IPMHIIII
SCHOOL DAZE
Black Entertainment
Television reality
program looks in on
Grambling State
University football
and band/1 D
BATTLING CATS
Charlotte Boboats
improved despite
key injuries /1C
Jumaine Jones was
key reserve after
injuries hit hard.
Volume 31 No. 31
$1.00
The Voice of the Black Community
5 2006
Also serving Caban
A fix for low-wealth teacher shortage?
CMS bonuses for academically-challenging campuses
By Hefben L. White
herb.whiie&thecharlottepost com
Is a $10,000 bonus enough
to attract top-flight teachers
to Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s
academically-challenged high
schools?
A program launched by the
district earher this month
would pay top teachers up to
$10,000 in one-tLtne bonuses for
a three-year commitment to
Garinger, West Charlotte and
West Mecklenburg starting
with the 2006-07 academic
year. Candidates must meet
criteria for licensing and met
high student achievement
levels on state End of Course
exams in 2004-05.
“If we’re going to start get-
tir^ the best and bri^test
teachers in front of the stu
dents who need them most,
we have to provide better
incentives,” said interim
superintendent Frances
Haithcock in a statement.
‘3ehind every achievanent ••
Please see CMS/SA
Farmers:
Blacks not
treated fairly
by USDA
Rally to demand
government live
up to settlements
By David Phelps
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
NATCHEZ, Miss. - Seven years
ago, blade farmer's won a historic
settlement finm tire USDA for
discriminatory practices.
Ever since, they’ve been saying
they’re still not getting treated
fairly
In what has become a yearly
occurrence, the disgruntled farm
ers, following the, lead of the
National Black Farmers
Association, will make their way
to Washir^ton, D.C., April 26 to
voice their displeasure with the
Pigford V. Johanns settlement.
The plaintiff, Tim Pigford, lives in
Riegelwood, N.C., about 20 miles
east of \WLmington.
“In 1999, black fanners were
awarded a settlement finm the
USDA for discrimination,”
Mississippi Chapter President
Leroy Smith said. “USDA agreed
to pay the settlement, but a lot of
farmers haven’t received it.”
Smith was one of those farmers
aggrieved by the USDA. He said
late approval of crop loans and
racism at local Farm Service
Agency offices effectively ran him,
and thousands of other blacks,
out of farming.
In 1997, the class action Pigford
lawsuit was filed against the
USDA- The settlement, reached
in 1999 and entered to the court of
U.S. District Judge Paul
Friedman, called for each farmer
who qualified to enter an arbitra
tion process-
Friedman appointed Randi
Roth to oversee the process as the
See FARMERS/BA
CHARLOTTE YMCA
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Stan Law, community vice president at Dowd and Stratford-Richardson YMCAs, is among a growing
number of African Americans in leadership positions in the Charlotte region.
Building upon
legacy of service
African Americans taking on greater leadership roles
By Aisha Lide
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Afiican Americans play a
vital role in YMCA leader
ship.
Stan Law, community vice
president of Dowd and
Stratford-Richardson
YMCAs, has been with the
Y 16 j'eai's. He began as a
part time after school coun
selor in 1986, and left
because he needed a full
time job.
“I had just moved out of
my parents’ house, and I did
not want to move back in,”
said Law.
After spending three years
in retail Law knew that he
should have been at the
YMCA.
“I believed I was missing
what was literally my caU-
ing,” he said.
The Y has made progress
in the last decade in boost
ing Afiican American lead
ership. Of the 14 YMCAs in
Mecklenburg County, six
are led by blacks, and Mike
Deval as senior vice presi
dent for organizational
advancement. As one of the
fastest-growing cities in the
South in terms of black pop
ulation, Charlotte’s YMCA
reflects that trend.
‘It’s only natural that we
would obtain Afiican
Americans” as leaders.
Please see EXPANDING/2A
I actually
grew up
at the Y U
YMCA executive
Stan Law, who
hung out at the
Dowd YMCA as
a kid.
Kings of the ball: Students earn free formal wear for prom
PHOTO/ELLtSON CLARY
West Charlotte High School senior Mordecal Scott (second from left) and Berry
Academy senior Lewis Young (second from right) earned free tuxedos from and
DW Designs co-owners David Washington (left) and LaShanda Millner-Murphy.
By Ellison Clary
FOR THE CHARLOTTE POST
Mordecai Scott of West
Charlotte High School and
Lewis Youi^ of Phillip O. Berry
Academy of Tfechnology earned
the right to be especially sharp
on prom night.
The seniors will wearing styl
ish tuxedos they picked out -
for firee - as a reward for their
academic achievements. Scott
and Young were sdected by DW
Designs Custom Clothiers co
owners LaShanda Mfllner-
Murphy and David
Washington.
“At DW Designs, we hke to
give back to the Charlotte-
Mecklaiburg Schools because
we do a lot of business with stu
dents during prom season,” .
said Washington. “Making a
tux available to a deserving
youi^ man is the best way we
know to say thank ybu.”
Scott and Young were sug
gested by teachers and coun
selors, said Millnpr-Mnrphy
“Mordecai and Lewis are
exemplary students with hi^
academic averages, extensive
civic involvement and impres
sive plans,” she said.
DW Designs frovides custom
clothing and accessories for
men and women.
See SCHOLARS’/7A
28216 Sll PI
James B. Duke Library
100 Beatties Ford Rd
Charlotte NC 28216-6302
Earie
gains in
House
ciout
Mecklenburg lawmaker
one of N.C.’s most
effective in review
By Herbert L. Wliite
herb.whtle®thecharlorteposi com
N.C. Rep. Beverly Earle is getting
better at her job.
The Charlotte
Democi’at is ranked
12th among 120 mem
bers of the state House
of Representatives for
effectiveness, accordii^
to a survey by the N.C. I
Center for Pubhc Pohey |
Research. The study,
conducted every other
year, are based on sur
veys completed by legis
lators, registered lobby
ists based in North
Carolina and media covei'ing the
General Assembly
‘Tm delighted, but not surprised,”
Earle said. ‘T guess I enjoy the fact
that every time it comes out, I move
up. it says to me that my colleagues
pay attention to what I’m trying to
do.”
Please see EARLE/3A
the box
NI.WS, NOTES & TRENDS
Forum on
political
leadership
By Cynthia Dean
THE TRIANGLE TRIBUNE
RALEIGH- About 500 elected
African-American
officials across the
state have been
invited to partici
pate in the first
Black Srunmit
organized by the
Alliance of North
Carolina Black
Officials. The sum
mit is set for April
Watt
21-22 at the North Raleigh
Hilten.
Brad Thompson, one of the coor
dinators of the event, as well as
co-chair of the Southeast Raleigh
Assembly said the officials repre
sent all levels of. government,
induding mayors, sheriffs, state
l^slators, dty council members
and school board members.
‘Tt’s our intention to initiate an
ongoir^ dialogue amor^ North
Carolina black elected officials
and public policy makers that will
create a cooperation among those
who represent us,” Thompson
said. “Maybe with this effort, we
Please see LATE /8A
For good or bad, prom
night brings back all kinds
of memories/1 B
INSIDi
Life IB
Religion 5B
Sports 1C
Business 7C
A&E ID
Happenings 6C
0*OE
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