The Choice for African-American News and Informatic THURSDAY, AUGUST 10, 1995 ? I " "-.'.Ul 1 ' I J. ^ i I < o/n ctlc\ nothing n itJicar > Garland Thompson leads the march to Beneath the Elms to unveil the bust of Larry Leon Hamlin celebrities Bill Cobbs andRae'ven Kelly joined in the festivities. Larry Leon HamUn was preunud bust at National Black Thamtn Fntival last wttktnd. Tribute to Hamlin Unveiled at Festival By VERONICA CLEMONS Chronicle Staff Writer In a classic ending to a classic event, a memorial to honor the man that made it all possible, Larry Leon Hamlin, was unveiled at Beneath the Elms on Saturday at midnight "I was overwhelmed!" Hamlin said "and flattered that at my young age a bust of me would be done. Ifryalty busts of people are made after they are aeai." After a blessing for the 1995 National Black Theatre Festival was offered by a Niger ian priest, Hamlin, celebrities and other Festi val participants led a march that started at the Adams Mark Hotel to the site of the unveiling. "It's about time we as black people start believing in ourselves," said sculptor Donald Brown. "Let's follow the example of Larry. Let's not jusf be dreamers. Let's be doers." HanAfn said the bust showed how talented Brown is as a sculptor. "I was intrigued by his talent," he said. "The likeness so for real." It took Brown, who is from England, less than 45 hours to create the clay bust of Hamlin that will be bronzed and placed appropriately somewhere in the city. Normally, he said a pro I fir ject such as this would take about 4 weeks. Having never seen Hamlin before coming to the city from England, Brown snapped some photographs of Mr. "Marvtastic" and from those he created a work that captures the very essence of the man who had the vision and the see TRIBUTE page 10 Brown Excels With Gifted Hands By VERONICA CLEMONS ChnmickSuBWttor His teachers nicknamed him the "Renaissance Man** because they could see the depths of his artistic talent event as a young student That prestigious nickname stuck with Donald Brown and through his work he see BROWN page 10 Governor Hunt to Reissue Order for State Contracts A Agencies have 4 percent goal for contracts By JOHN HINTON Chronicle Senior Staff Writer Gov.Jim Hunt, D-N.C., plans to reissue an executive order that sets a four percent goal for the use of minorities, women, and persons with dis abilities for state purchases of goods and services, said Katie G. Dorsett, the secretary for the N.f.. Department of Administration. Dorsett, the first African American woman to hold a state cabinet post in North Carolina, made the announcement during her speech on affirmative action to the N.C. Triad Chapter of the National Forum for Black Public Administrators at the Dud ley Cosmetology University in Kernersville last Friday. More than 30 local government officials from Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and High Point attended the meeting. The N.C. Division of Purchase and Contract has surpassed the four percent each year since 1989, Dorsett jgaicL In fiscal year. 1993-94r -state government awarded over five percent of its con tracts to firms owned by minorities, women and persons with disabilities. The contracts totaled more than $97 million. The state construction office also awarded 10.75 percent of its contracts to minority and female-owned companies as they received $845 Katie Dorsett, the secretary of N?. Daft, of Adminis tration , spoke about the governors plans iast weak. million between 1 990 arid 1994.. "These were not handouts or quotas," Dorsett said. "These companies had to compete and offer the lowest most responsible and responsive bid, just like everyone one else." Dorsett referred to the disparity study of Stale's see GOVERNOR page 10 Theater Patriarch Meets with Young Admirers During Festival By JOHN HINTON Chronicle Senior Staff Writer Robert Earl Jones, a stage, film, and televi sion actor, ate lunch with a group of young admirers last week at a local restaurant during the National Black Theatre Festival. "It is important that our people learn about the theatre," said Jones, the 85 -year-old father of James Earl Jones. "1 really enjoy meeting with these young people." Jones met with a group of children and their parents from the Montessori Christian Day School in Greensboro. Norma Noble, the owner of the school, and her assistant, Adele Holland joined Rhonda Echols, Christine Bizzell, Robin Simmons- Blount at the luncheon. v The tall, gray haired patriarch of black the ater talked to the children and adults as they devoured plates of chicken and salad. "The children are still Talking about that, day," Noble said. Prior to the luncheon, the chil dren attended the play, "A Sense of Pride" at the K.R. Williams Auditorium at Winston-Salem State University. "They really had a good time with that," Noble said. Jones, who lives in New York City, is proba bly best known for his portrayal of the character, Luther Coleman, in the moving the 1974 movie, "The Sting." He plans to organize a theater, which is being built in Manhattan by a small foundation. A traveling group of actors and actresses will perform at the theater, Jones said as he walked returned to his hotel after the luncheon with the children. "Black theater is important because it reflects the struggle of African Americans," he said. "It has not been the leading spokesman for our race. That has been the black church. Now they are equal partners." Jones, who was born in Coldwater, Miss., in 1910, landed the 1936 title roles in the theater productions "Othello" and "The Emperor Jones." He appeared in "Of Mice and Men," "Don't You Want to Be Free?," "Herod and Marianne" in 1938, "Walk Hard" in 1944," apd "Strange Fruit" and "Blossom in The Hasty Heart"i n 1945. Jones, who received the 1993 Living Leg ends Award from the festival, also performed kl "The Eagle Has Two Heads" in 1947, "Caesar and Cleopatra" in 1949, "Fancy Meeting Yom Again" Tn 1952, "Winkeiberg" in 1958, "The Moon Besieged" in 1962v "Moon on a Rainbow -Shawl" in 1962, "The Displaced Person" in 1967, "The Iceman Cometh" in 1974, "All Ood's Chillun Got Wings" in 1975, and Unexpected Guests in 1977. Jones, who was named to the Black Film makers Hall of Fame in 1975, performed in films such as "Lying Lips" in 1939, The Notorioiia Elinor Lee" in 1940, "Odds Against Tomorrow" in 1959, "Wild River" in 1960, "One Potato Two Potato" in 1964, "Terror in the City" in 1966, "Mississippi Summer" in 1971, and "Willie Dynamite" in 1974. He has been the director of the Accent oa Haiti Cric-Crac Workshop in Brooklyn and Ml instructor at Wesleyan University and the City University of New York. This Week in Black History August 11, 1965 Six day isurrection started in Watts section of Los Angeles. National Guard was mobilized on August 13. Rebellion toll: 34 killed 1,032 injured 3,952 anested $35 million in Head Start Providers Need Positive Attitude By JOHN HINTON Chronicle Senior Staff Writer Developing a positive attitude will enable Head Start teachers and adminis trators to improve their relationships with children, parents, and colleagues. Dr. Pamela T. Evans Felder delivered this message last week at the First Head Start Pre-Service Training Retreat held at Dudley Cosmetology University in Kem ersville. More than 50 people attended the three-day session entitled "Making a Dif ference in the Work Place." Felder conducted a workshop, "I've Got to Change My Attitude," and played songs by Patti LaBelle and Michael Jack son to motivate the participants. "Your attitude determines the direc tion in which you life goes." said Felder, the director of the Medical Center Child Care at N.C. Baptist Hospital. "When you decide to take control in life, you decide whether or not you will be successful. You decide whether people make you angry." Research has showed that teachers' attitudes directly impacts on children, Felder said. Head Start providers mtist avoid being provoked by their children, parents or colleagues, sh? added. "In oi*e minute, I can change my atti tude, and in that minute I can change my entire day and so can you." The attitudes of support staff at a Head Start program affects the morale of teachers, Felder said. "When you catch people doing some thing good, you should praise them," she added. "We all want praise. All of us like to be around people who makes us feel good." Research at Harvard University revealed thai positive attitudes accounted see HEAD START page 10 * FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION PLEASE CALL 722-8624 ?