t-TKICJUSLBWTISK
t AT. JANUARYS. 1S79
The Durham Human
Relations Commission is
seeking nominations for
the Carlie B. Sessoms
Award to be presented in
March to a person, per
sons or a group who have
worked to improve human
relations in Durham.
The award com
memorates the late Carlie
B. Sessoms. a Durham
native who was serving as
chairman of the commis
sion at the time of his
death on October 24,
1977. It is to be conferred
annually or when deemed
appropriate by the Human
Relations Commission
and the City Council.
A resolution passed by
the commission honoring
Sessoms said he "set a
high degree of devotion to
and leadership in the work
of the commission and its
activities. Also, his ser
vice extended not only
through the commission
and the City of Durham,
but throughout -the world
in the bringing of honor
and distinction to the
Human Relations Com
mission and his native ci
ty." Nominations for the
award must be received by
the commission on or
before Thursday, January
31, 1980. The nomination
or nominations may be
mailed to the Durham
Human Relations Com
mission, 'II City Hall
Plaza. Durham. North
Carolina 27701 or hand
delivered to the Human
Relations Department on
the fourth floor at City
Hall. The Commission
plans to present the award
at the March 3 meeting of
the City Council.
Genera) nomination
guideline restrict nomina
tions to person, persons,
or organizations who
reside or are based in
Durham city or county.
Individuals must be
nominated by another per
son and the person placing
the name into nomination
must also list his name,
address and telephone
number. Organizations,
including agencies, may
place their own names into
nomination.
Supportive information
should be included with
the nomination. For per
sons, this can take the
form of a short
biographical sketch and a
description of what they
have done to foster better
human relations.
Similar information is
required for organiza
tions, but the purpose of
the organization must be
stated and. where possi
ble, supportive materials
such as newspaper clipp
ings, letters, and
photographs should be in
cluded. The recommendation
for the award will be made
in February by the com
mission, which was
created by the City Coun
cil in 1968 to develop
mutual respect among per
sons of all races and
religions and ethnic and
economic backgrounds.
The commission's recom
mendation will be submit
ted to the City Council for
the council's approval.
, Persons desiring more
information on the Carlie
B. Sessoms Award may
contact Michael Cash in
the Human Relations
Department at City Hall,
68MI07.
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WASHINGTON, DC - Brig. Gen. Frank Petersen, now assigned in the Pentagon, never dreamed he would become the Marine
Corps' first black general. At boot camp in 1950 at age 19, he promised himself he would become the Marines' first black pilot.
Two years later he was flying combat missions in korea. (UPI Photo)
BLACK CATHOLICS:
An Agenda fpntbe 80s
BIG CITY PROGRAM WITH
WASHINGTON. DC
In August, the National
Office for Black Catholics
(POBC) will mark its 10th
anniversary by calling
together for the first time
all of its component
organizations to review
their histories, strengthen
ties and salute outstanding
contributions.
The total alliance of
black Catholic clergy, lay
and religious men and
women throughout the
United States will par
ticipate in NOBC's con
ference entitled: BLACK
CATHOLICS: An Agen
da for the 80 's. This
historic gathering will be
held August 6-9 in
Chicago, Illinois, at the ci
ty's Bismarck Hotel.
"We view BLACK
CA THOLICS: An Agen
daor the 80's as a signal
event in the growth of
black Catholic participa
tion in the life of our
Church and nation," said
Brother Cyprian Rowe,
executive director of
NOBC.
"It comes at a time
when the Black Catholic
movement is characterized
in so many areas by a
great desire to revivify
itself, to determine direc
tions, to bring its weight
to bear on what is
transpiring in the Church
and in the nation."
The conference will pay
special tribute to the Na
tional Council of the
Knights of St. Peter
Claver and Ladies Aux
iliary, founded at Mobile,
Alabama, in 1909 with
headquarters in New
Orleans. Louisiana. The
National Council operates
in 17 states with 22,545
members making it the
largest black Catholic
fraternal order.
Charls Rangle, a black
Catholic Congressman
from New York City, has
been invited to give the
keynote address.
Although the conven
tion is open to all black
Catholics and (hose in
volved in the aposiolatc of
the Church in (he black
community, plans are
underway for at least
2,000 delegates to be
elected by formal process:
two per black parish, one
per parish having a
sizeable black member
ship. 20 from the National
Black Clergy Caucus, 40
t
from tie National Black
Sisters conference, 200
from tke National Black
Lay Cftholic Caucus and
240 at -large delegates.
A National Liason
Committee . based in
Chicago has been set up to
coordinate conference ac
tivities. The committee
chairman is Bishop King
of the Chicago Ar
chdiocese's Education Of
fice. The National Office for
Black Catholics is a cor
porate non-profit
organization associated
with the United States
Catholic Conference. It is
cdmposed of clerical
religious and black lay
Catholics from
throughout the United
States for the purpose of
strengthening the black
participation in the
Catholic Church and mak
ing more effective the ef
forts of the Catholic
Church in the black com
munity. For further information
contact: Carole V. Nor
ris, National Office for
Black Catholics, 1234
Massachusetts Avenue, N.
W., Suite 1004,
Washington, D. C.
20Q05.
SMALL TOWN WARMTH
IttAM MUHAMMAD
REACHES 20
MILLION
CHICAGO, ILL lm-
an Wallace Deen Muham
mad, leader and president
of the World Community
of Al-lslam in the West
(WCIW), the largest iden
tifiable Muslim Com
munity in America, was
interviewed by Dirk Sager,
corerspondent for Station
ZDF German television.
When questioned as to
the difficulty of being a
Muslim in America,
Muhammad responded by
saying. "It has always
been difficult. The former
leader, the Honorable Eli
jah Muhammad, taught
something that was un
American and un-lslamic.
Now that I'm leading the
Community, following the
Sunni (the way of) Pro
phet Muhammad, I find it
now more difficult
because it seems that
many Americans liked us
better when we were
isolated separated from
the" American people.
Many that 1 thought
would congratulate me
have not. This is a strain
on me, but 1 can live with
it."
Imam Muhammad went
on to stale his position on
the Iranian crisis, "Just as
most of the Muslims I've
talked to. Imams and
scholars, we believe it's
not Quranic taw. it's not
the Sunni (the way of)
Prophet Muhammad to
lake personnel of the U. S.
Embassy and hold them
hostage like this.' Even
though a great cime has
been committed by the ex
Shah against the Iranian
people and he was
welcomed here for a while
in the United States, we
don't think there is any
justification for the tor
ture that they are carrying
the American citizens
through in Iran."
"I am a patriot of what
I call 'the true blood of the
Constitution of the United
States. There is a lot in
the governmental history
of the U. S." that I'm
against, and there is a lot
even now in our Govern
ment that I'm against..
But, I'm with what I term
the true blood of the Con
stitution of the U. S., and
right now I'm supporting
President Carter."
And finally commen
ting on the World Com
munity of Al-lslam in the
West's future in the U. S.,
"I believe our (WCIW)
greatest contribution to
this country will be
spiritual stability and
spiritual development.
America became great
because of a great ap
preciation for spiritual
life. And I think the con
cept of human dignity in
the Constitution if really a
scriptural concept. As a
Muslim I hope to revive
Christians that have lost
their way, and to revive
Jews who have lost their
way, and I hope to convert
as many of them to
A-Islam as possible. I
Life in the big city often
is written off as
"impersonal," or that "no
one ever cares about any
one else." Sorority mem
bers of Zeta Phi Beta
throughout Metropolitan
New York challenge these
attitudes by putting their
caring philosophy into
action for pregnant women
and newborns.
Their Stork's Nest,
quartered in the East New
York Neighborhood Family
Care Center in Brooklyn, is
open to welfare and low
income pregnant women
who receive regular prenatal
care. But this isn't just
another give-away program.
To be eligible for the
layette items at this non
profit redistribution
center, a pregnant woman
must be referred by a
health professional at the
Family Care Center. This
requirement encourages a
woman to have continuous
medical attention through
out pregnancy to protect
herself and her baby's
physical and mental devel
opment. Zeta Phi Beta and the
believe when that kind of
healthy spiritual revival
comes back to America it
will become the
courageous country it
once was and make great
progress in the world for
all humanity."
ZDF television cor
respondent, Dirk Sager
and a film crew filmed ac
tivities and interviewed of
ficials at the Sister Clara
Muhammad School (one
of 50 in the United States),
and American Pouch
Foods (a business venture
fcin which the WCIW has 50
percent ownership). The
documentary is to be aired
in Germany during the
first week of January.
March of Dimes Birth De
fects Foundation launched
this nationwide program in
the early 1970's. Since then,
about 75 Nests have opened
in cities and towns around
the country. All are staffed
by Zeta volunteers who
assemble new or good, used
maternity and layette items
for low-income families.
The Nests are located in or
near health facilities which
provide maternalnew-born
health care.
The origin of the Brook
lyn Stork's Nest came at a
March of Dimes seminar
that Mrs. Bass attended in
late 1977. There she met a
representative of the Family
Care Center who was fami
liar with the Stork's Nest
program. She suggested or
ganzing a Stork's Nest to
serve families attending the
East New York Center.
Over the next several
months, Mrs. Bass and her
Zeta colleagues met with
members of the Family
Care Center and communi
ty boards concerned with
its administration. She ex
plained the incentive pro
gram of encouraging early,
continuous prenatal care
and the fact that mothers
were asked to participate in
at least six health care
information sessions at the
Stork's Nest. These consist
of films and discussions by
health professionals and
Zeta volunteers on prenatal
care, nutrition, bonding,
and early infant care.
Community approval for
the plan moved quickly. By
summer 1978, the Stork's
Nest was set up on the
ground floor of the Family
Care Center and now is
open from 10 to 3 on Tues
days, when women come in
for prenatal care, to the OB
clinic.
What makes the program
so successful is its warmth
and informality. Staffing it
regularly are Mrs. Bass and
three other Zeta volunteers.
They come every week to
provide a needed service to
low-income women whose
pregnancies are often at
high risk. Poor health his
tories, inadequate maternal
nutrition, and lack of medi
cal attention during preg
nancy often compound
their chances of having
babies so severely under
weight that their survival
is in question from the
moment of birth.
Zeta volunteers Elbise
Taylor and Maurie Brum-
500 Acres Sold at
Soul City
Floyd B. McKissick.
Sr., President of The Soul
City Company, has an
nounced lhat The Soul Ci
ty Company has sold 500
acres in the Warren In
dustrial Park to Perdue.
Inc. Perdue, Inc. is the
largest poultry producer in
Eastern America.
McKissick said. "The
citizens of Warren Counly
arc indeed grateful for the
opportunities that will be
afforded them for growth
and economic develop
ment that only Perdue
could provide. The loca
tion of a major industry
the magnitude of Perdue
is evidence that the
primary mission of Soul
City was satisfied. Our
objective was to have the
development of the new
town serve as a catalyst
for regional economic
development. This sale
would not have been
possible except for the full
cooperation of HUD,
Warren County and the
residents of Soul City."
Over 70 percent of the
S26 million in federal sup
port for Soul City went to
construct projects of
regional significance such
as the Kerr Lake Regional
Water System, the soon to
be constructed Warren
County 2 million gallon
Sewage Treatment Plant,
the 2 million gallon force
main to the Town of War
renton, and assistance
with Warren County's
consolidated high school.
These were necessary in
gredients for Perdue's
location.
Perdue, Inc., a
Maryland-based poultry
processing firm, announc
ed on Wednesday, Oc
tober 31, that it had op
tioned 500 acres, thereby
taking a large step toward
a plant which may employ
as many as 1,000 people.
Although Perdue officials
declined to speculate on
what the lolal investment
would be in Warren Coun
ly, il was unofficially
reported that il would be
in the neighborhood of
$20 million initially.
In remarks thanking a
number of people, a Per
due official extended a
speciaf thanks for helping
in the selection of the
Warren County site lo
Foyd B. McKissick. the
founder of Soul City.
This would be Perdue's
second major facility in
North Carolina. Their
other plant is located on
land spread across Bertie.
Northampton and Hert
ford counties. The firm's
total investment there ex
ceeds $35 million.
In September. Perdue
conducted a labor survey
in Warren Count y ; and ,
even accepted job applica
tions for "future employ
ment." , According to Perdue,
the company would
operate a feed mill, addi
tional growers and a hat
chery as well as i he
poultry processing plain.
Brian Smith, an in
dustrial developer with the
N. C. Department of
Commerce, lndusni;i!
Development Division,
said, "This industry will
provide a much jji eater
economic benefit to the
area than most other types
of industrial plants,
because not only will Per
due employ over l.(XK)
people, but local area
farmers will have an ex
cellent market for their
grain (com and soybeans)
as well as the opportunity
to grow poultry which will
provide a steady year
round secondary income
for our farmers."
"In short, it will be a
real economic boon for
this area of our state," he
said.
Hillsborough
Ipl ito fcj tit
Highlights
H Mrs. Her ii ice Marshall
COMMISSIONERS VOTE 4 0 TO SECURE CO GRANT
HILLSBOROUGH-In a vote of 4-0, the Town Com
missioners approved applying for a comprehensive Com
muruty Development grant with the Department of
Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for Northern
Fairview, the target area. The cost estimate of the grant
is $2,692,750, with housing renovation as its main goal.
The target area currently has a single purpose water and
sewer grant in the amount of $500,000.
Included in the CD grant is a 5-15 acre park, at an
estimated cost of $344,000 and $265,250 is to be
allocated for three to four persons to work in planning
and administration of the project.
There is only about $3 million available for CD
programs statewide and the county is likely to encounter
strong competition for the money. If the grant is approved,
work could begin as early as October, 1980;
The senior citizens of Hillsborough and disabled veterans
of Durham attended a Christmas party at the Daniel Boone
complex during the holidays. The vets donated money,
bingo games and other gifts to the party. The affair was
well attended and apparently enjoyed by all.
The DeShazor Alumni No. 71 met at the Community
Center in Hillsborough on December 28 for its Christmas
Dance and Party. Mrs. Callie Ashford of Durham, president
of the Alumni, and Rev. Richardson attended the gathering.
skill, retired teachers, and
Julia Stith, a former social
worker, spend time with
each patient-customer. Zeta
Phi Beta members, mostly
business and professional
women, provide an oppor
tunity forDregnant women
to participate in informal
education nroerams th.it
promote the physical and
emotional well-being of a
mother and her newborn.
Supporting . their efforts
are Zeta chapters and
Amicae members through-
the Metropolitan New
area who are making
an important contribution
family health.
out
Yorlt
f
J3trir$s Wast
- V . tl A NKmi. mim OF
LAJ ta PHI BETA !50R0Rr' ! 1
f X AND THE ) J
I MARCH0F bW'I.N J fa
ZETA PHI BETA NY STATE Director Dorothy Bass grMti motnwr at Brooklyn' Stork's c;t '. cast WewIYork
Family Care Canter. Many Woman bring thair babiM back for a visit after they have attended the prenatal cere informlation
daises. Mrs. Bats, a retired social worker, coordinates volunteer staffing and programming at the Stork's Nest (Ptioito by
March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation!
Di-GcL
Th Anti-Ga Antacid.