Page 2-Thc Chronicle, Thursday, April 22, 1982
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Black Firms Snubbing Minority Gintractors?
From Page 1
“Yes! They do prove
themselves and should,”
the letter said. “(We) firmly
believe that the black
professionals do try harder
and work longer hours and
generally produce. We only
have to give them a chance.
We need to keep all black
funds in the black
community.”
G. Ray Martin, chairman
of the Voice of Independent
Contractors and Entre
preneurs, said a copy of the
letter was sent to local black
churches and all black
leaders in the community.
Jet and Ebony magazines,
and Black Enterprise
magazine.
“The letter was initiated
because of the shopping
center controversy,” Mar
tin said, “and was aimed at
blacks in general for
discriminating against other
blacks.”
Martin said the minority
contractors are a specific
example of this problem.
“During economic times
when there is little to no
building done, these guys
have to literally close up
shop,” he said. “During
good times, they can almost
make it.”
Martin said people in the
community look down on
the minority contractors
and feel they aren’t
competent. “A minority
contractor has to be twice
as good,” he said. “We
were trying to put pressure
on people, like R. Lewis
Ray, to consider the
minority contractors. Their
buildings are examples of
buildings that could be built
and do not have minority
participation. No minority
contractors have informa
tion on the design or cost of
these buildings.”
A second letter was sent to
the Rev. Donald Stowe,
pastor of Second Calvary
Baptist Church, chastising
the church for not using a
local minority contractor.
“Your decision to select a
general contractor who
does not live in this com
munity has some drastic
economic implications,”
the letter said. “We believe
that you should be held ac
countable for this act.” The
church was warned that if it
wants the black community
to continue to support it, it
should open an account at
Mechanics and Farmers
Bank, contact members of
the Voice and secure at least
60 percent participation,
and on future construction
projects contact the
minority contractors and
give them a chance to prove
themselves.
“This is a very serious
offense and as long as black
churches and black people
give money away to others’
communities, we all
suffer,” the letter said.
“Brother Stowe, we forgive
you, because we know that
you did not know that black
contractors were capable of
completing this project.”
Church officials and pro
fessionals in the communi
ty, while saying they
understand the minority
contractors’ concern, were
bothered by charges made
in both letters.
Mel White, senior vice
president of Mechanics and
Farmers Bank and head of
the Winston-Salem branch,
said he was displeased that
the contractors had men
tioned the bank in their
letters. “We have no prior
knowledge of any letter or
letters being circulated by
any group or organizations
that in any way implies
solicitation for Mechanics
and Farmers Bank,” White
said. “Although we en
courage total community
support of our efforts, we
certainly reserve the right to
review and approve any use
of our name.”
White added that though a
majority of the members of
the Minority Contractors
group do have accounts in
Mechanics and Farmers
Bank, “I could not find
any record of SMARTS
Inc., (G. Ray Martin’s con
sulting firm), or Cartwood
Construction.”
Dr. David Branch said he
doesn’t feel he deserved to
be mentioned as taking
money out of the black
community. “I don’t
believe they can make an
Group Home
From Page I
tion, if necessary.
“We are not in any way
apathetic toward the
youth,” Johnson said.
“But we’re concerned with
the ■ community and trying
to make a turnaround.” He
added that the Mental
Health Center has not look
ed hard enough for a place
to locate the home. “One
question we’re asking is
why East Winston?” he
said. “Why not West
Winston or outside the city
limits? Why in the heart of
a residential area?”
Geneva Hill, president of
the East Winston Restora
tion Association, said the
residents are waiting for the
outcome of the St, Benedict
Church Council meeting
and a response to informa
tion mailed to Bishop
Begley before deciding ex
actly what they will do.
Hill also said the East
Winston Restoration
Association is submitting its
own proposal for the use of
the facility to Bishop
Begley’s office.
Hill said an area that is
already “saturated with
mental health” does not
need to have the group
home. “East Winston has
enough problems without
having to deal with the
Willie M youth,” Hill said.
“The. home would not
blend in with the area and
we don’t want this kind of
mental health service in our
community. It looks like
we’re going to have to be
monitoring what’s going on
here from now on.”
Hill said residents in the
area would be at the mercy
of the youth. “If they at
tacked us, there’s nothing
we could do,” she said.
“You cannot shoot a child.
We don’t trust them and we
don’t want them here under
any circumstances.”
Patrick Hairston, who
lives two blocks away from
the convent, agrees. “We
are going to fight this with
every effort,” he said.
“One main concern is that a
lot of people live just about
a block away from the con
vent. There are a lot of peo
ple already hanging around
that corner and it’s an
eyesore as it is.” Hairston
added that the residents
have compassion for the
Willie M youth, “but we
have enough. We already
have the Reynolds Health
Center.”
Bishop Michael J. Begley
could .not be reached for
comment, but Father John
McSweeney, the diocese’s
director of planning and
development, said the situa
tion is under study. “We’re
looking at the whole situa
tion,” McSweeney said,
“and considering every
alternative.” McSweeney
said Bishop Begley would
have the final decisioA
“based on as much infor
mation on the situation as
we can get. We have the in
tention of serving the
Winston-Salem community
and we’re considering the
needs of the area.”
Man Jailed From Page 1
issued since before Winston-Salem was established and
they’re still good and can be officially served any time.”
The sergeant said there are only four officers in the war
rant squad and they may be carrying up to 200 papers.
“The papers are first sent to beat officers,” he said, “and
if for any reason the beat officers fail to serve them after
a reasonable amount of time, the papers come to us.” He
said the papers cannot be officially served unless the per
son is identified. “Officers have problems serving the
papers because sometimes they can’t locate the person or
for some reason no one is willing to identify the person,”
he said.
The officer speculated that there may have been some
misunderstanding by the court as to whether the ticket
had been paid, but “it’s no big thing,” he said. “The
man didn’t pay on time. He paid later but the clerk didn’t
catch it and recall the summons.”
Bynum’s lawyer, Westley Bailey, said Bynum got into
trouble because he failed to appear in court when he was
served the summons on March 23. “When cited to court,
you must appear, even if you’ve paid the fine,” he said.
“The judge is the only one who can cancel the citation.”
Allen Lambert, clerk of superior court, also said Bynum
must have misunderstood the importance of the sum
mons. “You cannot take a citation to appear in court too
lightly,” Lambert said. “You have to appear before the
judge. For some things, like speeding tickets, you can
sign the back, which constitutes an in absentia
appearance, and mail in the fine. But when you are
supposed to appear in court, you have to be there.”
Lambert said that Bynum was arrested, because he failed
to do so.
Still, insists Bynum he shouldn’t have had to go to court
and the incident was “a waste of my time and the court’s
time. Someone made a mistake somewhere,” he said,
“and it definitely wasn’t mine. They should have checked
the files. I would like for them to reimburse me for the
money I lost. I missed a day at work and I needed to be at
home with my family.”
across-the-board statement
saying people are not put
ting money back into the
community,” Branch said,
“They can only speak for
contractors. They don’t
know what else I’m doing
or other activities 1 par
ticipate in.” Branch added
that he hasn’t signed with
any contractor and he isn’t
sure he is going to build a
new building. “A minority
contractor did bid for work
on the building,” Branch
said, “and that was Cart-
wood. He was $25,000
away from the low bid.”
“These contractors have
to get into the free enter
prise system like everyone
else,” Branch added.
“They have to bid and they
have to be good and compe
tent.” Branch said that he is
sure the minority contrac
tors are competent and can
compete in the commercial
market.
Willie Grissom, vice
chancellor for business
affairs at Winston-Salem
State University, said
WSSU “favors minority
participation in construc
tion done on campus, but as
a public agency is bound by
specific rules that precludes
us from having a free hand
in the direct negotiation of
contracts.” “There are cer
tain public regulations, laws
and rules on how the
university does business
with contractors,” he said.
“We do not lend ourselves
to sitting down and
negotiating one-on-one
with contractors.”
Grissom said it is
“difficult if not im
possible” to select contrac
tors on formal contracts at •
will. “We will take every
opportunity to work with
minority contractors. We
can make polite suggestions
to encourage minority
participation, but we’re
not allowed to peddle our
influence.”
Grissom said it is “unfor
tunate that some perceive
the institution as having the
right and flexibility to
influence on a non
competitive basis this kind
of contracting.”
“We regret that this
notion is being conveyed to
the public incorrectly,” he
said.
Attorney R. Lewis Ray,
who is building a new office
facility, said he is angered
by the accusations against
him. “Mr. G. Ray Martin
doesn’t know one damn
thing about my business,
me, or what I plan to do
with the construction of my
building,” Ray said. “I’m
not going to pay a black
contractor more than I
would pay someone else.”
Ray added that he favors
black contractors as long as
they are competent and
their bids are competitive.
“If they’re not competent
and competitive, 1 won’t do
business with them. I don’t
give a damn what color they
are,” Ray said.
The Rev. Cloy Cecil,
pastor of Castle Heights
Church of Christ, agreed
that the community should
give black contractors the
opportunity to get involved,
as long as “they don’t get
exorbitant with their bids
and still expect to be
utilized.
“We’re counting on and
expect to use some minority
contractors,” he said.
“We’re determined to use
some and we would be
greatly disappointed if we
could not use minority
contractors.”
Cecil added that the
church would be willing to
pay a little more to include
minority contractors as
long as their bids aren’t
much higher than the low
bid. “Blacks should not be
looking to exploit each
other,” Cecil said. “Our
building funds come from
black people, so we’re also
part of the black com
munity. I was bothered
by the letter they put out,”
Cecil said. “No one had
talked to me about it. They
were drawing conclusions
without checking to find
out. They shoud have got
ten their information
straight.”
Rodney J. Sumler, public
relations director of the
National True Vine Pente
costal Holiness Church of
God Inc., said contractors
were rnisrepresenting ...the
church with inaccurate in
formation. Sumler said the
church has given 42 percent
of the work on its SI million
construction project to
minority contractors. “1
don’t think the Voice of In
dependent Contractors and
Entrepreneurs had their
stuff together,” Sumler
said. “I agree with their
concept, but instead of
criticizing, blacks should be
coming together to fight
racism in the banking in
dustry. They’re throwing
stones instead of trying to
solve problems.”
Bishop S.D. Johnson,
pastor of Macedonia TVPH
Church and apostle of the
organization nationally, ad
ded, “Minority contractors
that put the letter together
are just as guilty as black-
on-black crime with their
black-on-black criticism,”
In an apparently unrelated
development, attorney
Richard S. Archia Jr.,
former chairman of the
Voice of Minority Contrac
tors and Suppliers, recently
submitted his resignation.
In a letter to the group,
Archia said he will remain a
member and offer his ser
vices to the organization.
Archia said his goal as
chairman was to help make
the group cohesive, which
he feels has been ac
complished, and that the
pressures of his legal
practice and his teaching
responsibilities at Winston-
Salem State prohibit his full
attention to the affairs of
the organization.
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