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E3 THE CHARLOTTE P( 1ST Q
“Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly’' L_Z 392~1306
EARL BARRON RECEIVING NEW PARTS
~From John Phillips Jr. of M&P Auto Parts
Black Automobile Mechanics
Doing Tremendous Business
By James Peeler
Post Feature Writer
"Business is tremendous”,
said 26-year-old Earl Barron,
a partner with his brother
Joseph “Joe" Barron Jr., 27,
in B&B Automotive Service at
128 North Cedar Street.
The obviously pleased
mechanic says they have been
in their present location for 14
months and find the site ideal.
Earl received his formal
training in auto mechanics at
Northwest Junior High. He
graduated from West Char
lotte High School and has been
"fooling around” with cars for
a long time. He has had his
N.C. Supreme Court
Gives Alford New Trial
by Sidney Moore, Jr. governor’s office.
Post Staff Writer
A N.C. Supreme Court rul
ing means a new trial or
possibly a dismissed murder
charge for John Thomas Al
ford, a 23-year-old Charlotte
man sentenced to die in an
April 9, 1975 trial.
Alford was convicted of the
murder of Gregory Leonard
which took place on November
6, 1974 in an alleged armed
robbery at Viking Imports.
Since then, his mother and
other supporters of the John
Thomas Alford Defense Fund
have been trying to convince
officials of the young man's
innocence.
The group claimed that sta
te witnessess did not properly
identify Alford as a partici
pant in the robbery. They
argued that co-defendant
Sherman E. Carter gave offic
ials a statement saying that
Alford was not involved in the
{jobbery and that four witness
ed for Alford testified he
played basketball with them
on the day of the robbery from
noon to dusk dark.
Several rallies and press
stories generated from the ef
forts of the defense group to
draw attention to Alford's
case. Money was raised to
continue to fight to get what
the defense group considered
justice for Alford
Public interest in the case
attracted an editorial in The
Charlotte News favoring fur
ther investigation in the case,
public statements and a meet
ing with the governor from
Rep. James G. Martin and an
investigation by an aid of the
The Supreme Court ruling
for a new trial made Tuesday,
March 2, reasoned that cir
cumstances of the original
trial excluded evidence that
would have strengthened
Alford's defense, according to
published reports.
Although District Attorney
Peter Gilchrist said a new
trial is the next step in cases of
this sort, he reserved the right
to change his mind after he
has read the court's opinion,
said the report. If he chooses
not to pursue a new trial, the
charges against Alford will be
dropped.
If there is a new trial, a
statement from Alford's co
defendant Sherman Carter
will be introduced. It says that
Larry Waddell, not Alford was
Sherman’s companion in the
robbery in whch Leonard was
killed.
With this statement, and
barring the introdutction of
other incriminating evidence,
Alford’s mother Mrs. Mar
garet D. Hunter has publicily
stated, she expects her son to
be released from his death
row cell in the Central Prison
in Raleigh.
Washington Post
Calls For Freedom
Of Wilmington 10
On Saturday, February 21st
one of the nation’s most influ
ential newpaper in the coun
try, The Washington Post, cal
led on the governor of North
Carolina to commute the sen
tences of Rev. Ben Chavis and
his 9 co-defendants who are
popularly known as the ‘Wil
mington 10”.
The editorial points out that
Rev. Chavis has been the vic
tim of continued harrassment
since 1968 due to his civil
rights activities. Mr. McCar
thy also raises the question of
what purpose would be served
by these 10 young people serv
ing prison terms totalling 282
years other than constituting
an act of "vengence" and the
total destruction of their lives
and the lives of their families.
The biggest tragedy, we would
add, is that the Wilmington 10
are innocent of any crimes
and are now being subjected
to the horrors of the North
Carolina prison system un
justly.
own shop before, on States
ville Ave., and worked for 6
years at various K-Mart
Automotive Shops throughout
the city. He has served a 22
month stay in the U. S. Army
where he acquired some
additional experience.
Earl says he and his brother
Joe specialize in engine tune
ups, brakes, front-end align
ment, generators, alternators,
starters, and carborators.
His brother Joe spent three
years with the Job Corp where
he learned disel engine repair
and gained considerable ex
perience working on small
trucks while stationed in Ore
gon and Washington, D. C.
Earl is a divorcee and his
brother Joe is married to the
former Miss Doris Thompson.
They have one child, a
daughter. They are the sons of
Joseph Barron Sr. and the late
Mrs. Mary Hattie Barron of
2667 Maiden Street, off West
Blvd.
Earl says he likes to bowl,
play chess, and watch and
participate in all sports except
baseball. He attends Shiloh
Institutional Baptist church,
pastored by Rev. J. A. White.
The two brothers are in the
process of building a Drag
Racer, said Earl, which will
be either a Chevrolet Nova or
Camero with a 350 engine and
4-barrel carborator.
»
Their plans for future ex
pansion include buying a
larger place, acquiring more
sophisticated equipment and
hiring additional personnel
The two brothers take con
siderable pride in their work
and Earl says, “We offer a
money back guarantee, if we
don’t fix your car to your
complete satisfaction we
gladly give you your money
back."
Newly Formed Group
Businessmen T o Alleviate
Black Economic Problems
City Faces
Relocation
Problems
A challenge to the ability of
the City of Charlotte to find
new homes for people whose
houses are to be demolished in
Third Ward may slow a six
year $47 million community
development project.
In a public hearing held by
the city council earlier this
week. Legal Aid Society staff
lawyer Ted Fillette challen
ged the council to prove it has
a workable plan to re-located
displace low and moderat in
come people from their
homes. The city is under a
preliminary injunction for an
inadequate relocation plan for
the First Ward area. A federal
judge ordered boarded-up
houses owned by the city in
that area be refurbished and
put on the rental market,
according to published re
ports.
Other areas affected by the
same plan are Grier Heights,
North Charlotte, Cherry, West
Boulevard, West Morehead,
Southside Park and Five
Points.
Third Ward is bounded by
the Southern Railroad, Sea
board Coastline Railroad, 1-77
and the Pinewood and Elm
wood Cemeteries.
Residents of Third Ward are
reported to have made favor
able comments about the pro
ject in the meeting. Following
criticism from Fillette, coun
cilman Jim Whittington asked
that the council visit the area.
Observers of the progress of
the community development
project indicate that it will
proceed, but there is likely to
be much closer scrutiny by the
council.
City Manager
Appoints New
Assistant
City Manager David A
Burkhalter has appointed R
Scott Tyler to the position of
Assistant to the City Manager
Tyler, a 31-year-old bachelor
from Virginia Beach, Va., was
chosen from among 125 appli
cants nationally.
Tyler replaces David Strad
inger who is now City Man
ager of Myrtle Beach, S.C.
MISS BARBARA FULLER
...Philadelphia. Pa. native
J. C. Smith Senior
Is Beauty Of Week
"One of the person^ 1 mosi
admire is C. Delores Tucker
the first woman and Black
Secretary of State in Pennsyl
vania. One reason why I ad
mire her is because she is an
aggressive fighter for Blacks
Ms. Tucker is now campaign
ing for Massive Black Action
to halt what she.calls the
double-standard' in the way
the media deals with blacks.”
This statement was made by
Miss Barbara Fuller this
week’s Charlotte Post Beauty.
She is the daughter of Mr and
Mrs. Julius Fuller of 1740 Chu
rch Lane, Philadelphia. Pa.
Barbara resides at 6341 apt 5
Countryside Dr.
While living in Pennsyl
vania, Miss Fuller attended
Wagner Junior High School
and graduated from Olney
High School in 1972
Presently she is a senior at
Johnson C. Smith University
whece her major is Political
Science. Her favorite subject
is Public Administration. "Th
is subject is my favorite be
cause it deals with the forma
lion of Public Policy which I
find very interesting," stated
Barbara. "It also deals with
organization and manage
ment."
At Smith. Barbara is a
member of the Pre-Law Club,
a Dean's List student, the
Political Science Club and the
Student Government Associa
tion. In 1972 she was a mem
ber of the Homecoming Court
and in 1973-74 she represented
her class as "Miss Soph
omore."
Barbara’s hobbies are sing
ing. dancing, creative writing,
bicycling, chess and tennis
She is horn under the sign of
Cancer. “Cancers in general
are said to be very sensative
people." explained Miss Ful
ler. “At times they are moody,
but are basically fun loving,
good homemakers and they
love people."
When at home Barbara at
tends Phillippian Baptist Chu
rch where Rev. S.A Bracken
is the minsiter She sings in
the Church Choir.
Our Beauty's favorite color
is yellow She stated that she
loves things that are bright
Her favorite scent is wild
musk.
Offer* Progressive Ideas
Lee Announces For Lt. Governor
Raleigh-Former Chapel
Hill Mayor Howard Lee
announced here Wednesday
that he is a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for
Lieutenant Governor of North
Carolina.
In launching his campaign,
Lee said. "I am not running
because some poll indicates
that I will win. I'm running
because I believe in my heart
that I have an equal chance to
win, and that the people of
North Carolina will respond to
a candidate who offers pro
gressive ideas and a record of
honest, responsible public
service.
“I have just finished a third
term as Mayor of a medium
sized North Carolina commun
ity. I know what it's like to
struggle in a single day with
problems of water supply, de
caying housing, drug abuse
and public transportation. I
believe that state government
can and must concentrate on
helping local government with
these problems. I promise to
keep reminding myself,
legislators and others in
Raleigh that government
wasn't created by and for its
officials. It was created by
and for the people.
"If you elect me to the
Lieutenant Governor's office,
you won’t come in and find
any special interests sharing
that chair with me. I am not
an enemy of big business. But
when it comes to a conflict
between big business and the
people, you can expect to see
me walking with the people,"
Lee said.
Howard N. Lee, 41, is the son
of a sharecropper family In
Lithonia, Georgia. He is a 1959
honor graduate of Port Valley
State College, Port Valley,
Georgia. Poliowing service in
the army, he received his
masters degree in Social Work
I
I
from the University of North
Carolina in 1966.
Also in 1966, Lee was named
Director of Youth Services at
Duke University; and in 1966,
he became Director of
Employee Relations at Duke
and Assistant Professor of
Sociology at North Carolina
Central University. He is
currently on leave from his
post as Duke University’s Dir
ector of Human Development
Defying all odds, Lee was
elected mayor of Chapel Hill
in 1969 with S2 percent of the
vote. He was re-elected in 1971
with M_ percent, carrying
every precinct in the city, and
in 1973, he won a third term as
mayor, beating his opponent 5
to 1.
Lee has long been a leader
in the Democratic Party,
having served on the party's
Legislative Committee (1968
70) and as vice-chairman of
the North Carolina Democra
f
Uc Pary (1970-72). He is cur
rently a Democratic National
Committeeman.
Lee has served on the
governing boards of many
organizations and institut
ions: The National Associat
ion of Social Workers, the
Southern Regional Council,
the North Carolina Heart
Association and the Board of
Trustees of Wake Forest Uni
versity. In 1971, he was
awarded the Honorary Doctor
of Laws degree by Shaw Uni
versity.
Lee is a former deacon of
the Binkley Baptist Church,
Chapel Hill, and has served as
a leader of the church's Boy
Scout troop
Howard Lee is married to
the former Lillian Wesley of
Savannah. Georgia The I^ees
have three children: Angela
(21), Ricky (18) and Karin (5).
Rev. J.A. Frieson To
Spearhead Organization
By Sidney Moore Jr.
Post Staff Writer
The "first step toward
awareness and alleviation of
the problems of the black
community and its economic
inadequacy" may have been
taken in a meeting of a newly
formed organization Thurs
day, February 26.
Prospective members of
Black Businessmen Associa
tion, Inc , < BBA) met at 8 p.m.
at 2020 N. Graham Street to
discuss how the association
can benefit black businessmen
and the black community.
The effort is being spear
headed by the Rev J A
Frieson of Ronaldo Realty and
his co-worker Ms. Edythe
Hall. To explain the idea to
those attending the meeting,
they prepared a promotional
package.
To accomplish its purpose,
according to the package of
materials on the association,
it will serve as a focal point
around which black business
es already serving the
community will "pool our
resources and create the
united front necessary to build
a responsible and economical
ly profitable black commun
ity."
It was acknowledged that
the success of the associat
ion's efforts will depend on
community support. Support
ers of the association optimist
ically anticipate that business
owners will "join with us in
our struggle to bring about
equality in minority areas."
“I thought it ithe meeting)
was a positive first step," said
Edythe Hali, also a staff
member of Ronaldo Realty
and a coordinator of the
association project. “They
i businessmen who attended
first meeting) were relatively
receptive even though there
was a small turnout."
The small turnout proceed
ed 11 memberships and suc
ceeded in forming a Steering
Committee to oversee the
growth of the association
Velma Smith of W. L. Smith
Insurance Company will serve
on a committe to plan Busi
ness Procedures Seminars.
Rev. W M. Cavers will serve
on a Collective Buying
Committee Mrs. Betty Claw
son, Ed Camp and J C. Cou
sar are on the Membership
Committee and Mrs. Dolly
Peay will head a Social Affairs
Committee Patricia King, a
practicing Charlotte Attorney,
will serve on the Government
al Affairs Committee.
Members of the Steering
Committee will meet each
fourth Thursday, at 7:30 p m.
Initial membership in the
association is $25 and mem
bers will pay $20 monthly dues
for advertising and other ser
vices. Ms. Hall said 100 mem
bers is a goal to be met by
April and she is hopeful that
the majority of the 500 minor
Uy businesses in Charlotte will
join by the end of the year
Any person operating a
business in the black
community or in a minority
area who believes in the goals
of BBA and is willing to work
toward the accomplishment of
these goals can become a
member of the associaiton,
according to a recently pub
lished brochure
Membership in the associa
tion entitles businessmen to
receive group advertising,
collective buying, referrai
services, assistance in
supporting community activ
ities and the right to attend
special seminars to be con
ducted especially for business
owners and operators.
Further information about
he group may be obtained
[rom Edvthe Hall :ciii-VK9
Alexander : “What
Caused Brown’s Death?”
Three black groups have
followed Kelly Alexander's
lead asking for investigations
of the death of 18-year-old
Marine recruit Kenneth M
Brown.
Brown died shortly after a
fight he had with three Char
lotte police officers in Douglas
Muncipal Airport Friday. It
was reported that an official
at the airport asked for police
assistance because the young
recruit refused logo through a
metal detection unit. The
police claim Brown tried to
grab a gun from one of them
and a struggle started when
they tried to subdue him
Alexander appeared before
city council requesting an inv
estigation to determine if the
struggle Brown had with
police officers had anything to
do with his death. He said in a
later interview that calls he
has received and the
community interest that has
developed regarding the inci
dent compels him. as state
NAACP president to seek
answers to several unanswer
ed questions surrounding the
incident
The NAACP official also
said requests will be made for
military and FBI investiga
tions of the incident
The most seriojs question
Alexander wants answered is
exactly what caused Brown's
death. He said he is not mak
ing an allegation against the
police department but that his
organization is a “watchdog”
against the abridgement of the
constitutional rights of indiv
iduals. He said until several
questions people asking about
the case are answered, it can
not be determined whether
Brown's rights were violated
or not.
Alexander's request was
supported by Robert Davis,
chairman of the local Black
Political Caucus Later, the
Black Women's Caucus and
the Northwest Community
Action Association joined the
Black Political Caucus to re
quest city officials to suspend
the three policemen until an
investigation has been com
pleted.
Davis said the three groups
would present a petition de
manding the suspension to
Mayor John Belk Wednesday,
March 3, and to the city coun
cil in its meeting Monday.
March 8
Representatives of the
groups met Tuesday night,
March 2, before issuing state
ments to the press.
City officials have respond
ed to requests for an investi
gation by stating that the
matter will be handled inter
nally. One source said, the
Community Relations
Committee may be asked to
conduct an investigation also.
Alexander indicated that
Brown's parents also intend to
push for an explanation of
their son's death
One comment reported in a
See Alexander on Page If
/
TURTLE-W*
, MIDDLE AGE has arrived
when you have a choice of two
TEMPTATIONS, and you
choose the one that gets you
hgmgjhe EARLIEST.