Winston-Salem Greensboro High Point Vol. xxiv no.49
Thf Chronicle
EAST WINSTON i,iBRA 77i^ Choice for African American News and Information e-mail address: wschronOnetunlimited.net
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After 10 years, Pollard calls it quits ]
By m YOUNG
Over the past month, popular Wake Forest Um
?nity religion professor Ahon Pollard has slowS I
but surely cleaned off the bookshelves that hoed hst
office in Wingate HalL
Gone are the history books that detailed the
Mack experience in America. Gone are tomes on
religion that he used to teaeh hundreds of Wake
Forest students the powar of an open mind and refi
gion.
"AH I've ever wanted to do in my dasses is make
the case that in all of our differences we are all very
much alike," Pollard said. "When you begin to see
that the Quaker, the Unitarian and Marfan are
doing something that you can resonate with, then
you can make the connection that the Mack and the
white, the Asian, the male and female also can con
nect. You don't have to put a label oa that. You real
ize we're all part of the same human family. Some
times we have to prod each other to go out and
make that kind of discovery."
After 10 years in Winston-Salem. FtoOard is caB
ing it quits. This week he heads to Atlanta's Emory
University where he will be Director of Bt^k
Church Studies, HcH be joined later by his wife, Jes
sica and children Brooks, 17 and Osha. 10.
And while he's happy about the promotion. Pol
lard says he regrets he "has to leave." He met sever
si time* with university and divinity actaool official* J
several times but says nothing could be worked out
"I didn't make the decision to go unul wdl ai
the semester was over," Pollard said. -The* dungs M
happen and these opportunities Gome along. This is ,
the fust tine in five or six years that I have taken an
opportunity seriously.'' ?
*ln Alton's case 1 don't think (salaiv) was the
overwhelming factor," said religion department
chair Chad* Kimball "He shnpiy had a wonderful
opportunity at Emory. We certainly talked about
salary and future opportunities"
Kimball says at this point the university is not
sure who will replace Pbttard, the department Is only
ieMh^adf
5,000 sign
; ? ?? '
to save New
Evergreen
Petition organizers plan
rally to save cemetery
By KEVIN WALKER
Ff THE CHKONK1E
t . ? ?? - t ? , *
v Flanked by elected officials, concerned citizens
fmd hundreds of beautifully carved headstones, the
fev. Jinunie Lee Bonham announced Tuesday plans
for a New Evergreen Cemetery awareness rally.
This rally, is a community rally in support of
expansion of (the) cemetery," Bonham said at a press
conference held at the
cemetery. we tne con
cerned citizens of this
community would like to
see the cemetery expand
ed, and we would like to
see the Mayor (Jack
Cavanagh) be a mayor to
all citizens,"
The rally will be held
August 15 from 1 to 2:30
p.m. at Mr. C's Ice Cream
Shop, located directly
across from the cemetery.
Besides refreshments and
balloons, the event will
offer members of the com
munity a chance to sign a
petition in support of the cemetery's expansion.
i The Minister's Conference of Winston-Salem, the
Black Leadership Roundtable and the NAACP are
sponsoring the event and leading a drive to have the
city's Board of Aldermen revisit the expansion issue.
In May, the board tied 4-4 on a proposal to expand
the cemetery by about 700 grave sites. The vacationing
Mayor Jack Cavanagh was not present to break the
tie. Without a majority of votes the proposal failed;
and without an expansion the cemetery will reach
maximum capacity by 2001.
* Many board members who rejected the expansion,
did so even after the city's property maintenance staff
presented projections showing that an expanded New
Evergreen could operate in the black for the first time
in many years.
In order for the proposal to be brought back
before the board, a majority of the board members
must agree to a revote.
With that purpose in mind, the Roundtable began
the petition in early June, placing them in designated
locations around the city.
To date, the group has acquired over 5000 signa
tures, according to N.C. State Rep. and Roundtable
Co-convener Larry Womble, who attended the press
conference.
Although New Evergreen is a cemetery that holds
the distinction of being the city's first publicly-owned
See RaHy on A4
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Black spending increasing
By DAN SB WELL
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA - The spending power of black
consumers is growing faster than the national
average with gains in all SO states, according to a
survey released last week.
The study found black consumers will account
for 8.2 percent of total buying power next year,
compared with 7.4 percent in 1990. It defines buy
ing power as after-tax personal income.
Blacks in North Carolina ranked 8th in overall
spending power and are projected to spend $24.1
billion in 1999. The state also came in 8th in mar
ket share. Black spenders will account for almost
15 percent of spending next year. ,
"It illustrates the growing importance of
Africaim Americans as consumers," said Jeffrey
M. Humphreys, a University of Georgia econom
ic forecaster who wrote the study for the school's
Selig Center for Economic Growth. "That's
important to those who market and those who pay
for advertising." ,
Every year since 1990, the percentage gain in
black buying power has been greater than the
growth rate for consumers overall, Humphreys
said.
The black population is growing faster than
the U.S. population overall - 14 percent for blacks
this decade compared with the nation's 9 percent,
according to estimates based on Census figures.
Humphreys said black buying power will rise
from $308 billidn in 1990 to $533 billion in 1999,
up 73 percent in less than a decade, compared with
a national increase of nearly 57 percent.
Using government statistics and economic
See Spendhig on A4
Employees file
discrimination ;
suit with EEOC
Five blacks allege
firings related to age
By KEVIN WALKER
Rw THF fUlmWf B
After efforts to settle the matter out of court
proved futile, five Winston-Salem residents filed suit
against a local corporation last week charging age dis
crimination,
The suit, filed July 28 in U.S. District Court in
Greensboro, alleges that Experiment in Self-Reliance,
Inf., a local non-profit organization, terminated the
employment of the plaintiffs even though they per
formed their job duties in an "outstanding fashion."
The plaintiffs are Mae Davis Green, Willie Mae
Kirby, Catherine Gainey, Mary Carter and Lester B.
Speas Jr. They are all African Americans over the age
of 50 with seniority ranging from four years to 31
years at ESR.
According to the complaint, the plaintiffs are
seeking reinstatement to the positions they formerly
< held, back pay, benefits and damages from the defen
dant for its "reckless disregard of plaintiffs' rights to
be free from age discrimination."
On September 11, 1997, according to the compli
ant, the plaintiffs were notified their employment
would be terminated at the agency in order to comply
with a "strategic plan" that the organization was
implementing.
Two weeks later the plaintiffs were relieved of their
duties at ESR.
The plaintiffs contend that at least a portion of the
organization's "strategic plan" included getting rid of
older employees and replacing them with younger
workers.
"That study is the genesis of this suit," Romallus
O. Murphy, the plaintiffs' attorney, said Monday
about the strategic plan. "It is our position that the
report targeted individuals because of age. It assumed
that they were old and burned out and unable to be
retrained."
With funding from grants and agencies like the
United Way, Experiment in Self-Reliance, Inc. helps -
the working ppor become self-sufficient.
Besides operating an emergency shelter, ESR
assists needy, working individuals with rent payments
and school tuition.
Murphy says because of the nature of the work
the organization does, it assists a number of older
individuals, which makes the charges against ESR, he
says,*even more appalling.
"It's really an affront to their purpose; this agency
, is turning out their older people when they should be
sensitive to the plight of older people."
Willie Mae Kirby worked at ESR for over 30
years, most recently as a case manager. The 67-year
Srt KM on A4
A step further: Teen changed by program
By DAMON FORD
THE CHRONICLE
GREENSBORO - Franklin Lamont Young Jr.
enjoys many of the things that typical teenagers do.
Images of being the next Michael Jordan dance
through his head while shooting jumpers on asphalt
basketball courts in Greensboro.
He cruises around the neighborhood on his bike
since he doesn't have his drivers license yet.
He describes himself as "caring."
"I think I'm an alright person," he said. "I think
I'm kind to a lot of people."
But the quiet young man with neat haircut and
baggy khaki pants, has worked his way through prob
lems.
He once skipped 10 days straight from school. He
made zeros on tests. And he's the first to admit he
never saw a fight that he didn't like at Dudley High
School.
"I Always had an anger problem," the 16-year old
said. "Fighting and skipping were my biggest prob
lema"
He also had trouble with the law.
At 14, he Was charged with assault
and faced a criminal record. Instead
of jail, he chose to attend a program
to help him better manage his anger.
He says it was the best decision he
ever made, although he didn't want
to do it at first.
"I had one assault that's on my
record," Young said. "It was a court
order to do 10 weeks of this.
"I didn't think it was going to be
as fun as it was I'm glad I came."
Young enrolled in One Step Fur
ther, which targets at-risk youth
between the ages of nine and 16. The
program's curriculum focuses on self-'
development, peer counseling skills,
conflict issues employment planning
See On* on A4
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