camden Road Charlotte, N.C. 28203
GERALD O. JOHNSON
Gerald O. Johnson
CEO/PUBLISHER
Robert Johnson
CO-PUBLISHER/
GENERAL MANAGER
Herbert L. White
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Address the
challenge of
poverty, race
Mecklenburg must continue to
work toward equal opportunity
By Parks Helms
SPECIAL TO THE POST
Helms
and gentlemen
ous community wiE be a long way off for all of us.
A principal part of the responsibility for addressing poverty lies
with the county commission. As we all know, a disproportionately
large .p^pcentage of our county budget goes for. poverty-related issues.
To effectively address this, we must operate efficiently, must operate
cooperatively with the city, and must operate in partnership with the
private sector.
What is our greatest challenge?
Our history and our status today lead us to the inescapable conclu
sion that we must focus our attention and allocate our resources to
provide quality education for all our children; to make social service
available to those most needy among us; to support the improvement
of the administration of justice and to provide adequate jails to make
the court system effective; to make more public recreation facilities
and libraries available across the county. And the environmental
summit later this year should set the stage for long-term planning to
preserve the quality of our air and water. Responsible growth man
agement is essential.
All of these are worthy challenges for the leadership and the dtizen-
ly of the genuinely “great state of Mecklenburg.”
...But these challenges pale in comparison to what 1 beheve is the
greatest challenge of all. It is the subtle divisiveness of race, gender,
economic status, ethnicity and geography that can defeat the success
ful implementation of the priorities enumerated above. Stated anoth
er way, the greatest threat to our continuing health and prosperity is
a loss of a sense of community that has blessed our passage thus far.
Mecklenbin-g County is the most populous and wealthy county in
North Carolina. And yet, too many of our number have not shared in
the benefits of a flourishing economy. Too many are struggling. Too
many are homeless. An estimated homeless poptilation of 3,000 is not
acceptable in a community that cares.
Mecklenburg County has a healthy diversity of population with
nearly one-third of our citizens being African-American and other
minorities, but we have not overcome the prejudice and mistrust that
continue to divide our community.
Inequalities in income and employment are apparent as seen in the
following statistics:
• While roughly 25 percent of the county’s population is AfHcan
American, 82 percent of the households receiving AFDC payments in
the county are African American.
•The rate of unemployment of AfHcan Americans in our community
is twice that of the overall community rate.
• African Americans comprise 62 percent of the total population of
abused and neglected children in Mecklenburg Coimty.
• 87 percent of heads of households in Charlotte’s public housing
units are African Americans.
• The dropout rate for African-American children in the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg School System is almost twice as high as that of white
children.
• Less than half of African American eighth graders are able to
read at that grade level, compared with 81% of their white class
mates able to do so.
...I believe we have permitted our isolation from each other to
excuse our failure to deal honestly with many of the policy issues that
have impeded our progress and continue to drive a wedge between
different races, different neighborhoods, different economic levels,
and different ethnic groups.
'The consequences of our failure to address the divisiveness that
exists within this country can be devastating.. I believe the cmmty
commission, in cooperation with the city of Charlotte, the Chamber of
Commerce, the school board, and others should take the initiative to
begin the task of breaking down the subtle walls of divisiveness that
prevent us from achieving our full potential as a community.
We need to create an environment that allows - no, forces us - to
see ourselves as part of the same community. We must accept and
respect our different perspectives as being part of what defines us.
We are not a one-race, one-reHgion, one-gender, one-political affilia
tion community. We are a community absolutely teeming with diver
sity. And yet, we must realize it is this diversity that may be our
greatest asset.
PARKS HELMS is Chairman of the Mecklenburg County Board of
Commissioners.
On Jan. 27, Black Monday wiU
occur in Charlotte. African
Americans will be asked to stay
home fixjm school and work, and
only spend money with African
American businesses. I can not
in good conscience support this
effort.
I am imclear of the purpose for
Black Monday. On one hand I
am hearing that this is to
protest the James Willie Cooper
shooting and the offending offi
cer going unpunished. Then I
hear it is to show African
American solidarity and
strength.
I am not sure how pulling
children out school, keeping
people out of work and not
spending money with non-
African American businesses
addresses either point. But
more importantly, what is
going to happen on Tuesday?
Black Monday will happen
with media attention and then
what?
The event will happen with
some media attention, but
very little community impact.
Normally, I would say why
bother. But the one good thing
coming from all of this is new
groups and faces are showing
concern. Young black people
are finding conummity issues
that they can come together
on. So, it is a start. But the
time would be better spent if
instead of keeping children out
of school, volunteer to go into
the schools and tutor some
struggling kids. Instead of ask
ing people to stay home from
work, volunteer to help the
unemployed get jobs and job
training.
We have to begin to take our
selves seriously if we expect oth
ers to do likewise. Getting
media attention does not vali
date a cause. Solid and factual
reasons do.
Don Reid is no racist
Charlotte dty council member
Don Reid made the comment to
members of Leadership
Charlotte that if he were walk
ing down the street and saw two
black teenagers and two white
teenagers walking towards him,
he would be afraid of the black
teenagers. The statement
caused outrage in the black
conummity. Quite a few people
are calling Don a racist. I have
known him for some time now
and I will say Don is a lot of—
things, but a racist I don’t think,
is one of them.
One thing I have always “
admired Don for is speaking his
mind. I know he expects the ^
same from people he deals with. ^
But instead of hearing state- '9
ments like Don made and
becoming offended, we need to
use them as beginning points ^
for dialogue. Ask what is meant
by that statement. Respect*"*
other people’s feelings and allow **
them to speak their minds with-
out attaching labels to them for®
their statements. Forget about®
this political correctness crap^*
and say what you mean and
mean what you say. Allow oth-'j*
ers to do the same. Then and’-*
only then will we begin to see^
real change with some of thisj*
community’s real problems. - •
GERALD O. JOHNSON is^‘
publisher of The Charlotte Post. ^
$
I,
Notwithstanding the accomplishments we have made - and our
demonstrated status as one of America’s “up and coming” cities, there
are seeds of discontent. The message is clear for those who wiU listen
and look that we risk losing the sense of community that has been so
important to our progress. Strengthening and undergirding our com
mitment to conummity is a major chaUenge as we chart a course and
set priorities for the future.
Last month during the swearing-in ceremony, I
urged the county commission and the people of
Mecklenburg County to focus on one issue of over
riding importance. That issue is poverty. It’s
demoralizing and damaging effect on the spirit of
community that we have for so long enjoyed can be
devastating.
It’s from the seed of poverty that crime is bom.
It’s from the hopelessness of poverty that welfare
and substance abuse thrive. It’s from abject poverty
that poor nutrition and poor health overtake our
children in their homes and classrooms. And it’s the
denial and disregard of poverty that leads to com
munities coming apart at the seams. And ladies
if that happens, a safe, healthy, livable and prosper-
Woe to enemies of black empowerment
By Michael Muhammad
SPECIAL TO THE POST
Woe to the shepherds who
stand and preach the word of
God on Sunday and practice
the word of Satan during the
week. Woe to the shepherd
who professes concern for the
community in private meet
ings, but report to the enemy
the strategy discussed in
those meetings.
Woe to the shepherds whose
political agenda supersedes
the problems of the people.
Woe to the shepherds who
preach with strength and con
viction behind the sanctity of
their robes, but who are afraid
to lead the people on the bat
tlefield for justice. Woe to the
shepherds who seek to hide
the truth, while they know
and manipulate their congre
gations at the behest of the
power brokers. Woe to the
shepherds who seek photo
opportunities with visiting
national leaders and offer the
use of their churches just to be
seen of men. Woe to the vision
cable shepherds who would
condemn a man doing the
work of Christ that they claim
as their saviour, but who are
too weak themselves to follow
the same path as Jesus. Woe
to all those wicked shepherds
whose ways seem right unto
men (and women) but the
ends thereof are the ways of
death. By misinforming, mis
guiding, misdirecting, mis
leading, and misinterpreting
the scripture of both the Bible
and the Holy Quran, you dear
Pastor, Reverend, and Imam
are sentencing your Black folk
and indeed yourselves to the
path of Hell.
When your flock awakes,
and they will, your pulpit will
be as a pit of fire for all your
egotistical, self-righteous
deception and diversion from
the truth or our unified
strength against the malicious
and willful attacks against
Sister Wendy Gail Thompson
and Willie James Cooper by
uniformed murderers. The
reality of black oppression is
not a shared sympathy by thei
white community.
The things that power bro
kers understand are aggres-_
sive force and economic retali
ation, and since we don’t pos
sess the where-with-all to do
combat, we must seek some-
measure of awareness to our
plight by holding back our dol- j
lars from all white institu-q
tions if only for one
day...Black Monday, Jan. 27,9
1997 and what a difference as
day can make. o
MICHAEL MUHAMMAD.^
lives in Charlotte. J
The real key to Charlotte’s heart
By Joan W. Abrams
SPECIAL TO THE POST
Maybe if the recipients of the
“key” to the City of Charlotte
knew how this city runs and
treats some of its citizens, the
“key” might not have been
accepted by them. Show who
are called unacceptable know
this first-hand now because its
been done to you.
• A dty that aUows bad poUce
officers to get away with mur
der.
• A city that has good
black/white who can’t speak the
truth openly for fear of losing
their jobs, but they all know a
lie when they hear one.
• A city that allows schools
and shopping centers to be con
tinuously built in areas for its
weU-to-do dtizens.
• A dty that reflects that the
tax dollars are not being used
fairly when it comes to certain
communities.
• A city that’s proposing to
close weU-established neighbor
hood service centers with
numerous service providers who
have decentralized their ser-
For all Its accomplishments, Charlotte has serious problems, espe
cially when it comes to providing for the poor.
vices to make them more conve
nient for the people they serve.
• A dty that aUows drugs to
infiltrate certain areas before
something major is done and
the dtizens have been robbed of
their right to a safe environ
ment.
• A dty that aUows drug deal
ers to continue selling drugs
and when they accumulate the
amount of money and assets
that is enough by someone's
standards, then they are sud
denly arrested and punished,
(one individual sold drags for 25
years).
• A city that is proud of its
jails and its thriving economy,
but won’t provide more preven
tive measures for the children
who are its future.
* A city that can buUd major
thorough fares, hut couldn't fix
Beatties Ford Road before, but
now that the Panthers have
arrived, the job can be done. j
• A city that can find thou-j
sands of dollars for traffic sig-*
nals and Ughts - many only used!
for sports events. *
• A city whose educational'
system lacks the needed fund-}
ing to ensure the expected out-J
comes. Our future should bej
funded beyond measure! j
• A city that allows some
elected officials to steal propertyj
from indigenous people and'
cover up their tracks in the-
name of progress. 3
• A city that allows citizens tm
be forced out of their residences)
downtown so college bankers^
can five uptown.
• A city that can buUd a coUse-
um, a coliseum, and a coliseumj
while poor people continue to)
suffer. )
• A city that is rapidly grow-:
ing, spreading the gap between
communities that share com
mon goals and problems.
• A city that’s for fostering the
notion that money is the “key.”
• Money, Money, Money! Now
that's the real "key" to the city
of Charlotte.
JOAN W. ABRAMS lives in
Matthews.