INFIGHTING
BEN CHAVJS' OUSTER FROM NAACP WAS HIGH-TECH LYNCHING
'* Opinion j
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75 CENTS
THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1994
/\mi< / < <>//( < </< \ nothing without a struggle* ? Frederick Douglass
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VOL. XX, No. 52
A Watt opposes measure; Clayton,
Parmon support President
Clinton 's package
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Executive Editor ?
? ; 5 ? Representative Mel Way said his decision
Jto vote against President Clinton's anti-crime
bill was "based solely on consciepce."
The bill passed, however, and has
advanced to the Senate, where Democrats
must find the sapie kind of help from moder- ,
ate Republicans that rescued the S30.2 billion
compromise in the House.;
The bill cleared the House 235-195 in a
rare Sunday session, after key Democrats and
moderate Republicans bargained until dawn ,
and 3 a.m. the two previous nights.
"My decision to vote against the crime
bill was made only after careful consideration
and .prayerful deliberation," said Watt, D-N.C.
"It had nothing to do with political considera- -
tions. While 1 think passage of the crime bill
was good politics, much, of it represented bad
piiblic policy."
Watt's chief concern with the crime bill is
it does not include the Racial Justice Act, a
provision that members of the Congressional
Black Caucus want included. The Racial Jus
tice Act allows defendants to challenge the
see BLACKS page 8
/ ... i- - ? ? - ? ? ?
Mel Watt voted against crime bill
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Executive Editor
a two-year hiatus.
A fund-raising gala held Sat
urday evening at the sprawling
estate of Dr. Charlie L. and Willie
Kennedy to benefit the United
Negro College Fund raised more
than $40,000.
About 300 people attended
the formal affair, which featured a
special guest appearance by for
mer Pittsburgh Pirates.great Willie
Stargell, a member of the Major
League Baseball Hall of Fame.
Charlie Kennedy, who is
chairman of the Win? ton-Salein
division of the -'Lou RawJs Parade
of Stars" telethon and is a local
pediatrician, opened his home for
three hours Saturday for what
UNCF organizers hope will
become an annual affair following
V/-.V; r
Said Marilyn Richards, the
area development director for the
stpte UNCF: "The event was a
success due to the generosity of
Dr. and Mrs. Kennedy, the atten
dees, the sponsors and committee.
"We are very grateful to the
Kennedys for opening their home
for this fund-raiser to benefit
higher education." she said. "We
will use these funds to help the
North Carolina membeif colleges
The last benefit, in IWI. was
?also held at the Kennedys' lu\ ti
oils home in Northwest Winston
Salem and raised over $32,000.
Richards said.
The Kennedys, who since
1987 have donated between
$l,(KX)^ind $2,000 at fund raisers,
again were the top donors with a
see ALDERMKN page 3
Dr. Charlie L. Kennedy greets Hall of Fame baseball player Willie
Stargell at Saturday's UNCF benefit gala at Kennedy's estate .
SO. 1 9 94
WW T* BOER OF tOutcd Hcyi* &<utcyc f'j^OQQ
-d:cahj:: JfiQMuud " 0(j^
S/to . DOLLARS
if. 'Kennedy, *791. *D.
mm**
Photo by Harden A Richards
Marilyn Richards , area development director for North Carolina's UNCF, and Dr. Charlie L Kennedy , chairman of the Wiftston- Salem divi
sion of the "Lou Rawls Parade of Stars " telethon , hold check for $40,000 that was raised Saturday night at a UNCF benefit gala in city.
Local NAACP
Backs Chavis?
A State president Alexander
voted for Chavis ' ouster
By RICHARD L. WILLIAMS
Chronicle Executive Editor
The president of the Winston
Salem branch of the NAACP says
the local affiliate firmly stands
behind ousted national executive
director Benjamin F. Chavis.
Bill Tatum, the local president,
also said members of the national
board was already "loaded and
armed" and^ready to fight for
Chavis' ouster. Chavis, 46, was
fired Saturday for conduct that the
board of directors said was hostile
to the survival of, the National
Association for the Advancement of
Colored People.
While Chavis' dismissal was
triggered by his decision to settle a
former employee's sex discrimina
tion claims, board Chairman
William Gibson said Chavis was
removed because of "an accumula
tiun of things" that occurred during
his 16- month tenure.
Chavis had pledged up to $332,400
of the NAACP's money to head off
a sex discrimination suit by a for
mer employee without telling the
board of directors.
But Tatum said the nation's
oldest civil rights organization felt '
pressure from Jewish groups and
f v
major businesses, who had threat
_ ened to withhold funds unlesi the
board fired Chavis.
"Pressure was put on them by
major businesses and the Jewish
groups to get rid of Dr. Chavis," -
Tatum said. "Our standing is we
support Dr. Chavis (and) we feel
that a number of accomplishments
have been done by him."
Tatum said the board should
have talked with Chavis to get the
complaint resolved and once that
was done, deal with Chavis.
> "Termination of Dr. Chavis
was one of the mistakes the board
made," he said. "Board members
(went into the meeting) already
loaded and armed and speaking out
against him.
"There was some vendetta
from those who didn't want him,"
Tatum said.
J. Tatum said some local
branches have said they would
withhold funds from the national
office because of the firing. The
Winston-Salem branch distributes
funds to the state branch, which
then forward them to the national
office.
Meanwhile, the president of the
see LOCAL page 10
Order of Disbarment
Filed Against Lawyer
? By VERONICA CLEMONS ? ~7
Chronicle Staff Wnter >
The North Carolina state bar
filed in July a disbarment order
against Winston-Salem lawyer Stan
ley Mitchell after an investigation
revealed that he had mishandled
funds of several clients since 1991,
court documents show.
The bar's disciplinary commii
tee is &ow considering a motion,
filed Aug. 9, by Mitchell for a nev
hearing. Because the order has not
been signed or served, Mitchell con
see ORDER page 9
Review Board Gould
Soon Have Guidelines
By DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer
Andrea Nivcns, who was denied a hear
ing by the Citizens Police Review Board fol
lowing a run in with the law, said the board is
in place just to make citizens feel they have a
voice.
Nivens, who lives off Bethabara Road,
said the police review board refused to hear
her claims in April that a city police officer
used excessive force when he arrested her last
year.
"They didn't give me a chance to say any
thing," Nivens said. "I don't think it's neces
sary to have it if they want hear our com
plaints. It's a waste of time."
Nivens, 32, was given two years proba
tion and ordered to stay away from East Win
ston Shopping Center last week by a Forsyth
County jury. She was arrested last November
for selling incense in the parking lot and
claimed that Winston-Salem Police Officer
C.A. Woodall used excessive force and
sprayed her with pepper spray.
see REVIEW page 10
Business 24
Classifieds.... 28
Community News... 4
Opinion 12
Entertainment 25
Obituaries 27
Religion .28
Sports 17
Thin Week In Black History
Altgunt 27, 191 8
Dr. Joneph L Johnnon
I pnmeH minuter to
?Z
?o
Businesses Supportive of
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Upgrades to Liberty St.
By DAVID L. DILLARD
Chronicle Staff Writer .
Jerry Gilmore gets nostalgic .when he
remembers the way Liberty Street once
looked. Gilmore, 48, president of Gilmore's
Funeral Home, which has been on Liberty
Street since 1962, remembers proud flHtck
businessmen along "The Strip" and he along
with many others, long for their return.
"I grew up remembering Safe Bus Com
pany - and some of the images we saw on The '
Cosby Show were real," Gilmore said. "1
remember as a child, any service that you
needed in the community, it was provided in
the community. This is the greatest opportu
nity for black entrepreneurs in the city."
Gilmore i* referring to the upcoming
plans by the city-county planning board to
beautify the Liberty Street corridor that runs
from Eighth Street to the Smith-Reynolds Air
port. The plans include landscaping and
remodeling existing businesses, as well as
designing an African-American business dis
trict.
see BUSINESSES page 6
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