i
EDITORIALS
PEOPLE
Saying
odbye
to Bill Haye^
IhJ^
Chronicle
endorses
candidates
PAGE A4
Baptist, Forsyth
collaborate on
CODE BLUE
PAGE A6
Of'
Os
Salem Chronicle
The Twin City’s Award-Winning Weekly
Vbl.XIV, No. 36
U.&P.S. No. 067910
^nston-Salem, N.C.
Thursday, April 28,1988
36 Pages This Week
Mistrial
declared in
Fuller case
By Angela wright
^ Chrwide Managing Editor
The trial of Versell McDaniel
FvHa, the domestic worker accused
of stealing more than $200,000
worth of personal property from
four of her former employers, has
resulted in a hung jury. Presiding
Judge Thomas W. Seay Jr. declared a
imstiial Wedrresday.
Fuller suppwters claimed victo
ry ^^though the {nx>secutor has the
option of retrying the case. District
AUomey Warren Sparrow could not
be leached fc^ comment.
"A hung jury is a win fw us,"
said Dr. Dolly McPherscm, associate
prrfessOT of English at Wake Fcn-est
LJoiversity and chairwoman of
Black Women United fen Justice, a
community group OTganized in sup-
pert of Fuller.
"I knew that when we hired
AOnney Millo-, we were standing in
God's grace and today proved it,”
saidMcF1)ei^c»i.
^^nothCT Fuller supporter. Rev.
John Mendez of Emmanuel Baptist
Cbtaoh said, "This trial revealed
hw? low-down the system is and
bow it uses KGB and ge.stapo tactics
UMlidermine the constitutional
ri^ts (tf die powerless and the pocr,
black and white.” Mendez criti
cized Sparrow for bringing the case
Co trial.
The jury, comprised of 11
whites and one Afro-American,
began its deliberations Tuesday
mofning after hearing about a week
of testimony. The judge acknowl
edged Wednesday that the jury was
"ht^ielessly deadlocked."
Fuller was charged with four
counts of felonious larceny in a case
dial had generated much controver
sy ^ semewhat divided the c(Mn-
fplea$;A AAA oaoe A2
Eighteen rmonth-okJ Terrence Brunt proves age means nothing as he helps his uncle and i
friend dig a driveway on 11th Street (photo by Mike Cunningham).
NAACP suit would
create ward system
County process may be unconstitutional
By ANGELA WRIGHT
Chronicle Managing Editor
A final pretrial conference
was held Tuesday in the matter of
the NAACP vs. Forsyth County.
The action was taken in anticipa
tion of the possibility that the case
will go to trial and a tentative trial
date has been set for June 6.
The lawsuit, which was filed
in October 1986, seeks to change
the method by which the Board of
Commissioners of Forsyth County
is elected.
The NAACP contends that
Forsyth County’s electoral system
maximizes white voting strength
and denies Afiro-American cidzens
of the County an equal opportunity
to elect candidates of their choice.
They contend that the system vio
lates Section 2 of the Voting Rights
Act and the 14th and 15th Amend
ments of the U.S. Constitution.
The NAACP wants the at-
large, staggered term, run-off elec-
ticMi method for electing the Board
of Commissioners to be declared
uncOTstitutional and in violation of
flie Voting Rights Act.
Also, the NAA.CP .seeks an
order adopting a redisiricting plan
for Forsyth County which com
plies with Section 2 of the Voting
Rights Act. They contend that
Afro-American candidates would
be successful with a district system
with Afro-American majority dis
tricts.
They further contend that vot
ing in Forsyth County is racially
polarized and that Forsyth County
"has a history of racial discrimina
tion and of perpetuating and
enhancing the power of white citi
zens to exclude black citizens from
fair and equal treatment and repre
sentation in the governing body of
Forsyth County."
The County denies the allega
tions and maintains that the pro
cess of electing members of the
Board of Commissioners is equal
ly open to all voters of the County.
The defendants, who are the
currently seated Commissioners,
also maintain that members of the
protected class under Section 2 of
the Voting Rights Act have fully
participated in the political process
and have nominated and elected
Board of Commissioner candidates
or representatives of their choice.
"In the entire history of this
County, only one Black has been
elected to the County Commis
sion," said Walter Marshall, presi
dent of the local branch of the
NAACP. "Even when the black
population was larger than it is
now, we were unable to elect
blacks to the Commission."
The NAACP is represented by
attorney Romallus O. Murphy of
Greensboro. Murphy has been
involved in about a dozen such
cases in the state of North Caroli-
"AU of the Section 2 cases in
this state, that I know of, have
resulted in a change of the sys-
Please see page A14
IE NATION'S NEWS
|ll; DulcaKis/JaclSon ticket
iuld defeat George Bush
EW YORK (AP) - A Michael Dukakis-Jesse
ion ticket would defeat a Republican ticket
1 by George Bush 47 percent to 42 percent,
to a Time magazine poll released Sunday.
! Bush would defeat Jackson by 52 percent to 34
iem, die poll indicated.
neraman punished for slurs
VER (AP) - KUSA-TV has punished a
pte cameraman for making racial slurs recorded by
>n camera while shadowing city work crews .
[ On the ape. Chris Wheeler imiates a black work-
1 have been out here working my black (exple-
te) to the bone ah day,' Wheeler said. "You lazy
fctive). You been a loungin' around, goin' to 7-
lY. elections not fraud-proof
KNEW YORK (AP) - Charges will not be filed
inst a WCBS-TV reporter who registered several
I in Tuesday’s primary ela^tion to expose the
piial for vote fiaud, a spokesman for the Man-
a district attorney said.
The request to prosecute reporter Barbara Nevins
tne from Betty Dolen, executive director of the
S York City Board of Elections.
:Ms. Nevins said in her teoadcast Wednesday
M that she registered in Manhattan, Brooklyn,
js, Staten Island and Nassau County using a
a of similar and friends'addresses. ' '
Use of 'nigger' prompts protests
Ali says he's not offended by Chandler remark
FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Former heavy
weight boxing champion Muhammad Ali
said Monday he look no offense at the use of
a racial epithet by former Gov. A.B. "Happy"
'Chandler.
Ali acknowledged he was not familiar with
the controversy caused
by Chandler’s use of the
M 'ord "nigger" at a com
mittee meeting of the
University of Kentucky
Beard of Trustees recent
ly and responded to
questions about it only
after the circumstances
were outlined by a
repoirter.
"ttyerybody says nig
ger," Ali said. "So what's
the bi,e thing?"
AU asked several
reporters if they had ever
used ti.ie word and chal
lenged them when some
respondled in the nega
tive.
"All of you white peo
ple (who) never said nig
ger, throw the first
stone," All said.
Chandler, who accom
panied Ali to a meeting
in Gov. Wallace Wilkinson's office on Mon
day, said iho boxing great took time "to come
to my rescue" and the two have been friends
for many yeatrs.
At an impi'omptu news conferwice prior to
the meeting. Chandler complained that news
Muhammad Ali
reports of his comment were blown out of
proportion.
"Muhammad didn't approve of the harsh
treatment I've been getting," Chandler said.
Ali said he did not know the former gover
nor very well.
"I'd be lying to tell you
he's my friend," said Ali,
who grew up in
Louisville.
Wilkinson played host
to Chandler and Ali in
conjunction with a plea
from a representative of
the World Boxing Hall of
Fame Museum for state
assistance in finding a
new home.
Chandler’s remark
prompted a storm of con
troversy, and many polit
ical and civic leaders
have called for his resig
nation from the UK
board.
Wilkinson, who reap
pointed Chander to a
voting seat on the UK
board, said Monday that
Chandler's apology was
sufficient to end the mat-
Urtian League Board Chairman Joe Dickson chats with board mem
ber Marshall B. Bass and Ann McCloud during last week’s Uitian
League reception (photo by Harden Richards).
Jacob blames Reagan
for increase in racism
By KENNETH RAYMOND
Chronicle Staff Writer
Wilkinson said the subject of Chandler’s
remark was not brought up during the meet
ing with Chandler and Ali.
"As far as I'm concerned, it’s a closed
issue," Wilkinson said.
The Reagan Administration is
at the top of the list of major stum
bling blocks encountered by the
National Urban League when
efforts toward social improvements
have been attempted, according to
John E. Jacob, president of the
National Urban League.
The Winston-Salem Urban
League hosted the Southern
Regional Assembly at Slouffer's
Hotel last week. Jacob, who was
the guest speaker, made the com
ments during a press conference at
the Winston-Salem Urban League
building. The assembly was held
from April 21-23.
Jacob, who has been president
of the organization for six years,
said that several policies of the
Administration encourage some
people to act out their racist atti
tudes.
"The Reagan Administration
has been a major obstacle for the
last seven years," Jacob said.
"We're trying to improve education
and job programs and all they've
been doing is cutting the funds we
Please see page A3
"After 20 yeafsW
dealing with Forsyth
County elected otfl-
dais, I'm not guided
by my optimism. I
Just look at thair
record of cold
neglect."
- Walter Marshall