"CHWrL
1-VVILS 03/20/88 00000
WILSOX LIBRARY
N C COLLECTION
UNC-CH
CHAPEL HILL NC 27514
tUME 66 - NUMBER 32
(USPS 091-380)
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - SATURDAY, AUGUST 13, 1988
lELEPHONE (919) 682-2913
PRICE: 30 CENTS
Habitat For Humanity
Makes Dreams Come True
By Evelyn Howell
Habitat for Humanity, a 12-year-old non-profit Christian ministry,
id the business of making dyeams of home ownership and decent
,using come true for families who otherwi,se could not afford it.
Habitat will dedicate two newly-built houses in Durham Saturday to
I of the volunteers who worked toward their completion. One is
caicd on Ashe Street and the other, along with four other houses, at
eOld Kingston Mill site.
The dedication is part of Habitat for Humanity’s Houseraising ’88
lich began June 26 in Portland, Maine and is charting a trail along
Eea.st coast through Raleigh-Durham. Hundreds of people — local
d nationwide — are expected to walk into Atlanta, Georgia on
plember 15.
“Our goal is to raise funds to build new houses,” said Dr. Gerald
istema, professor of philosophy at the University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill and coordinator of Houseraising Walk ’88 in Durham.
)ur main purpose is to focus on the buildings and the energies put
0 housing,” he said.
Habitat for Humanity’s aim is to rid every community of poverty
using and fulfill the dream of its founder, Millard Fuller, a suc-
isfiil lawyer and former millionaire.
Being a millionaire at age 29 didn’t make Fuller’s life meaningful,
he gave his riches away 12 years ago and started Habitat for
manity,
lis dream of eliminating poverty is slowly becoming reality,
bitat is flourishing. Over 3,000 homes have been built since 1976;
0 in 1987 across this nation and in 25 other countries, including
re, Peru, Uganda and the Philippines,
labital tries to meet the needs of low-income families.
’rices of the hou,se.s in the U.S. range from $25,000 to $30,0(X).
trseas costs usually range between $1,(XX) and $3,000, depending
location, labor, land and materials.
iccording to Dr. Postema, “some houses arc renovated, but most
built from the ground up.”
amilies are selected according to their housing needs, ability to
ay the loan, family size, character and willingness to volunteer
e.
Each family is required to help with the construction of its homo,”
I Postema. “New homeowners arc encouraged to contribute what
yean, in addition to their monthly house payments (about $65), so
(, loo, can help others have decent housing,” he said,
logovernment funds arc used. Funding comes from churches, cor-
alions, foundations, and individuals who want lo'express an in-
st in helping needy families.
labital mortgages are no-inleresi, no-profil and are issued over a
d lime period.
lie goal of Houseraising Walk this year is lo raise SI .2 million, and
ircss awareness. “We wajii to mobilize volunieers and make peo-
:i«are," said Dr. Postema. “The financial aspeci of ihe walk is im-
laiil, bill so is public awareness,” he said.
I'alk '88 consists of two teams, the builders and Ihe walkers. In
ham, the wtilkers will be housed in North Carolina Cenlral
vcrsiiy’s 1..I. Walker Physical Fducalion Coniples, and ihe
ders at First Presbyleriau Church.
he house dedications are one segment of a scries of eseius siariiiig
lalurdayand lasiing through Monday morning. The V\ alk will sie|i
from Durham County Stadium at 12;3() p.m. Saiurdav. followeti
ihc Fdgemonl-Habilal Neighborhood Festival. On Sunday,
ard Fuller will preach ai Duke Chapel.
araeompleie aclivilics scheduled, contact Dr. Gerald Postema at
.1151 or 489-7976.
Top Black Officials Join
In Playing Key
Roles At Convention
By Larry A. Still
Capitol News Service
TLANTA-CNS) — In addition
Everend Jesse Jackson sharing
Democratic National
'Cation spotlight with his
Stic campaign speech, family
> highlights and "colorful"
iaaiion for President,
tscnlaiive William Gray (Pa),
Escniative Mike Espy (Miss.).
El Congresswoman Shirley
holm of New York, and
■iagham Mayor Richard
'Sion and Detroit Mayor
wn Young were selected to
IE key roles in the 1988
®6n spectacle.
''Welcoming remarks to the
*"> in the city’s newly
feted Omni and the World
less Center were presented by
"s Mayor Andrew Young and
*1 County Commissioner
Lomax with remarks by
eation co-host Yvonne
ey.
Reports were presented by
“fee chair Roland Burris, ’
iieasurer Sharon Pratt Dixon
ennsylvania speaker K. Leroy
*ho presented the convention
atials report. For the first time
feiy. no delegates were barred
jse of challenges, Irvis
stated.
Congressman Espy was
“led to introduce keynote
* Ann Richards, Texas State
‘‘"ter, and former
'esswoman Chisholm
“eed DNC Secretary Dorothy
Call the roll for the
presidential nomination election.
Little Rock, Arkansas, Mayor
Lottie Shackelford served as
convention co-chair with Speaker
of the House of Representatives
Jim Wright of Texas, and
Birmingham Mayor Richard
Arrington appeared before the
convention in a major role before
the balloting on vice-presidential
nominations began when Jackson
was expected to appear in a major
role.
The drama of the presidential
and vice-presidential roll call
followed the long awaited
presentation of Reverend Jackson
on behalf of his approximately
1,200 delegates and seven million
voters, including a majority of
black Americans. The possibility of
delegates switching to or from
support of Jackson in a major
sympathy vote heightened the
tension of the most historic
presidential convention in history
in the new South. "We’re still
looking for a Chicago miracle,"
Jackson told his opponent.
Governor Michael Dukakis, in their
dramatic meeting before the
nomination.
The strategy for the convention
highlights were discussed on the
eve of the major sessions at a
reception for the Jackson and
Duk^is delegates sponsored by the
DNC Black Caucus chaired by C.
Delores Tucker and co-hosted by
the Black Businessmen of Atlanta
at the Atlanta Life Insurance,
Building. i
m
i:n.)ovin(; a
visited the local
VISIT FROM THE TIGER-’'Tony the Tiger" found some knowing admirers. (Photo by Mayfield)
Winn-Dixie at Heritage Square and immediately
Record Number Of Democratic
Delegates Hail ‘New South’
By Capitol New Service
ATLANTA — The increased
level of black participation in this
year’s Democratic National
Convention was "especially
striking" according to the Joint
Center for Political Studies which
reported a record number of
delegates, state officials and DNC
executives among the 20,000
persons attending tlie four days of
sessions.
There were 962 black delegates
at the convention, making up 23
percent of the total 4,212 number
casting ballots for the presidential
and vice presidential nominations
of the party. This figure compares
with 697 blacks or about 18 percent
of the total DNC delegates in 1984.
It is historic that three of the 55
state and territorial delegations,
were chaired by blacks for the first
time, including Edw'ard L. Cole of
the Mississippi Democratic Party;
Joslyn Williams. District of
Columbia and Dctm Fcrricr, chair
of the Democrats Abroad.
Aaron Henry previously chaired
the Mississippi Freedom
Democratic Party whose smuggle to
be seated at the 1964 convention
was highlighted by the dramatic,
tearful appeal of Fanny Lou Hamer
in Atlantic City, New Jersey,
The contrast between the
conventions 24 years later in
Atlanta W'as noted by black Mayor
Andrew Young as he welcomed the
S50 billion spectacle to the "New
South." The growing new voter
turnout was credited with swinging
five U. S. Senate seats in Alabama,
Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina
and California over to the
Democrats.
In 198X black Americans are
poised 10 pdy a crucial role in the
presidential election as the 20
million voters represent 11 % of the
total electorate of over 2(X) million
potential voters.
This year’s presidential election
"matters deeply to blacks," said
Eddie N. Williams, president of the
Joint Center for Political Studies.
"They seemed determined to help
chart the court of the nation and its
policies in the post-Reagan area as
demonstrated in the Jesse Jackson
race for the Democratic party’s
nomination.”
The campaign was also
influential in the expansion of
blacks to one third of the 123
members of the Credentials, Rules
and Platform committees, which
Jackson is seeking to expand
further as a result of his agreement
with Governor Michael Dukakis.
Black elected officials were
represented among the delegates
this year. They included 23
members of the Congressional
Black Caucus, five statewide
elected officials, 135 state
legislators, 23 county executives,
20 mayors and 58 other municipal
officers.
The fifteen states with the largest
number of black delegates were
New York (80), California (78),
Michigan (73), Texas (54), Illinois
(50), Ohio (41), Georgia (38),
Florida (33), Louisiana (33)
Pennsylvania (33), Missouri (30),
North Carolina (30), Virginia (29),
Alabama (28) and South Carolina
(24).
The slates with the largest
percentage of black delegates were
Michigan (45%), Mississippi (45%)
and Dismict of Columbia (68%), as
well as the Virgin Islands (89%^
The seven suite vice-chairs were
Donhea Bowens, South Carolina;
Virgie King, Alaska; Geraldine
Moon, New Jersey; Mayor Jesse
Rattley, Virginia; State
Representative Earline Rogers,
Indiana; Mayor Lottie Shackelford,
Little Rock, Arkansas and Daria
Winter, District of Columbia.
The following officers have
ranking positions on the
Democratic National Committee,
DNC Black Caucus or state party
organizations: Illinois CompU'olIcr,
Roland Burris, Vice Chair; C.
Delores Tucker, DNC Black
Caucus Chair; Assemblywoman
Helen Marshall, DNC Black
Caucus Secretary; Commissioner
Terrance Pitts, DNC Black Caucus
Treasurer; Detroit Mayor Coleman
Young, president. National
Conference of Democratic Mayors
and the Honorable Willie Brown of
New Jersey, Minority State
Assembly Leader.
Expansion of these official
positions to include Jackson
supporters was also agreed upon as
a result of the campaign strategy
developed by candidate Dukakis
and Jackson during the convention.
(Continued On Page 4)
NAACP Radiothon Set For
September 24 To Boost Membership
Hundreds of radio stations
throughout the country will air a
three hour national broadcast on
September 24, emanating from the
world famous Apollo Theatre
featuring live and exciting
entertainment by some of the
nation’s top performers, to help the
NAACP boost its membership to
one million or more members
during its first National Radiothon,
according to Special Projects
director Jondelle Johnson.
Ms. Johnson, former executive
director of the Atlanta NAACP
who spearheaded several successful
radiothons for that branch, serves
as national director of special
projects, coordinating the National
Radiothon.
The Radiothon is being chaired
by Percy Sutton, one of the nation’s
leading businessmen and the 1987
recipient of the NAACP’s highest
award — The Spingam Medal —
and vice-chaired by Bishop Richard
Allen Hildebrand, a staunch leader
in the rcligous community and
member of the NAACP national
board.
In addition, heads of national
organizations of fraternities,
sororities, churches, unions, etc. are
serving as co-chairmen, Johnson
said, to involve their local chapters
in supporting the NAACP in this
project.
The National Radiothon, the
brainchild of NAACP Boari
chairman William F. Gibson, will
be beamed live from New York
City radio station WBLS via
satellite, Johnson said. Using the
slogan "Don’t Stand On The
Sidelines, Come Home to the
NAACP." the Radiothon hopes to
attract millions of listeners. Over
2,000 NAACP branches will
participate.
WBLS, serving as the host radio
station, in addition to the live
entertainment from the Apollo, will
also air taped public service
announcements by a number of
celebrities, human interest stories,
civil rights documentaries and a
special NAACP jingle throughout
the course of the Radiothon.
Special appeals will be made to
listeners to invite them to become
members of the 79-year-old civil
tights organization.
Here is how the Radiothon will
work on September 24. On a local
level, NAACP volunteers will work
from their branch’s Radiothon
centers and record pledges as they
come in to the centers. Local radio
stations will then announce those
pledges, and at various times, will
be interrupted by WBLS for a
national total.
To ensure that the association
will have one million members by
September, Johnson said the time
to be in soliciting memberships is
now.
"We cannot depend on the
pledges called in on the day of the
Radiothon to reach our goal. We
must solicit those members before
September 24. Therefore, it is
essential that branches and youth
(Continued On Page 4)