Blacks Map Strategy To Save White Community Worker
By Fete Johnson
Special To The Post
Black leaders in the North
west Community Action
Association INWCA^) are
meeting this week to- discuss
strategy they hope will help
them keep the services of a
white community develop
ment specialist faced with
removal from their commun
ities
Dave Blevins, community
specialist with the Community
Action Fund (CAF) has been
pulled from the powerful
coalition of community groups
ana given another community
assignment.
“The NCWCAA was gaining
strength and becoming suc
cessful in representing the in
terest of people who had not
been represented, Blevins
said. He thinks he was
removed from the area be
cause “some persons in power
in the city thought the NWCAA
should be stopped.” The popu
lar community.worker said
those opposing the NWCAA’s
effort “couldn’t stop the resi
dents so they worked to with
draw staff support by re
moving me," Blevins said.
“He’s been active and help
ful in the northwest area,
Tryon Hills Community
Organization president Willie
Lewis said, adding that the
removal of Blevins from the
NWCAA was so quick that his
community groups and others
want it investigated. “As it
now stands, it's wide open,"
he said.
Samuel H. Kornegay, exe
cutive director of the Char;
lotte Area Fund, refused to
discuss his reasons for the
Blevins transfer other than to
suggest that his earlier public
statement indicating the move
was part of staff reorganiza
tion.
Kornegay also refused to
say when the appeal hearing
would be held for Blevins. .
One third of the Charlotte
Area Fund is composed of the
1 downtown political power
structure or their representa
tives.
The reorganization, refer
red to earlier by Kornegay has
been an unpopular move
throughout the CAF. Accord
ing to Post sources, at least
seven staffers have complain
ed about the changes and
some-of them have formally
filed complaint charges.
CAF officials also have con
tended that Blevins change of
assignment was necessary
because he was needed in an
area from which years earlier
they transferred him. There
are fewer persons to be served
in the eastside area assign
ment given Blevins and ratio
of need is less.
Potentially, about 8.000
needy residents are housed in
the east side area to which
Blevins has been reassigned
whereas over 45,000 now are
reaping the benefits of his
community organizing.
The 12-group Northwest
Community Action Associa
tion, has grown over the past
two and half years with
Blevins support from six to a
dozen. It has been a vital and
vocal part of the Charlotte
community.
Members of the NWCAA are
quick to point to Blevins, a
white community organizer,
for pulling the leadership to
gether for the actions of the
group.
Blevins, who is 33-years-old,
is a graduate of Columbia
University in New York, with
a master’s degree in social
work He grew up in Kich
mond, Ind. but he has lived in
Charlotte for the past nine
years He joined the area
funds in February 1968
The current controversy
surrounding him is nothing
new for Blevin When he was
first assigned to organized the
east side community in 1971,
he was instrumental in help
ing local parents of elemen
tary school children win a
school bus for children who
had to cross five dangerous
streets. It was not long after
that he was sent to the west
See Blacks on page 3
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JAN 1C 197* ‘ Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly” call 392.13m;_
Theresa Plummer
Is Beauty Of Week
by Polly Manning
Post Staff Writer
Our Beauty for this week is
Miss Teresa Plummer Teresa
lives with her grandparents
Mr. and Mrs. Johnnie Guthrie
of 128 Lakewood Avenue.
She attends Wilson Junior
-Jligh School where she is a
member of the Student Coun
cil, an Office Assistant and a
member of the Track Team.
The Student Council is try
ing to sponsor many different
functions this year. For Than
ksgiving they made a gigantic
turkey which was placed in
the office foyer. Each class
was asked to bring can goods
to fill up the turkey. The
contents where then given to a
needy family. For Christmas
the Student Council sponsored
_ a dance which was called San
W ta’s Workshop. The admission
to the dance was a 50 cent, or
more toys to be donated to
Toys for Tots. “Mr McElrath
served as Santa^ Claus." ex
plained Teresa. “I think
he was very effective. The
students dressed up as little
girls and boys and took turns
sitting on Santa's knee."
As an office assistant Ter
esa’s duties include passing
out attendance sheets, helping
out Ihe office secretary, Mrs.
Flyer, and basic office duties
The favorite subject of Miss
Plummer is Health. “1 enjoy
learning about keeping in
, shape and the different other
things involving health clas
ses,” stated our beauty. Her
favorite teacher is Mr. Mitch
em who teaches occupational
education. “He is a very nice
man and teacher,” smiled
Teresa. “He understands pro
blems and tries to give help to
anyone , if he can.”
Our Beauty’s hobbies are
baseball, basketball, football,
tennis, and track. Teresa sta
tes that she enjoys all these
sports because they are good
ways to excercise and help
keep the body in shape.
Born under the sign of Virgo
our ninth grade Beauty feels
that people of this sign are
friendly, like to get along with
other people and they love to
look in the mirror.
nr*i_r. .*_ _« • * • « _
• iuiuic aiiiuuiuil Ul 1 Cl - '
esa is to become a secretary.
When asked why she chose
this profession she stated that
it was because she enjoyed
working in offices.
Richard Roundtree is Miss
Plummer’s favorite actor. "1
like him because he’s nice
looking and he treats a woman
like a man should." she
beamed.
The person that Teresa most
admires is Billy Dee Williams
and she states that it's be
cause he is nice looking.
Teresa feels that being
chosen as Beauty is an impor
tant point in her life.
Deadline Set
For Tax
Listing
The Mecklenburg County
Tax Supervisor’s Office has
begun its annual City;County
personal property tax listing.
A listing of all motor vehi
cles, boats and household
furnishings must be filed with
the Mecklenburg County Tax
Supervisor by January 31, or a
penalty must be charged.
Unless you are a new resi
dent of Mecklenburg, you 7
should receive your tax listing
form by January 10. Approx- |
imately 137,000 forms have 7
been mailed. Newcomers and !
those who have not received
their forms by January 10
should request them from the
Tax Supervisor’s Office at 720
Kast Fourth Street.
Tax Supervisor Robert P.
Alexander says that tax list
takers are in the town clerk
offices in Matthews, Pinevill"
Cornelius, Huntersville and
Davidson and are available to
help those who need assstance
with their listine
Alexander reminded elderly
persons that they must make
an annual application for their
partial exemption. Applica- 1S
tions for this exemption have ^
been mailed with the tax list dt
ing form. Property tax relie r
for the elderly includes real
property and mobile homes. t0
' Property owners who have 0f
farmland, horticultural land r
or forest land must also apply Sp
annually for preferential
assessments. cc
AH real and personal pro- si.
perty assessments will be at W
100 per cent of the appraised at
value of the property.
Tax Supervisor Alexander Ji
added this final word of st
advice: because of construe- al
tion that is presently under- m
way on a new parking facility er
at the County Office Building, fo
, taxpayers are urged to make fr
their tax listings by mail
rather than coming to the th
County Office Building. pi
Kobert Williams, Ben Chavis
To Head Fund-Raising Rally
By Sidney Moore Jr.
Post Staff Writer
"Focus On Human Dignity”
is the theme of a Mass Meet
ing scheduled for 4 p.m. Sun
day at West Charlotte Senior
High School Auditorium. The
purpose of the meeting will be
to raise funds for the defense
of long time political fugitive
Robert Williams, who will
speak at the meeting.
The Rev. Ben Chavis, a
co-defendent in a controver
sial civil rights court case in
Wilmington, will also appear
at the meeting.
Williams goes to court
January 19 to face charges
stemming from a 14-year-old
alledged kidnapping. This
meeting is an attempt to gen
erate public support for the
former civil rights leader
from Monroe
According to one account of
the Williams story, the former
president of the Monroe
branch of the NAACP was the
object of police and Ku Klux
Klan harassment for his
leadership in campaigns to
desegregate Monroe. When
the Black community came
under armed attack by racist
night-riders, Williams advo
cated self-defense. In the late
1950's when these incidents
occurred, the non-violent
movement had just begun and
any advocacy of self-defense
was interpreted by authorities
as a call for violence.
Williams was charged with
kidnapping when he sheltered
9 white couple trapped in the
community during a racial
• incident. He reacted to the
' charge by fleaing the country.
During an exile that took him
to several communist count
ries, Williams.wrote articles
and made public speeches that
indicated that he felt he would
be killed had he not fled
6,UUU JJelegates To Attend
Black Candidate To Toss Hat In
Coming Presidential Race?
Congresswoman Chisholm
An Outstanding Choice
L. s. Congresswoman Shir
ley Chisholm waged a dis
jointed fight lor the Demo
cratic nomination for presi
dent years ago in her effort to
become the first black presi
dcntial nominee. When over
6,000 black delegates to 'he
Black Political Convention
meet March 17-21. in Gary.
Indiana, they plan to nominate
an independent black candi
date for the nation's highest
political office.
In preparation for what
could be a history making
convention, state and local
chapters of the National Black
Political Assembly have sche
duled conventions for dele
gates to the meeting More
than 6,000 are expected to
attend
However, as convention
planners prepare . for th»
national gathering they are
expressing concern that their
local chapters in the south are •
not as active as others nation
wide and that a concentrated
effort will be needed to im
prove that.
i ne m,h macK political
Convention and the i<j7ti stra
tegy will serve as a major
vehicle to popularize the new
black politics among the
masses of black people." con
vention chairperson Hon
Daniels said
Daniels said the assembly
hopes to give blacks an alter
native to the Democratic and
Kepublican parties
"The Kepublican and
Democratic parties reflect
and represent the interest of
the rich and the super rich
under the present vicious sys
tern of institutional racism
and monopoly capitalism - A
new society based on the prin
cipales and realization of
economic Democracy must lie
borne. Daniels said He said
black people must lake (he
leadership to build the new
political movement
^ w*m v. ■ ft
•Shirley Chisholm
••'avopcd Candidate
l s Hep }!■>' i \
Heliums of Californio former
Washington, D U. school
superintendent Barbara Size
nuire and Rhonv Magazine
author — lecturer ierone
Bennett are among the clie
dulrd speakers
Policy ( iuit iej<11
Ftr l{ctiiK*vi Inis
Ticket IVuprrmn
Starting January if. it will
tie easier to repla* t lost or
stolen I D cards for \r <‘iis
registered in the fit r«
duccd bus fare prog, jh
Under the T A I’ R plan t
’Transit Assistance Ulan for
the Elderly and Handicapped >
qualified persons obtain
identification cards which
permit them to ourchase Cii.
Coach l>us tickets at half tare
or 20.cents a ticker
A new policy a ill eliminate ~ “
the need for a person to oftne
to Itie < tty s Transit Planning
Office to replace 3 lost or
stolen 1^1). c nrd tti.plic.i'e
I I) card registration forms
will now be issued at all loca
turns where T A P K tickets
are sold Completed forms will
be forwarded In the iransit
Planning Office, which wsli
mail a new (,|j eard to the
person
To qualify for reduced bus
tickets, elderly persons must
provide proof of age <62 or
older ’ Handicapped indiv
•duals must provide a state
ment of disability (mental or
physical) signed by a medical
doctor Registration forms are
available at City Hall, the
Mobile City Hall, or at any
Charlotte Housing Authority
rental office
Smear t>,ampaign Will Not Destroy The King Legacy
The "smear campaign” a
gainst Dr. Martin Luther Kint
fr, will not destroy the legacy
ne left the world as a worker
for social change through non
violence, the wife of the slain
civil rights leader has said.
Mrs Coretta Scott King saic
it may take 25 to 50 year:
before the nation can full;
appreciate the magnitude of
Dr. Kings contibutions. "It
was 60 years after Christ's
crucifixion that a disciple
named Paul founded Chris
tianity," Mrs. King said in an
interview last week.
The widow of the slain Nobel
*1 .
Peace Prize winner said she
plans to see to it that her late
husband's philosophy is pre
served. Currently, the major
effort in that regard is being
promoted by the Martin Lu
ther King Jr. Center for Social
Change in Atlanta
Today, (Thursday), is being
celebrated throughout the co
untry in honor of the slain civil
rights leader who was cut
down in Memphis. Tennessee
by an assassin's bullet in 196ft
In Atlanta, where'the major
birthday celebration was
planned. Mrs King lead a host
of national figures in a down
town "full employment march
and rally". U S. Sen. Hubert ,
Humphrey was the featured
speaker.
Recent revelations of at
tempts by the FBI to discredit
her husband and her discov
ery that she has been the
target of FBI surveillance
have not altered her belief
(that the work of Dr. King must
continue. Mrs. King said.
Mrs. King said she believes
that her husband’s death re
sulted from a conspiracy and
not just the work of convicted
assassin James Earl Ray.
Mrs King said she will not
abandon the work of her hus
band, and, at 48, said her
future efforts will be conduct
ed through the King Center in
Atlanta
During the eighth annual
celebration of the birthday of
Dr. King, a Martin Luther
King Community Center will
be dedicated just across the
street from the Ebenezer Bap
tist Church on Auburn Ave
enue, where Dr. King once
served as pastor Land adja
cent to the church will be the
site of a crypt for King’s bodv
and a permanent home for the
King center
utner activities held during
(he celebration included.
A presentation ofanongmal
play on life of Dr King
A wreath laying ceremony
at the King grave site and a
benefit concert at the Atlanta
Omni to raise money for the
Martin Luther King Jr Cenet
for Social Change
Among the many dignitaries
expected to be in Atlanta art
Playwright At tor Ossie
Davis, Actress Ruby Dee. L S
Secretary of Housing and lif
ban Development Carla Hirfs,
Kconomist Leon Keyserling,
Rep. Andrew Young of Allan
ta. Augustus Hawkins of Cali
fornia and Walter Fauntroy of
Washington. D C . Atlanta
Mayor Maynard Jackson and
State Senator Julian Bond
Mrs. King concluded
"There is a common thread
bet we? i .!!•« hope for justice
expressed at the founding of
our natieV^-flO years ago. and
the d 'mand for justice ennun
‘"/.ated by my husband in our
<>wn life time For the cele
bralion of the 47th Birthday
Anniversary of Dr Martin
I.uther King.Jr on January 14
and 15, I97fi we will address
this linkage of hope
\
TURTLt-WK
-V •' ■ ';'u
An unintentional error is
often stupid but not as stupid
as the decision which some
times greets it
Eye-Catching Theresa Plummer
Attends Wilson Junior High
w ' ' w ■
POLTTICAL FUGUTTVE ROBERT WILLIAMS
.Mass Meeting’s key figure*