2A
NEWS/ The Charlotte Post
Thursday, May 22, 1997
Value
of the
truth
It’s necessary
for living right
MELODYE MICERE STEWART
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NAACP wants restitution
In the
spirit of
Ma’at
Ma’at is the ancient spiritual
value system of truth, justice,
righteousness (correct living),
harmony and balance. It is a
code of conduct instituted by
the people of Kemet, today
known as Egypt. According to
“The Husia: The Sacred
Wisdom of Ancient Egypt,”
Ma’at provides both a moral
and spiritual foundation for
correct living that, if utilized
consistently, guarantees good
health, prosperity, honor and
purposeful living.
The way of Ma’at has never
been easy, yet, it has been one
of the spiritual mainstays in
the evolution of our people.
During our long and protracted
struggle for equality, truth and
justice were/are the moral
antecedents that en.sured victo
ry.
For example, Frederick
Douglass said, “Truth is proper
and beautiful in all times and
all places.” Martin King
assured us that the arc of the
universe bends toward justice,
hence our fight for equality
would one day see fruition. The
grand poet of the ‘60s, Nikki
Giovanni, wrote, “If now isn’t a
ligood time for the truth I don’t
:see when we’ll get to it.”
. Of course, who could forget
the words of the America’s
1 poet, Maya Angelou, who
wrote, “You may write me down
in history with your bitter,
twisted lies. You may trod me
in the very dirt, but still, like
dust. I’ll rise.”
Sadly, America is a country
built on lies. From the Lying
rhetoric of the founding fathers
to the lies of emancipation and
reconstruction, to the back
sliding lies of the ‘60s to
Watergate, CIA/FBI secret lies
and a whole era of governmen
tal lies coming to light,
America, at times, seems con
fused as to what is a fabrica
tion and what is really truth.
White historian James W.
loewen has written a power
fully truthful book entitled,
“Lies My Teacher Told Me:
Everything Your American
History Textbook Got Wrong,”
detailing the extent of the lies
perpetuated in American
school classrooms on a daily
basis. As a society, we have
come to accept Lying as a fact
of life - except when it comes to
black people Lying. Then, as
usual, there is a penalty to pay.
As African Americans steadi
ly striving for all America has
to offer, we must not forget the
basic value system of Ma’at
and the honor of our ancestors.
But in terms of a historical les
son, we must learn, once and
for all, that what Euro-
Americans get away with, we
cannot.
Continued from page 1A
been some closure to it an we will
have to do what is necessary to
move forward.”
Alston said the state executive
board will meet on May 31 to for
mally replace Alexander and to
fill any other vacancies that may
result. ’The person selected to
head the organization would
serve until the fall elections,
Alston said.
The Rev. Conrad Pridgen, cur
rent president of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg NAACP chapter,
said he could not comment on the
Alexander matter because he
had not received official word on
the board’s action. Pridgen said
the local chapter would abide by
the board’s decision if it suspends
Alexander fiom official participa
tion in NAACP affairs.
Other NAACP officials, includ
ing Alexander critic Valerie
Woodard, also declined comment.
Woodard, chairman of the Civil
Service Commission, is second
vice president of the state confer
ence.
After Alexander’s suspension,
the national board called for an
audit of state conference finan
cial records. That audit was
never completed because finan
cial records were not made avail
able by Alexander and bookkeep
er Linda Crite-Gaines, who was
treasurer of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg branch.
Alexander’s resignation in
November followed an ultima
tum fi-om the national board to
turn over any and all financial
records justifying his expendi
tures from the Merrill Lynch
account.
Alexander said the account was
set up in 1989 as a temporary
repository for NAACP funds. An
operating account was main
tained by the state conference’s
treasurer. Half of NAACP funds
were deposited into the Merrill
Lynch account, Alexander said.
'The state conference budget is
usually about $200,000 per year.
The organization’s treasurer at
the time, James Florence, also
maintained a bank account for
the organization in the United
National Bank in Fayetteville.
Florence was authorized to pay
bills for the state NAACP from
that account.
As much as $700,000 was
deposited in the Merrill Lynch
account over a seven years,
according to financial records
obtained by The Post.
Alexander was the only person
authorized to use the account.
State NAACP board members
said they were unaware that the
Merrill Lynch account was being
used for regular expenditures
until a new board was elected in
October 1995. Their questions
about that account and other
financial matters led to
Alexander’s suspension and the
subsequent audit. An authorita
tive audit could not be completed
because financial records such as
canceled checks emd minutes
approving expenditures were not
made available to auditors.
State officers said the organiza
tion’s president is not authorized
to spend money directly and that
checks should be written by the
organization’s treasurer.
i
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Poverty’s last stand in county?
Plan is to wipe
it out in 5 years
By Herbert L. White
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Societies have tried to elimi
nate poverty for centuries.
Mecklenburg County believes
it can get the job done in five
years.
County commissioners
endorsed Tuesday a plan that
links 10 institutions working to
eradicate poverty by 2002. The
10 institutions combined are
called the Customer Fusion
Decagon, an attempt to lift the
poorest people into jobs and
self-sufficiency.
“This Board of County
Commissioners has the oppor
tunity to set in motion the
process that wiped out poverty
in our community,” commis
sioners chairman Parks Helms
said. “This is the legacy for
which I would like this board to
be remembered.”
From overcrowded jails and
prisons to government assis
tance for welfare and housing,
poverty affects everyone,
Mecklenburg Social Services
Director Richard Jacobsen
said. Mecklenburg’s plan would
do more to check dependency
on government assistance.
“Poverty is at the root of vir
tually all our social problems,”
he said. “From poverty comes
the seeds of crime and sub
stance abuse. Those in poverty
are more likely to live in inade
quate and substandard hous
ing and have children of poor
health and nutrition.”
“Poverty is the fundamental
barrier to a safe, healthy, liv
able, prosperous, unified and
well-governed community,”
County Manager Jerry Fox
said. “Yet Mecklenburg County
government alone cannot erad
icate poverty. We must partner
with others who have reached
the same conclusion that wip
ing out poverty is the ultimate
solution to many of our prob
lems.”
Federal and state programs
enacted in the 1960s tried to
tackle poverty and its effects,
but have been given qp on by
conservatives and liberals
alike. Mecklenburg’s approach
goes past government aid to a
public-private approach that
puts emphasis on working
directly with citizens.
Organizations also endorsing
the plan include Central
Piedmont Community College,
houses of worship, Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Urban League
and Charlotte Chamber.
“This plan goes heyond ask
ing government to solve the
problem of poverty,” Jacobsen
said. “One side of this decagon
asks churches, synagogues,
mosques and others in the faith
community to involve their
members in the plan. Each
individual can play a role in
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helping to wipe out poverty,
this is the true power of the
plan - combining the organiza
tional resources of the major
institutions with the will of
individuals to make the goal a
reality.”
More than 73,000
Mecklenburg residents - 12
percent of the county’s popula
tion - live below the federal
government’s poverty line.
Eighty-eight percent of county
welfare recipients are African
American, a group that has the
been most severely affected by
programs that don’t address
poverty’s root causes. Without
asking for more government
money, the Fusion Decagon is
geared to redirect funds and
services to people who need it.
“This community and others
around it have missed the
boat,” Jacobsen said. “It bor
ders on institutional racism.
They tend to throw a ton of
money at the problem. They
didn’t fundamentally change
how business is done.”
Although five years isn’t
much time, Jacobsen said the
time limit is an incentive - a
goal, actually - for the county
to shoot for.
“The economic incentive to do
this is there,” Jacobsen said. “It
creates a sense of urgency. I
think most folks would rather
spend their tax dollars on
things other than poverty.”
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•704-597-6202 *704-623-1696 ({iager)
Alexander Mutual Burial Association
112 N. Irwin Avenue • Charlotte, NC 28202
(704) 333-1167
FINANCIAL STATEMENT
Balance December 31, 1995 $5,979.41
Receipts For Year 1996 773.12
Disbursements For Year 1996 ..1.181.19
Balance to be Accounted For $5,571.34
• Number of Assessments - 12 •
Memberships in Good Standing -171
I hereby certify that the information given in the forego
ing report is true and correct to the personal knowledge of the
undersigned. Subscribed and Sworn to before me, this 14th
day of F'ebruary, year 1997, Annie Dewitt, Notary Public,
Officers for Year 1996
President Alfred L. Alexander
Vice President Kelly M. Alexander
Secretary/Treasurer Linda Crite-Gaines
Directors:
Robert Walls, Gladys Alexander,
Margaret Alexander, 'Theodora Rousseau
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