Page A4-The Chronicle, Thursday, May 29, 1986
Winston-Salem Chronicle
Founded 1974
IRNIST H. PITT, Publisher"
NDUtlfI MiMONYI ALL1N JOHNSON
Co-Founder Executive Editor
I LAIN! L WTT MICHAIl HTT
Office Manager Circulation Manager
EDITORIALS
A positive step
T amht none t wu wam- fan ante anWe*??% J ?
WW IV 1/HltllV IVUMUVa 1V1 JUI/OlOilUOlU
housing, bui many of their excuscs ?rc ss fHmsy sa the
structures they rent.
While it is true that some tenants may abuse rental property,
owners still should ensure that no one pays to live in
housing that is in such disgraceful disrepair that it
threatens the occupants' health.
Broken windows should be replaced, holes in floorboards
mended, exposed wiring insulated - with
reasonable haste.
A measure passed last week by the city's Human Relations
Commission addresses thatvery problem. If it is approved
by the Board of Aldermen, as it is expected to be,
the change in the city's housing code would levy a fine of
$100 against landlords whose houses or apartments are
determined to be unfit and an additional $10 for each day
the housing remains unfit.
The original proposal, presented weeks ago amid cries
of foul from landlords, was that tenants be allowed to
...UUL^iJ r* i ii s- ---?? ? * ?
wiiuiiuiu reins irorn lanaioras wno rail 10 maxe needed
repairs. But that proposal presented legal problems, so the
latest measure represents a fair but tough compromise.
Under the new proposal, a housing inspector would inform
the landlord if one of his or her properties is found
to be unfit for human habitation, detailing what is wrong
and when a hearing will be held to resolve the matter.
If, at the time of the hearing, the repairs have not been
made, the landlord would be given no more than 30 days
to make them.
If, at that point, the repairs still haven't been made, the
landlord would be fined.
Built into the amendment are provisions that protect
both the rights of the landlord and the tenant.
If, for instance, the hearing officer were to discover that
a tenant is damaging the property, the landlord would not
be fined. ?
Also, a disturbing loophole in the original proposal has
been eliminated: A tenant can't purposefully damage a
house or apartment so he or she can withhold rent.
A Chronicle series two years ago on substandard housing
revealed a problem even worse than we had imagined.
The state of housing for many is embarrassing to the city
and insulting to tenants' human dignity.
We are encouraged that the city seems poised to do
something positive to change that awful reality.
The color of Success
AMONG THE VISITORS last weekend to the Delta
Sigma Theta convention was a man whose name probably
won't ring a bell.
But the subject of his book will.
?Lonnie Thomas Parker, an AME minister, has coauthored
with his wife, Rosalia Goode Parker, "The Official
Buppie Handbook."
For the uninitiated, a Buppie is a "Black Urban Professional"
? a soulful incarnation of the Yuppie, if you will.
You may have seen a Buppie drive by in his BMW en
route to his contemporary home in the suburbs, making
sure he's on schedule with his Rolex watch.
But a Buppie is more than a Yuppie in blackface, the
book cautions.
"Buppies do not need white role models," the Parkers
say. "Buppies strive out of historical circumstance, not
out of a need to imitate whites. They are striving for a better
life not as a means to an end, but as a matter of black
pride."
What exactly that means we don't know, but we do And
the Parkers' handbook an amusing and entertaining
chance, as the release says, for Buppies or aspiring Buppies
"to take a few moments out from hectic schedules to
smile at themselves."
You are a Buppie, the book says, if ...
- yuu unow a aaao costs as much as a BMW ... but
you're stuck on the 'ultimate driving machine.'
"your kids are enrolled in private schools whose names
start with THE ... and/or end in 'DAY SCHOOL' or 'INSTITUTE*
or 'ACADEMY.'
"your daughter's name is Megan, Ashley Blair, Alexis,
Jennifer, Mikki, Tiffany ...
"your snakeskin shoes are real.
"you actually use the word 'eclectic' in conversation.
"(if you are single) your 'man' or 'woman' is now called
your 'partner.'
"you give to the United Negro College Fund every
year."
You are something called "The Baaad Buppie" if "you
Please see page A11
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Playing 1-pa
Tha author Is a black
-ftapubllean who llvaa In
Wlnston*Salam.
I would like to make four
observations about * the May
primary election results. First,
the black community
demonstrated that it has limits
bevond which it cannot h# nu?K.
ed. Second, the Democratic Party
leadership still does not respect
either the black community or its
candidates. Third, many black ,
candidates are still ignoring
sound campaign management
practices and blaming poor turnouts
on the electorate. Finally,
the black community continues
to play one-party ball in a twoparty
game.
Say what you may about the
black electorate; District Attorney's
Donald Tisdale's defeat
is impressive. Our community
may hold its head high anywhere
across the state because black
voters sent a message on Election
Day. The message was, if you depend
on our support, you must
support us. If, as an elected official,
you turn your back on us,
we'll turn our backs on you.
Many folks have said "We'll
ffeffiember in November*' and
then catch amnesia. The best cure
for insensitive politicians is retirement,
which is precisely what
happened to Tisdale.
And now for the bad news ....
One would think that, as loyal
as the black electorate has been in
supporting the Democratic Party
and its candidates, the
Democratic party leadership
would support black candidates.
Well, it did not work out that
way.
In an upset, Mazie Woodruff
Angola's dpi
"American support for
UNITA means a tightened embrace
between Washington
and white supremacy."
- Human rights activist and
Georgia State Sen. Julian
Bond
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - Jonas
Savimbi and his UNITA rebels
must not receive a dime of U.S.
tax dollars. Further, progressiveminded
people of all hues must
look diligently to combat the
fierce propaganda campaign being
waged by the Reagan administration
and the Conservative
Political Action Commit
tee to legitimize Savimbi and
justify support for UNITA.
For nearly 20 years now, progressive
elements in the AfricanAmerican
and Caucasian communities
have denounced Jonas
Savimbi and UNITA as
"Angola's opportunistic Uncle
Toms" - reactionary black na- .
tionalists who have exploited
American anti-communist sentiment
into political mileage and
financial backing.
UNIT A - an acronym for the
National Union for the Total Independence
of Angola - originally
was one of the two major
liberation/resistance movements
evolving from the nearly centurylong
colonization of Angola by
the Portuguese.
Despite Portuguese intran
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rty ball in a 2 ]
TIB OU1ST COLUMN
By VERNON ROBINSON
lost her seat on the Board of
County Commissioners. Mrs.
Woodruff was not faultless in
this defeat (we'll save that for
later) but her defeat was ably
assisted by the John Holleman
a t- f -t_ % ?
cruwu, wmcn roae Mazie's bandwagon
across East Winston but
did not return the favor by helping
Mazie win support outside of
%
the black community. Holleman
1, Woodruff 0 ... game, set and
match.
The Democratic leadership did
not sink the Woodruff campaign
by itself. It was greatly assisted
by the disorganized campaigns of
several black candidates. How
many telephone calls did you
receive from these candidates?
How many knocks at the door?
How manv nieces of mail?
Wc have to be realistic. These
candidates did not do what is
lortunistic Ui
CLIFTON I. GRAVIS J
Chronicle Columnist
sigence (bolstered by South
African, U.S. and Gulf Oil Co.
support), the liberation forces
finally prevailed in 1975 after
%
yscmii
decades of bloody revolution. (I
must hasten to add here that the
African-American community's
successful "Boycott Gulf Oil"
campaign contributed tremendously
toward informing all
Americans of the plight of our
/%ngoian oromcn.j
While the rural-based UNIT A
ft
w
Mi
party game
necessary to communicate effectively
with the black electorate,
much less the white electorate. Jn
the absence of an energizing campaign
that articulates why voters
should come out to vote, the
voters^- white, black or yellow will
either stay at home or vote
for someone else.
I believe that Mazie should
have been sent back for another
term, but can anybody honestly
tell me that the black candidates
who lost ran solid, well-run cam
W #|V
paigns? Too many people suffered
so that black candidates
could get on a primary ballot. We
owe it to them to run serious
campaigns. 1 am not supporting
any more candidates who are
strolling for instead of running
for office. The electorate at large
will not, either.
The number of people who can
play leadership roles in effective
campaigns is inexcusably low in
our community. Neither party
Please see page A5
tele Toms
IR. _
and the urban-based (and currently
ruling) MPLA - the
Popular Movement for the
Liberation of Angola - had
I 7 ' %
m/m
worked together in a loosely
formed coalition against the common
European oppressor, barely
had the Portuguese surrendered
before UNITA began waging war
asainst the MP I. A
Now, keep in mind that,
throughout the long bitter war
Please see page A12
- ? ? {
J"
CHILDWATCH
Parents have
knmAUTArl/ 4AA
living Tf U1 li9 IUU
By MARIAN W.* EDELMAN
Syndicated Columnist
WASHINGTON - All parents
want to see their children do the
best they can in school. We know
that a solid grade record will
boost our children's chances of
getting into a good college or landing
a challenging job.
While much of the task of
teaching our children is up to the
tdnxttrwrparaigl^vc IB
portant role to play in ,after^~
school hours, encouraging our
children to do their homework.
There is nothing new about
homework. We can all remember
lugging home our arithmetic
books. But today's increased
pressure on our children to compete
in the classroom makes us
look at this old tradition in a new
way. V
Educational experts now tell us
that parents of public school*
children, especially parents of
black or Hispanic children, want
schools to give more homework
assignments to their children.
These parents see homework as a
no-cost way to better their
rhilHr^n'c arhi?v*m*nt in ctKaaI
But our children cannot do it
alone. As parents, we can an<j
should help our children get the
most learning they can out of do?
ing their homework. Recent
research at the University of U?
linois suggests that as much as
half the improvement in student
grades and test scores stems from
parent participation in schoolr
related activities, including
homework.
Helping your child witfc
homework should not mean play*
ing policeman or tutor, according
to Network: The Paper fcf
Parents, a monthly education*!
report published by the Nationd
.Committee for Citizens in Education.
It does mean encouraging
your child to tackle homework in
a responsible, independent
fashion, and watching for any i
recurring problems. Here are
some of this publication's tips for
parents:
Vwn an on how murk rim#
wmmm V/V WM M V U1MVI
your children spend on their
homework. Elementary school
children should spend a
minimum of one hour a day, and
high school students two or more
hours a day.
If your child is spending tod
many hours on particular
assignments, get in touch with the
teacher. It is important to prevent
your child from developing *a
negative attitude toward subjects
that can be difficult to tackle
alone, like math. Help your chijd
feel in control of his or hfcr
studies by listening, helping to fo
over instructions and encouraging
short breaks.
Structure homework into your
home life. If both parents are out
when homework should begin, I
set an alarm to remind yofcf
child. Try to minimize distwgtfons.
Then, most important iff
all, reward your children aftpfr
their day in school and after their
homework by making sure thfcy
get free time to watch television
read, listen to music or play. J;
1 i:
Marian Wright Edalman is;*
National Newspaper
Publishers Association columnist
who irfprasident pf
the Children* Defense Fund,
a national vpice for youth.
M'
ABOUT LETTER*
I
The Chronicle welcomes letter!
from its readers, as well as cqfr I
iimns. Letters should be as cofw
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printed legibly. They also should
include the name, address *4$ I
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Columns should follow I
same guidelines and will bf
mihHshed Ifwc fi?l th*v *m? nl*
terest to our general readerthipL;
Submit your letters and cdfc*
umns to Chronlek Maflbag, P.Cc*
Box 3134, Winston-Salem, N.C.\
27102.
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