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(QLUME 71 - NUMBER 42
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA — SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1993 tEL£ HONE (919) 682-2913
PRrCE:30 CENTS
AT&T Advertise
With Blacks
By David L. Dillard
^’instott’Salem Chronicle Staff Writer
Black newspapers across the
■ounuy will feature a full-page
jvertisement from American
elephone and Telegraph this
jek. But black newspaper
secutives say they are not
itisfied.
Robert Bogle, president of the
ational Newspaper Publishers
issociation, a trade association for
,ore than 200 black newspapers,
lid he has not met with AT&T
lairman and CEO Robert E.
Jlen and that NNPA will not be
ought off with one ad.
’WeTe not interested in just one
j,” Bogle said this week in an
ilcrview. "I hope they don’t think
ity can buy one ad and please us."
iogle said he has written a letter to
illcn to arrange a meeting. The ad,
from an apology for a racist
lustration that ran in the
mpany’s magazine last month, is
tout creativity and shows a black
iilcr with his son.
The National Association for the
ilvanccment of Colored People
IS demanded that AT&T
pologizc to the black community,
iccording to AT&T spokesman
torke Stinson, company officials
SVC discussed issuing an apology
trough ads to be run in black
spapcrs, but as of yet AT&T
us not agreed to do so. Stinson
this week’s ad is not an
(ology, but "a regular corporate
1" He feds the company w'ill
lake a public apology and
iiobably increase advertising with
lack newspapers.
Various organizations have
iigtd AT&T to (apologize) and
Ians arc afoot to do just that,"
ijnson said. "Based on our record
ilh minorities, and particularly
Jrican Americans, (advertising in
lack newspapers) seems a smart
ling to do." According to
tmalgamatcd Publishers Inc, a
lalional advertising agency for
lack newspapers, AT&T spent
iiO million on ads in newspapers
last year, but only $24,000 with
black newspapers through API.
Michael A. House, API’s
president, said AT&T has done
advertising with black newspapers
locally, but on a national basis the
company spent less' than $50,000
with black newspapers last year.
"The papers are not looking to be
bought off (on a) one-shot deal,"
House said. "'We’re trying to
establish an ongoing campaign
(with AT&T) for advertising on a
regular basis with black
newspapers." The controversy
started over a racist illustration in
the September edition of AT&T’s
Focus magazine that shows an ape
using the telephone on the African’
continent. Four other continents —
North America, South America,
Asia and Europe — show human
beings.
Stinson said tlie publication has
been discontinued, and the two
"editors responsible for reviewing
it have been reassigned." The
NAACP and AT&T released a joint
statement last week proclaiming
"they held constructive discussions
concerning the relationship of
AT&T to the African-American
community." The release also
stated that the two groups will
pursue further dialogue on
recruiting and promoting minorities
to management positions, provide
scholarships for black students,
utilize black financial institutions
and establish diversity training
programs.
Stinson said the company has had
a "commendable record over the
last 20 years" with African
Americans but still needs to make
amends for the illustration.
"Our name was associated with
the illustration, and 1 would think
that an ad that addresses^ the
unintentional insult would set the
record straight that clearly we have
had a good record with women and
minorities,” ho said. "But despite
our fine record, we reed to focus
on what we will do."
North Carolina
NAACP Restores
Service With AT&T
CHARLOTTE (AP) - The North
Carolina NAACP and American
Itlephone & Telegraph Co. are
kick on the same wavelength - or
IE same phone lines, at least.
The two groups have made up
lollowing a flap over a drawing of
Eionkcy talking on a telephone in
magazine distributed by the
■munications giant.
I have today authorized Mary
Wer, executive director of the
k.C. NAACP to restore our service
itlalionship with AT&T," Kelly
Alexander Jr., president of the state
banch of the National Association
Icr the Advancement of Colored
copic said in a statement released
hesday.
The restoration is being
Whorized because of AT&T’s
standing mutually respectful
onship with the NA,ACP." A
tpokoswoman at the civil rights
•tganization’s national
headquarters in Baltimore said
ITcdnesday the North Carolina
bach acted on its own and no
'Smements had yet been made at
ihs national level. The
¥okcswoman, who asked for
bwymity, wouldn’t elaborate and
fcr officials of the group weren’t
®mediatcly available.
The drawing on the Fun ’N'
®aies page of AT&T Focus - ^
inc sent to the company’s
10 employees around the
Korld - showed characters on
literal continents conversing by
blcphone. All the characters were
•man except the one in Africa,
*'hich is a monkey.
The state group decried the
Unity Village Residents Take
Controi of Their Neighborhood
Bordered by Hearthside, Bacon,
Capps and Athens streets, the
neighborhood of Unity 'Village
became a reality in 1969.
Its founder, Ben Ruffin, was
instrumental in taking the first step
toward making Unity Village a
very lively neighborhood where
children could be safe, enjoy their
growing years, be reared and taught
moral values necessary for
productive citizenship.
On November 11, 1991, ten
residents of Unity Village met at.
the home of Mrs. Theodora
Brinkley for the purpose of
formally organizing as a
neighborhood club. Harold
Chestnut was elected president and
Mrs. Brinkley, secretary. The
appointment of Block Captains was
one of the most significant ideas
proposed. Block captains wbu'd be
responsible for neighborhood
communications — sickness, death,
meetings, etc.
The purpose of the organization
was enhancing togetherness,
cooperation, and assistance in times
of need. The theme "Neighbors
Helping Neighbors" was adopted.
The group meets each month on the
third Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at the
. Irwin Holmes Recreation Center on,
Alston Avenue.
There are five working
committees: Fund Raising,
Program and Beautification,
Political and Grievance, Publicity
and Sick. President Chestnut
encourages any resident who so
desires, to join any of these
committees.
In the past two years, committees
have worked on the removal of
Junked cars; - improved lighting;
ridding the area of illicit drug sales
and use; outdoor toilet facilities in
Unity Village Park; problems of
gun shooting in the park; placement
of a rail around the bridge on
Bacon Street near R.N. Harris
Elementary School; pet and pest
control; and. Meet Your Neighbor
Day.
There are many other goals and
projects currently underway
designed to improve the
neighborhood and enhance the lives
of its citizens.
Charges
Against
Mrs.
McFadden
Dropped
Charges against Mrs. Cora Cole-
McFadden, director of the city’s
Affirmative Action Department,
were dropped this week. She was
charged with altering a public
record without conwnt of the
Departmerit of Culturi Resources
of the City of Durham.
Contractor Ronnie Jennings,
president of J&J Construction
Company, contended that Mrs.
McFadden, illegally put notes in his
file about work he was hired to
perform during renovations at the
police headquarters in 1992.
The warrant issued last week was
the result.
Mrs. McFadden had been out of
town last week. The warrant was
served when she went to the
courthouse pn this past Sunday
morning for that purpose.
Before the iyarrant was issued.
Assistant City Manager Greg
Bethea said he investigated the
charges and found that Mrs.
McFadden had done nothing
wrong. "We consider it to be
frivolous, but we’ll obviously
defend her," he said.
This entire incident was prompted
by a disagreement between
Jennings and L.A. Downey & Son
company. Jennings had been hired
by L.A. Downey & Son of Durham
to paint the police department. A
dispute arose over payment for the
work and the two companies
appealed to the Affirmative Action
Department to settle the
disagreement.
Say Rules Affect African American Athletes
Black Coaches Hold Protest
drawing as insensitive and
announced plans to stop doing
business with AT&T.
The reversal followed a recent
meeting attended by NAACP
Board of Directors Chairman
William Gibson, Executive
Director Benjamin Chavis and
AT&T Chairman Robert Allen,
Alexander said in his statement.
They agreed to continue
discussions over recruiting
minorities, scholarships for black
students, procurement and
promotion goals and the use of
black financial institutions.
"If there’s anything we like, it’s
to win back customers," Walter
Murphy, AT&T’s director of
corporate information, said
Wednesday from his office in
Basking Ridge, N.J. "Wc hate to
lose any customers. And it was
especially painful under these
circumstances to lose a customers
like the N.C. NAACP. We’re
terribly glad to hear they’re
switching back to AT&T. Wc’rc
glad to hear that the NAACP felt
that Bob Allen’s meeting with Oic
NAACP leaders was fruitful and
that they understood how
concerned we were about what
happened." When the suite group
complained last month, the
communications giant said it was
equally appalled and issued an
apology.
The company said the outside
design firm that submitted the
drawing no longer employs the
freelance artist who drew the
cartoon and has dismissed one of
its production managers.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The 40-
member Congressional Black
Caucus agreed Tuesday to support
black coaches in their efforts to
restore recent cuts in athletic
scholarships and gain a bigger role
in NCAA decision-making.
But the black lawmakers stopped
short of endorsing legislation to
address NCAA rules that the
coaches say restrict their roles as
mentors in troubled ghettos and
discriminate against black athletes.
"At this time, wc haven’t Utlkcd
about any legislative ideas," said
Rep. Cardiss Collins, D-Ill., a
caucus member who also chairs the
House Energy and Commerce
subcommittee that has been a
frequent thorn in the side of the
NCAA.
Instead, the caucus appointed a
task force headed by Collins to
question the NCAA on scholarship
limits, academic requirements,
recruiting rules and the proportion
of blacks in top jobs with the
association.
About 30 memters of the Black
Coaches Association met with the
caucus as part of a boycott of the
inaugural National Association of
Basketball Coaches Forum in
Charlotte, N.C.
The forum plans to address many
)f the same issues this week.
The coaches, however, went to
.awmakers in frustration
aftcr'ccuntlcss meetings with the
NCAA" with little result, said
Georgetown basketball coach John
Thompson.
"We’re more concerned in
dealing with people who want to da
right .... people w'ho are not
concerned so much w-ith looking
right," said Southern Cal coach
George Raveling. "Congress is just
the first stop on the subway." The
Black Coaches Association is upset
the most with new NCAA rules that
dropped the number of scholarships
that Division I schools can offer
from 15 to 14 last season, and to 13
this season.
"Black student athletes are
disproportionately affected by these
regulations," Raveling said. "They
represent about 64 percent of the
players playing Division I
basketball. Over a 10-ycar period,
that represents about 3,000
scholarships, lost opportunities for
African-Americans." The coaches
also dislike uniform academic
requirements that they claim
discriminate against black recruits
and rules that restrict their contacts
with athletes and potential
scholarship recipients.
Thompson said hardly any of his
fellow black coaches at Division I
schools would have ever gone to
college or gotten the jobs they have
now if the current system had
existed when they were players.
"A strong man put me in a system
that I had been excluded from," he
said. "That’s how our kids get in
the system, and that’s exactly how
they’re now being excluded. Poor
kids are being misrepresented or
unrepresented." Vivian Stringer,
women’s basketball coach at Iowa,
said NCAA regulations prohibit a
coach driving home from the arena
from giving a student a ride to the
dorm in a rainstorm.
Former Police Chief’s
Supporters Arrested In
Fire; New Chief Named
TABOR CITY, N.C. (AP) - A
man and woman face charges they
set a furniture store on fire, a blaze
apparently linked to tunnoil in the
town over the firing of its first
black police chief.
The suspects arc supporters of the
fired police chief, Willie Gore, said
District Attorney Rex Gore,
Meanwhile, a white detective
with the Citrolina Beach police will
take over as the new Tabor City
police chief. Sgt. Robert "Bert"
Croom Jr., 33, .said Monday he will
begin his new job Nov. 1, the
Fayetteville Observer-Times and
Wilmington Morning Star reported
uxlay.
Sunday’s fire damaged Gore’s
Discount Furniture. The store
belongs to Winston Gore, whose
son had complained that the
weekentl marches being held to
protest the police chief’s firing
were bad for business.
The former police chief and the
furniture store owner are not
related.
Carlotta Bryant, 34, of Tabor
City, was arrested at her home
Monday .and charged with one
count of burning a Lniildiiig used
for trade, said A1 Stevens, a spcci.tl
agent with the State Bureau of
Investigation.
Ms. Bryant posted a S25,000
bond and was released frotn die
Columbus County Jail, officials
said.
Agents obtained an arrest warrant
charging Wilbur Butler of Tabor
City with die same offense, Stevens
said. He was being sought Monday
night.
Burning a building u.scd for trade
is a felony that carries a maximum
penalty of 30 years in prison.
Lawmen would not discuss a
possible motive for setting die. fire.
The town has been on edge since
August, when Gore was fired by
the town manager for allegedly
signing employees’ ti.Tic cards. The
former police chief has denied any
wrongdoing.
Gore and his supporters iniually
said race was not an issue, but the
protests and confrontations have
had racial overtones.
The discontent increased Oct. 12.
Police arrested one man and used
pepper spray on a crowd of the
former chief’s supporters after a
town council meeting. Dozens of
police were called in later that night
when random shooting broke but in
the town of 2,300.
Croom said the civil unrea will
be his biggest challenge as He
assumes command of the
department.
"Wc’rc going to do everything wc
can for the people cf- this
community to quell this unrest,"
Croom said. "This stuff, shooting at
cars and throwing rocks, is
barbaric."
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