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10B
REGIONAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1997
Salisbury City Council meets
The Salisbury City Council will meet
Nov. 18 at City Hall, 132 N. Main Sh
Details in Rowan Notes on page IIB.
New mayor draws on history for inspiration
iy Alan Richard
'HE (COLUMBIA, S.C.) STATE
BATESBURG-LEESVILLE,
5.C. - Forty years before
liable Edmond was elected the
irst black mayor of mostly
ifhite Batesburg-Leesville, be
ound inspiration in the sim-
i ilest of places: the firehouse.
Back then, a black man
learned Bush Bouknight dared
Ijo volunteer his service as a
898
iots
recalled
tall for racial
reconcilliation
I
jn Wilmington
piE ASSOCIATED PRESS
4——
! WILMINGTON - Entering a
jlear of events to commemorate
tjhe 100th anniversary of race
i iiiots in this coastal city, local
ijesidents gathered by candle-
ght and renewed a call for
icial reconciliation.
More than 100 people met
unday at a Wilmington park
and prayed for the healing
between black and white citi
zens to continue.
[The event, held the day before
tjhe 99th anniversary of the
^ov. 10, 1898 riots, was orga-
ijized by the 1898 Centennial
Foundation, a
. group formed
mob burned last year to
4 black- commemorate
- the riots.
“No one living
in Wilmington
today is respon
sible for what
happened in
1898, but we
are all responsi
ble to see that
something hap
pens in 1998 ...
to make
Wilmington the
best it can be,”
said foundation
I :ader Bertha Todd.
Wilmington was the state’s
1 jrgest city in 1898, and blacks
I eld elected positions in city
j overnment. But on election
(Zy, white Democrats were
i wept into office. Editorials
f ’om a black newspaper lent a
j istification to whites looking
i >T a reason to take up arms. A
I lob burned the newspaper
f [lice and riots that ensued left
£ t least 10 black people dead.
Todd said the upcoming year
with its commemorative
e £ents on the riots - will be of
£ reat importance for
1 filmington. Events will
i iclude an academic conference
01 the riots scheduled for
( ctober 1998.
Alexis Roberts, a vigil partici-
p mt, said her two children may
g it the most out of events like
t le one held Sunday: “They
h ive to be aware of history if
t ley are to understand the
fi ture.”
A white
ob burned
black-
dwned
I
I lewspaper
i nd left 10
1 lack
I esidents
(ead in one
(f the
itate’s
’ t'orst riots
ver.
firefighter. Everyone else was
white, but Bouknight didn’t let
that stop him from trying to
help.
Edmond just watched.
“I used to always see how he
would run and jump on that
fire truck,” Edmond, now 49,
recalled. “You know, people find
a way regardless of what the
old system is.”
It was easy to see the soul-
print of Bouknight and many
other Batesburg-Leesville resi
dents of many a color last week
as the town’s voters elected
Edmond.
When he’s sworn into office
Monday, he’ll join four other
African-Americans on Town
Council. With the remaining
four council members being
white, the town will have
black-majority leadership for
the first time.
It’s a step few South Carolina
towns have taken.
Spartanburg, Greenwood and
the tiny Union County mill vil
lage of Lockhart are the only
white-majority communities
that have chosen black mayors,
according to the South Carolina
Municipal Association.
But to the 6,700 people who
live in Batesburg-Leesville, two
towns that became one when
voters decided to consolidate
four years ago, it’s no surprise.
“This community has made a
conscious decision that we
want to grow this area,”
Edmond said. “We don’t want to
put any of those traditional
roadblocks up.”
Randy McGill was one of the
white boys who went to watch
all-black Twin City High School
Strike up the band
PHOTOAVADE NASH
Members of Greensboro’s Ben L. Smith High Schooi marching band participated in the Battle of the Bands Sunday at Memorial
Stadium in Charlotte. The competition matched high school bands from North and South Carolina, who played in front of a crowd
estimated at 5,000.
Remap of districts doom S.C. candidates
By Mona Breckinridge
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
COLUMBIA, S.C. - When
black legislators united with
white Republicans in the state
House three years ago, they
thought it would bring more
blacks to the General Assembly
and more backing for issues
they felt were ignored by white
Democrats.
In last week’s special elec
tions, however, two black
incumbents were ousted by
white Republicans in what
briefly were black-majority dis
tricts drawn after the alliance.
The courts had subsequently
stepped in and ordered those
districts redrawn to avoid
racial gerrymandering.
“The big push to create more
majority-black districts was a
result of the coalition between
white Republicans and black
Democrats, which of course has
led to the decline in the election
of white Democrats,” said
College of Charleston political
scientist Bill Moore.
There are no black
Republicans in the Legislature,
and when the alliance formed
in 1994, Democrats controlled
the House and Senate.
“Amongst some blacks, the
argument is that white
Democrats did very little for
blacks, therefore it was more
important to have black repre
sentatives elected... even
though they might have less
influence,” Moore said.
“You’ll find some blacks say
ing it was a mistake to form
that alliance because - bottom
line is - it cost tbe Democrats a
majority in the state House,
and as a result they’re more
isolated in the process within
the state Legislature than they
were before,” he said. “So there
is no agreement on that,
frankly, within the black com
munity.”
The U.S. Supreme Court
recently threw out racial gerry
mandering and federal judges
ruled some of South Carolina’s
district lines were unconstitu
tionally race-based.
Eight Senate and 22 House
districts were redrawn.
Luncheon puts spotlight on The College Fund
By Malcolm Plummer
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
SALISBURY - Hoping to sur
pass the traditional $1,000
mark, 100 Livingstone College
alumni and friends held the
third annual United Negro
College Fund Reunion
Luncheon last week.
Charlotte-based FDY, the
minority-owned and operated
food services corporation, along
with Kraft Foods and
Salisbury-based Food Lion
joined alumni in an effort to
boost educational monies dur
ing Livingstone’s homecoming
weekend. Food Lion, represent
ed by Vice President of
Diversity Natalie Taylor,
promised to match $6 to every
$1 donated.
“Purchase your raffle tickets
and help raise funds for the
United Negro College Fund,”
Taylor said.
Yvonne Tracy, a Livingstone
alumnus and member of the
school’s board of trustees, rep
resented Kraft Foods. Audience
members had a chance to win
raffle items donated by the
Kraft organization.
“We are so pleased with this
partnership as we renew rela
tionships and make new
friends,” said Livingstone’s
President Burnett Joiner when
asked about the link existing
between the corporate world
and minority colleges.
“I think it’s very unique at a
HBCU (historically black col
lege or university). It’s an
important gesture, a necessary
relationship and we shall see
more of in the near future.’
Livingstone alumnus Earl
Russell reflected on the theme
of giving back:
“This, he said, “is where I got
my support for about 12 years.
“If it had not been for the
UNCF, I would have not been
able to go to college.”
play football on Thursday
nights during the 1960s.
He was also on the other high
school football team when the
first black player Moses
Robinson was allowed on the
squad.
“Moses came in, and in all
honesty, I don’t remember any
body saying much about it'
then,” said McGill, whose
father was the football coach.
State of
black
America
By Maicclm Plummer
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
rf
SALISBURY - Wyatt Tee'
Walker promoted black institu
tions last week at Hood
Theological Seminary.
Using “Hope in a hopeless siU
nation” for the theme of his lec-i.
ture. Walker, senior minister of
Harlem New York’s Canaan
Baptist Church, talked about
the state of black America as,'
the world moves into the 21st. '
century: ,
• The black press: “The black .
press of the ‘40s, ‘50s, and ‘60s.i,
is only a memory. Weekly publi
cations cannot compete with,,
daily ones. They find them- ,
selves practicing journalistic
prostitution just in order to ,
keep in operation.”
• Black businesses:'^
“According to Earl Graves of';
Black Enterprise magazine, alb '
of black businesses generated
nearly $900 million last year.
Now put that figure next to a
$1.5 trillion Gross National
Product and you’ll see there’s
no comparison.”
• Black colleges and universi-
ties: “Our best minds are being
seduced by corporations who .a
promise them big salaries.r.;
Places like MIT, Yale, and
Harvard use the best black stu- ■■:
dents in order to qualify for e
multi-million dollar minority
grants. So in essence ourjH
Ph.D.s have become used as ■
that spook that say by the door
in order to weaken our black
schools.”
• The black family:, “Because
we have bought into the
media’s reinforcement and ele- -
vation of wrong heroes, our
family structure has become
fragmented. It was intact
before we were taken from
West Africa. The a priori •
assumptions of Senator Daniel .
Patrick Moynihan concluded
that black people were the orig
inators of the highest-rate of
illegitimacy. Some of us have
even brought into the alterna-.c
tive lifestyle movement.” '
• The black church: “Singing
the Lord’s sons in a strange ■
land, the black church is the
only viable institution and the
only hope. Black preachers are
like a lion in the jungle. The
black press, businesses, fami
lies, and colleges and institu
tions are like a lion in the zoo.
Now you see the lion in the jun- -
gle is free while the lion in the -
zoo is controlled by the zoo
keeper.”
Rowan Events
'iov. 13
i p.m. • Ju*Jit5u. Paul Laurence Dunbar
O \tar, 820 S. Long St, E. Spencer. Instructor:
Sa i Sei Crais Harrison, 2nd Degree Black Bell
Jii ihin-Do Ju Jitsu. Ages 8 to adults. INjition:
SliUnonth. For information call 647-0054.
^ p.m. - Karate, Paul Laurence Dunbar
Ceater, 820 S. Long St, E. Spencer.
6 p.m. • Over 35 Basketball. Paul Laurence
Duabar Center, 820 S. Long St, E. Spencer.
^ p.m. - Cultural Film Festival, Dunbar
Faijiily Resource Center, 820 S. Long St E.
Spacer. Each Thursday 6-8 p.m. Hosted by
Jaiftes Abernathy, Jr. For information call:
647^)054.
6 p.m. • Junior Tbastmasters. Miller
Relation Center. 1402 W. Bank Street,
Salisbury. This program is designed to improve
public speaking and writing skills. For boys
and girls grades 6 • 8.
6 p.m. ■ Girls Club and Boys Club, Miller
Recreation Center. 1402 W. Bank St.,
Salisbury. Fun and games for ages 9 - 14.
Discussions on various topics. Every Thursday
6 to 8 p.m. Registration ongoing. For informa
tion call: 638-6297/5298.
Nov. 14
7 p.m. - Middle School Mania, YMCA, 220 N.
Fulton St, Salisbury. Basketball, soccer, swim,
game room, music, dance, food. For students in
grades 6 to 8. Fees: $2/member: $4^nonmem-
ber. For information call: 636-0111.
7 p.m. • Bible Study, Jerusalem Baptist
Church, N. Long St. Spencer.
7:30 p.m. - Bible Study, Tbwer of Power
United Holy Church, 601 E. Cemetery St,
Salisbury.
8 p.m. - Sock Hop, North Rowan Middle
School, 612 Charles St., Spencer. Sponsored
by Parent Advisory Council. Student? must be
accompanied by a parent or guardian. Music
by Steve’s Party Train. For information call:
639-3018 or 633-1836.
Nov. IS
9-10 a.m. - Intercessory Prayer Line,
Jerusalem Baptist Church, N. Long St,
Spencer. Call in prayer requests. From 9 a.m.
to 10 a.m. each Saturday morning: 637-1447.
6 p.m. - Everybody s Birthday, Moore’s
Chapel AME Zion Church, 500 Partee St,
Salisbury. Sponsored by the Missionary
Circle.
6:30 p.m. • Annual Awards Banquet &
Dance, Holiday Inn, 520 S. Jake Alexander
Blvd., Salisbury. Sponsored by Rose of Sharon
No. 1, Order of Eastern Star, and Deborah
Court No. 594, Daughter of Isis. Keynote
speaker: Maijorie Kinard, office of Enrollment
Management at Livingstone College,
Salisbury.
7 p.m. - 4th Annual Hair & Fashion Show,
North Rowan High School, 300 N. Whitehead
Ave., Spencer. Presented by Divas in Black,
Designing “U” Salon - Admission: $5 advance;
$7 at door.
8 p.m. - Big Band Music Club Dance, Rufty-
Holmes Senior
Center, 1120 Walnut St., Salisbury.
Featuring the live dance music of the Hi-Liters
Band. For older adults. Admission: $3 includes
refreshments. For information call: 633-7862.
11 a.m. - Annual Lay Council Sunday, New
Hope AME Zion Church, 1470 N. Long St., E.
Spencer.
11 a.m. - 130th Church Anniversary, Mt.
T^bor Presbyterian Church, 935 Mt. Tabor
Church Rd., Cleveland. Pastor: Rev. J.L.
Spears. Guest Speaker: Rev. Clyde W. Cowan,
Jr. of Covenant Presbyterian Church,
Kannapolis. Lunch will follow the service.
3 p.m. - Missionary Round-Up, Gethsemane
Baptist Church, 719 S. Caldwell St., Salisbury.
3 p.m. - Annual Men s Day - First Calvary
Baptist Church, 400 S. Long St., Salisbury.
Pastor: Rev. Leamon Brown. Guest speaker' ’^
Dr. Albert Aymer, Dean of Hood Theological
Seminary.
3 p.m. - Pastor’s Anniversary, Lillie’s Chapel
Church of God, 618 W. Thomas St., Salisbury .
Pastor: Elder Thomas H. Clawson. Guest
speaker: Dr. Lewis Walker, with members of'
Rose of Sharon Holiness Church, Salisbxiry.
4 p.m. - Fellowship Service, Mt. Zion Baptist
Church, 413 N. Church St., Salisbury. Pastor: ' *
Rev. Nilous Avery. Guest speaker: Rev. Richard
Johnson with members of Hall’s Chapel
Baptist Church, Salisbury. ‘
4 p.m. - Church Anniversary, New Shephard '
Baptist Church, 108 Wall St., Cooleemee.
Pastor: Rev. Melvin Kesler. Guest speaker:
Rev, James Clement of Shiloh Baptist Church,
See ROWAN on page 11B