Black Press Honors Farrakhan A NNPA Names Him Newsmaker of the Year Bv WILLIAM RF.ED t NNPA Director if Communications Washington, D.C. - Defiantly saying, "They can't tell us who to honor," National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President Dorothy Leavell presented an award to Nation of Islam (NOI) Minister Douts-Parrakhan maming hrnrthe~B lack^ Press of America's "1995 Newsmaker of the Year." In a program at the National Press Club celebrating 169 years of the u Black Press's existence in America, Mrs. Leavell went against establishment pressure on her Black publishers' group and boldly said the award was presented because Far rakhan was "without question the person who had the most influence in the affairs of African Americans in 1995." She stated that during the NNPA's recent winter con ference its Board of Directors ''agreed thaT Minister Farrakhan's concept and realiza tion of the Million Man March was without doubt, the outstanding event among Black Americans during 1995," and should have been honored when the NNPA convened to celebrate the founding of Freedom's Jour nal, the nation's First Black newspaper. Farrakhan, who has been under intense coercion from the U.S. government and media as a result of his recent 23-African c o u n try~" Wo rl d~ F r i enciship Tour,'' praised Please see BLACK page 8 \ . V V Black Press President Dorothy Lea veil Presents Minister / .on is Par rakhan the National Newspaper Publishers Association \ 7995 "Newsmaker of the Year" Award. Winston-Salem Chronicle & The Choice for African-American News and Information THURSDAY, MARCH 21,1996 Dedicated to the Memory of Clarence E. Nottingham: 1903-1995 *y\ 1 -U mBL <.? ,jV f / ^ fi *v - ^vfx ? .C^ Bessie Allen Vivian Burke Miriam McCarter Denise Scott-Johnson Watt Criticizes Cuts, Outlines Critical Areas Four Nominated for N.C. Woman of the Year Award By MAURICE CROCKER Chronicle Staff Writer _ ? Four African American women from Win ston-Salem were honored as nominees for the Distinguished Women of North Carolina Awards. The banquet was held on Tuesday at the Raleigh Marriott Crabtree Valley. Bessie Allen, Vivian H. Burke, Miriam McCarter, and Denise Scott-Johnson were among more than 100 women nominated for the award. The awards recognize North Carolina women who have obtained outstanding levels of personal achievement in the arts, business profession, edu cation, government and voluiUeerism. A new category was added this year to rec ognize women who have made contributions in the area of physical fitness/recreation. Denise Scott-Johnson, assistant director with the Winston-*Salem Recreation Department was nominated in the physical/recreation category. Please see FOUR page II From Chronicle Staff Reports U.S. Rep. Melvin Watt, D-N.C.,.has criticized an Appropriations Bill that would provide funding through Sept. 30 for departments and agencies whose annual budgets.have not yet been approved. "The eleventh funding bill proposed by the Republicans this fiscal year is even more irrespon sible that the last," Watt said. "The bill's deep cuts to education, housing, job-training and environ ment programs, which mirror those rejected last year, could have a devastating impact on the 12th District. Unfortunately, this bill fails to make the critical investments that are needed to help improve America's standard of living." The U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill by a vote of 209-206. The current continuing resolution expired last week. The Senate consid ered the House Bill this week. Presiden^Clinton has indicated that he would veto the birfnit passes the Senate in its current form. Watt highlighted the following budget cuts which he says will adversely affect public schools, cities workers, and environmental protections: * Cuts education programs by S3.3 billion * Cuts Title I funding to local school districts in North Carolina by 17 percent, denying help with basic math and reading skills to 100.000 poor chil dren in the state and forcing the layoff of 40.(MM) teachers nationwide. *Cuts Safe and Drug Free Schools funding b> $26frmillion, denying S2.3 milium in funds to NorthTrarohna. ?Slashes the Pell Grant program by S75b mil lion. denying 7.100 students m North Carolina the financial resources needed to further their educa tion. Terminates the Perkins Loan Program, deny ing educational opportunities to 2(H ).()<><) students ?Slashes Vocational and Adult education fund ing for non-college bound North Carolinians by $4*Q million. ?Terminates the State Student lucent ice Please see W'A TTS page S Conference Highlights Neighborhood Blight By MAURICE CROCKER and JOHN HINTON Chronicle Staff Writers. Representatives from historically black col leges and universities gathered in Winston Salem last week to discuss efforts to "Revitalize economically distressed neighborhood near their institutions. The conference was hosted by Winston Salem State University, the East Winston Com munity Development Corp., and the Structured Employment Economic Development Corp. (Seedco), a New York-based non-profit organi zation that provides funding and technical ass;s tance for community partnerships promoting neighborhood revitalization. "Historically black colleges and universities have a rich heritage in providing service the community," said Ernie Osborne, Seedco's exec utive vice president. HBCUs have resources to use for community development, he added. The participants attended four days of panel discussions about partnerships between black colleges and Community Development Corpora tions. Seedco is working with WSSU, Johnson C. omith University in Charlotte, and Bennett College in Greensboro, said Thomas V. Seessel, president of Seedco. Nationwide, 35 HBCUs Please see CONFERENCE page 11 (L TO R) James R. Grace Jr. Executive Director East Winston Community Development ( Drp. \ ivian I.. Turner, RJR Tobacco Co, Hugh B. Price, President and CEO \ational l rban I.eague. Im.Hind Ernie Osborne Executive Vice President SEEDCO. *'<1 # ? ? ?A?iw, .?J-* hi ? Tyrone Home kneels next to the well which was contaminated. His fam ily lost its water and electricity due to burst pipes a condemned well. Family Has Water Blues A Landlord supplied water, new well By JOHN HINTON Chronicle Senior Staff Writer The Home family of Winston-Salem has lived the proverb, "Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink." The ice storm in early February caused pipes to burst and a contaminated well left the home of Tyrone and Mildred Home without running water for several days. "We had no water or electricity." said Tyrone Home, 41. a hotel employee. The couple lives in the house on Miller Road just outside the northern boundary of the city with their two children. Amber. 11 and Tyrone Jr., 9 The water pipes are located in a utility room in the rear of the three-bedroom home. Cold tempera Plcase see F AMI I.) page f> CLASSIFIEDS 28 i OPINION 12 1 ENTERTAINMENT 24 OBITUARIES 27 SPORTS 17 , This Week in Rlack Hi\hui1 in \ n cm , Islands and If became the first hl.K k 0 I federal Uldcc u ? - ? ? i s FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS CALL (910) 722-8624