Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Nov. 20, 1997, edition 1 / Page 2
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2A NEWS / The CharloRe Post Thursday, November 20, 1997 GOP looks for more black voters Fly hears that as many as ;5ialf of West Charlotte High School’s band members have ;}uit the once highly-touted j^oup, whose swiveling hips •wowed football fans across the jcounty and region. Just another of the problems iplaguing the school under Supt. iEric Smith’s “reconstitution.” Word is there still a shortage of teachers in key positions and * several of those hired hurriedly Jlast summer after Ken J Simmons was fired, have quit. One poor soul wasn’t even certi- ■•fied to teach high school and «was reassigned to an elemen- tary school. 3 Parents are beginning to com- plain about grades given their Jchildren by teachers who have Jjust arrived or who aren’t pre- J pared to teach them. And the school’s gospel choir ' is going on without adult super- 3 vision, Fly hears. The group ihas made several recent (appearances without an adult 3 director. 3 • Scuttlebutt has it that IKermit Waddell had a falling lout with the NAACP national I office over the organization’s 1 Community Development Resource Center on Clanton I Road. Waddell walked away ;with most of the staff, Fly • hears. He moved down the ;• street and set up a similar oper- ‘ation with the continued sup- iport of the local sponsors, ■NationsBank. Mary Peeler, former executive J director of the state NAACP 5 conference under Kelly ^Alexander Jr., has reportedly oined Waddell in his new ven- Iture. H Some folks are still wondering Jwhat the NAACP CDRC does. 3 Must be a lot. The director’s j! starting salary is reportedly in ^ excess of $40,000. Good work, if *1 you can get it. 3 • A recent Post editorial not- j ing that N.C.’s major cities had i; elected Republican and conser- vative mayors was a bit prene- Iscient. That means it foretold /the future. One of those may- ; ors, Winston-Salem’s Jack ; Cavanaugh, celebrated his vic- ;■ tory with the Council of vConservative Citizens last Cweekend. The group’s N.C. president, who campaigned for > Klansmen David Dukes and Bo 3 Gritz, invited Cavanaugh to / come on over. / f Cavanaugh apparently felt J right at home, even joining in when the group saluted the ; Confederate flag. Confederacy j and KKK paraphernalia was on f sale at the meeting, including ‘ "ramed portraits of Nathan i| Bedford Forrest, a rebel officer i and reputedly a founder of the 5 KKK. Klanwatch describes the 3 Council of Conservative J Citizens as a “patriot group,” ^ which advocates or adheres to J anti-government doctrines, 'sometimes with “racist ties or I leanings.” • Mary Clarke is moving to : take over the reins at the local i NAACP from Rev. Conrad Pridgen, who has been reas- f signed by the AME Church to { Greensboro. { Clarke, acting president until {a permanent replacement is selected, is a former branch president who as first vice pres- c ident under Pridgen is in line to • move up to the top job. Clarke’s I also a Kelly Alexander support- c er and considered unlikely to r accept the national NAACP I office’s 10-year suspension of j Alexander’s membership. I That suspension was imposed I for mishandling of funds while • Alexander was president of the » N.C. NAACP conference. Continued from page 1A efforts aren’t encouraging. As of Oct. 10, 3,723 Mecklenburg County blacks are registered Republicans compared to 79,119 Democrats. In fact, unaffihated African American voters - 8,073 - outnumber Republicans. Nationally, RepubUcan presiden tial candidates fare poorly among black voters, who provided the margin of victory in President Clinton’s 1992 win over George Bush. “Losing 90 percent of the black vote makes it hard for us to recap ture the White House,” said Watts, who is considered by some political observers to be a possible vice presidential candidate in 2000 or 2004. “It also makes it harder for us to get conservative legislation through Congress without it being branded as ‘anti minority’ or ‘racist.’” TTiat’s why Republicans strug gle to win over racial minorities, Arrington says. Issues ranging from raising the retirement age for Social Security to the debate over a national flat tax has a direct ' bearing on African Americans. The GOPs national stance of affirmative action and welfare also leaves many people of color cold, he said. “That has to be seen as a direct alfiont to people who are trying to improve themselves and may need a little boost,” Arrington said. “Most polls indicate middle- class blacks have a lot in common with middle-class whites, but col lege-educated blacks are still more likely to vote Democratic.” Not Woods, who said the Republican position on welfare and affirmative action are more in line with a self-help philosophy. More African Americans, she says, should hold aU politicians accountable. “African Americans have to stand up and say where are you on this issue,” she said. “We have perceived that you’re against wel fare or affirmative action, you’re against me. That’s not true. We should hear them with an open mind.” Winning black support will Hke- ly come slowly. Watts said. While the GOP isn’t pushing for a radi cal reversal of Afncan American votes, initiatives like BAMPAC are expected to stem the tide while building support in local elections. “I won’t claim that we conserva tives will get a majority of the black vote,” he said. “But even if we take 5 percent or 10 percent away from the liberals and add it to the conservative column, it could tip the balance for us in close races.” “What they’re looking for is the black middle class,” says Duke University political science pro fessor John Brehm. “They figure the black middle class has some things in common with the white middle class economically, but what it’s going to take is a (national) candidate with a differ ent appeal.” Retired Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Colin Powell could’ve been a powerful national draw to blacks, but his decision to skip the ‘96 presidential race hampers the party’s chances. Powell sup ports affirmative action and abor tion rights, something GOP lead ers interpret as too liberal. “Colin Powell would’ve beaten Bin Clinton,” says Arrington. “He would’ve beaten Clinton and would’ve driven a wedge between Democrats and blacks. It was an opportunity they missed.” Republicans face a difficult job in convincing blacks to switch because of the party’s reputation, Brehm says. Dominated by white southern men, the (TOP can’t be seen as moving too far to the left for fear of chasing off its largest bloc of support. “Right now, they can’t alienate their core,” he said. “The trick is to teU a broad message that is not anathema to the core group.” o KINGSPARK APARTMCMTS ' Clean, safe, quiet conmunity Conveniently located on bus line Affordable 2 bedroom sarden and townhouses. Refrigerator, range, AC and water included in rent. Helpful resident manager and maintenance staff. Call 333-2966 M-F 9:30-6:00 Powell ^ ileaben ^cent jFIorisit $1000 Wedding Package Booking Now For 97 & 98 • Alter Vase • (2) 7 Branch Candelabras • Bridal Bonquet ■ 100 Invitations ■ 100 Napkins • Throw-Away Bouquet (P)704-375-8074 8 Boutonnieres 100 Thank You Notes 2 Mother’s Corsages • 4 Attendants Bouquets • 4 Pew Bows • Ring Pillow 2 Grandmother's Corsages 50 Bridal Shower Thank You Notes (1) Flower Girl's Basket w/Petals 612 W. Morehead SL (F)704-375-8077 • Set Up & Pick-Up Included Charlotte, NC 28208 NAACP accepts first of resignations THE ASSOCIATED PRESS BALTIMORE - The NAACP’s Executive Committee voted to accept the resignation of a national board member and file a complaint against another, the civil rights organization announced Saturday. The committee accepted the resignation of the Rev. Henry Lyons and voted Friday to file an administrative complaint against Hazel Dukes. The com mittee is still reviewing mat ters invO|(ving two other board members, James Ghee and Bobby Bivens, the civil rights group said. Lyons, president of the National Baptist Convention USA Inc, has been under inves tigation for allegedly mishan dling church funds as well as for alleged marital infidelity. Lyons has denied the allega tions. Last week, NAACP Chairwoman Myrlie Evers- Williams said she was seeking the resignation of the four because of admitted financial misdealings or allegations of misdealings. See FOUR on page 7A The Original Hair Braiding Styles Start at $40“ Specializing in llf4ll(llN lIDIJi [>£(l(iN * UBetUs • SBky Locks No Appointment Needed m 704/3^.3181 704/53.1395 Open 7 Days 1215 Thomas Avenue • Qtarlooe, NC 282056 (off Central Ave. between Pecan & The Plaza) House of Africa Carolina’s Largest Bridal Show! Wholesale Computers, Inc. —r^' ' 2 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU 3633 E. 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The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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Nov. 20, 1997, edition 1
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