Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / March 11, 2004, edition 1 / Page 12
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4B LIFE/ tCtt Cjiarlattt Thursday, March 11,2004 Is gay rights equivalent to ‘60s civil rights struggle? Continued from page 1B “We oppose attempts to equate homosexuality with civil rights or compare it to benign characteristics such as skin color or place of ori gin,” says a Web site from the conservative Family Research Council. Meanwhile, civil rights luminaries such as Julian Bond, board chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and Rep. John Lewis, one of the organizers of the 1963 march on Washington, have spoken on the side of gay marriage. Bond said he supports "gay civil or religious marriage.” “Discrimination is discrim ination - no matter who the victim is, and it is always wrong,” he told The Associated Press. “There are no 'special rights’ in America, despite the attempts by many to divide blacks and the gay commu nity with the argument that the latter are seeking some imaginary 'special rights’ at the expense of blacks.” Lewis filed a friend-of-the- court brief in the Massachusetts case that led to the first imequivocal state ruling recognizing same-sex marriage. the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Martin Luther King Jr., said the sheer weight of U.S. his tory precludes too close a comparison. In its November decision, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court cited the landmark school desegrega tion case. Brown v. Board of Education. The first same- sex marriage licenses are scheduled to be issued there May 17 — the 50th anniver sary of Brovm. The Rev. Joseph Lowery agrees that American blacks should clearly sympathize vrith the gay community’s fight for rights. But Lowery, who founded South African corporate remain overwhelmingly boards white Continued from page 1B become one of its most diffi cult challenges. New laws set targets for black employment and own ership, give preference to black-owned or -managed companies for government contracts, and require indus try to train people denied opportunities under apartheid. Ibday, almost half of the richest 15 percent of South Africans are black or Asian. But while the number of top black executives has grown, the business world remains largely white and male. Black entrepreneurs who want to start their own busi nesses say they struggle to get financing. Few have management or business experience, and many say racism remains widespread. “People think the services they get from black compa nies are inferior,” says Mosiako,, who gets 70 per cent of his business from the government. "You have to work twice as hard to prove to a customer that you can deliver.” More serious is the failure so far of the government’s Black Economic Empov/erment program to create jobs - a pressing need in a country where more than 30 percent are unem ployed, most of them black. “We’ve always said Black Economic Empowerment is a growth strategy,” said Nolitha Fakude, president of the Black Management Forum, an influential profes sional association. “But at the end of the day, we haven’t succeeded in that.” Government and business leaders have touted a few high-profile transactions, in which black executives have bought stakes in major com panies like mining giants Harmony Gold and Anglo Americem. But many of the deals involve a handful of promi nent black businessmen with strong ties to the gov erning party, like former ANC pro\dncial premier Ibkyo Sexwale and its for mer secretary-general, Cyril Ramaphosa. Both are now among the countr^s wealth iest men. “It creates an impression that they’re creating new entrepreneurs, when actual ly they’re not. They’re just financing the transfer of assets from one group to another group,” said Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of Mandela’s successor, Thabo Mbeki, and a critic of the way government has imple mented its empowerment program. Meanwhile, millions of blacks remain mired in poverty. Lesia Matonsela walks each day from her shack in the Johannesburg squatter camp Thembelihle to a nearby white suburb in search of odd jobs to feed her five children. “They are rich, but they don’t help us,” she com plained angrily of the new black elite. “They have for gotten about us.” The government argues that transferring ownership of companies will help break the link between wealth and race and create a new class of black entrepreneurs. But even measured against this standard, progress has been slow. In 2002, fewer than 30 of the about 450 companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange had signifi cant black ownership, *Do- (tcexC TiJccUUn^ "DiiMttn, "WedcUii^ Ptuuun. on., Sv€itt T’tiutH.en? If so, Contact: 704-94^-6935 ■ CM: 704-65t-0750 ■ Weddings With Character - EssyWlls §(^loii Spa Look Good!! Feel Good!! Esther Onwukwe announces the opening of her Upscale Day Spa and Salon. hair Cars/Pesign • Nail Care • N/|assagiS facial iikin Care • &i?dyWrap C^ift Certificate • Specialty C>hop 4915 Menree R^ad • CharLette. NC Ph: 704.566.4664 fax; 704.566.4727 according to the BusinessMap Foundation, which researches empower ment. And those companies accounted for only 3 percent of the exchange’s total value. Brothers celebrate their special talents B oth Taylor, age 12 * and his brother Tyquante, age 10 live an active life. They like swimming, skating, play ing video games and watching cartoons. On this special day they take time out to just hang together. Today, we honor and celebrate the lives of these handsome brothers and recognize their spe cial talents, which include drawing and singing. Both Taylor and Tyquante are also avid readers. Taylor’s favorite series of books is Harry Potter and Tyquante’s favorite book is Curious George. Taylor and Tyquante are two of many children waiting to be adopted in Mecklenburg County. not only in his eye but also in his heart. He is very sweet and lovable.” One thing both boys share in common is their desire for an adoptive family. Taylor and Tyquante live in foster care. They have never lived apart and want to be adopted into the same family. If you are inter ested in finding out more about these boys or other children awaiting adop tion, call Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services at 704- 336-KIDS (5437). “Taylor’s most endear ing qualities are his smile and his witty behavior,” says long-time friend Christine O’Brien. “Tyquante has a sparkle Communities for Families & Kids MECKLENBURG COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES YOUTH AND FAMILY SERVICES DIVISION Prices in this ad good PliSflir t F S LmU 10 11 12 13 S M I 14 15 16 LOW PRICES Saving you time & money is our business. | What you do with the savings is yours.
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
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March 11, 2004, edition 1
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