rEH THE CHAI .LOTTE Pi 1ST [=H
“Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly** FHK Bl A< K PRESS
Kvad by 4-l.uoo Chariotteans .,KI( F ,
WINSOME WANDA ABRAHAM
...To pursue modeling career
H7T 1 A ■
nanaa Aoraham
Is Beauty Of Week
By Polly Manning
Post Staff Writer
•I feel great about being
chosen as beauty. 1 am really
glad'that I was given the
opportunity. My cousin was a
recent Post Beauty and she
inspired my interest,” said
Miss Wanda Abraham, this
week's Charlotte Post Beauty
of the Week.
Wanda loves the colors
blue and red, she adores the
fragance of Moon Wind and
her favorite food is steak and
chicken.
During one of the rare times
that she watches television
she tunes in on the “Jeffer
sons”. She states that it al
ways makes her laugh which
she feels is good for her.
Mrs. Mattie Abraham, who
is Wanda's grandmother, is
the person she most admires.
"She is always there with bits
of wisdom and advice. I al
ways feel better after talking
with her,” smiled Wanda.
'My Aunt also is very helpful
vhen I have problems that 1
hink my y, other wouldn't un
lerstand
Billy Dee Williams is the
,ctor that stands out in the
leart of our Beauty. She loves
he way he acts in his movies
ir.d she loves his looks.
Temple Church of God is the
(hurch that Miss Abraham
aid her family used to attend
fcv Joe Sherman Jr was the
pistor Wanda sang in the
cioir
Miss Abraham's future am
boon is to become a model.
Sie loves clothes and nice
Ungs and she also loves being
lithe public eye.
me IS horn under the sign of
Sgitarrius and describes
tpm as being different from
o»er people. They like to be
alne to think, and they like
nice things.
Wanda's hobbies are danc
ing cooking, singing, and tra
veling. Although she has never
been there before she has
visions of visiting the sunny
and warm state of Florida.
Our Beauty is a student at
Quail Hollow Junior High
School where she is a library
assistant. Her duties are to
check books in and out to the
students, make sure books are
straight on the shelves, and
she writes cards and file notes
for overdue books.
Her favorite subjects at
Quail Hollow are English and
History. She likes these cours
es because she likes her teach
er. Her favorite teachers are
Ms. Williams, Ms. Dean, and
Ms. Robinson. She states that
they always take the time to
explain things to her that she
doesn’t understand and they
never seem to run out of
patience.
Wanda is the daughter of
Mrs. Mary Drakeford of 2643
W. Trade St. She has one sister
Sylvia, and two brothers,
Johnny and Eric. She states
that she has two favorite cou
sins also that seem to her like
a sister and brother,-Ronald
Wright and Margrell Jones.
City Council To
Hold Additional
Public Hearings
The Charlotte City Council
has scheduled an additional
public hearing to give citiznes
an opportunity to make com
ments and suggestions on the
proposed 1976-77 City budget.
The hearing will be held Tues
day, June 8 at 7 p.m. in the
Council Chamber at City Hall.
A daytime hearing at the
same location has already
been announced for Monday,
June 7 at 3 p.m.
Persons wishing to speak at
the hearing should notify the
City Clerk. City Hall, 600 East
Trade Street or telephone 374
2247.
Copies of the proposed bud
get, capital improvement pro
gram and pay are available
for public inspection during
regular business hours at the
Office of the City Clerk.
After a series of budget
workshops and the public
hearings, the City Council will
adopt a finalized budget on or
before July l, 1976,
Minority Business To
Receive New Support
By Hoyle H. Martin, Sr.
Post Staff Writer
The Minority Business Ac
tion Council of the Charlotte
Chamber of Commerce was
offered a new opportunity and
a new challenge in its task to
aid black business through the
Minority Enterprise Small
Business Investment Corpora
tion (MESBIC).
Speaking before 50 to 60
council members, bankers
and black business men and
community leaders last
Thursday, James Marx, direc
tor for capital development
for MESBIC, said federal dol
lars can be made available to
further assist minority busi
ness. He expressed concern
that, except for Winston Sa
lem, there is not a MESBIC in
the southeast between Rich
mond and Atlanta. Further
more, with the potential for
business growth and develop
ment in this geographic area,
Marx noted that his office
believes that Charlotte would
be an ideal location for a
MESBIC.
Marx also said that MES
BIC can provide equity parity,
20 year business loans with
low interest rates, guarantees
of three federal dollars to
every one local dollar made
avauaDle for investment
loans, and technical assis
tance for a small fee. In con
clusion, Marx said that "MES
BIC is a very flexible invest
ment instrument designed to
boost minority business ef
forts.”
Luther Hodges, Jr., presi
dent of the Charlotte Chamber
of Commerce and creator of th«
Minority Business Action
Council, said,. "Many good
things are happening in Char
Development .
Programs Raise
Earnings
Congressman Parren J. Mit
chell (D-Md.), chairman of
the Human Resources Task
Force of the House Budget
Committee, Wednesday re
leased a report entitled, “Em
ployment and Training Pro
grams.”
The report, prepared by the
Congressional Budget Office,
evaluates the array of training
and employment programs
used to develop skills and
marketability The report re
veals that the skill develop
ment programs, that are de
signed to enhance the produc
tivity of the participant, yield
the highest expected increase
in annual earnings above what
they would have earned in the
absence of participation.
Accordig to the report parti
cipation in the Summer Youth
Employment Program, Com
munity Service Programs for
Older Americans and the
Comprehensive Employment
and Training Act, Title I pro
grams contribute at least a 10
percent gain in the average
earning potential of females
and Black males.
"It is essential that we reas
sess the program mix in train
ing in order to combat struc
tural unemployment in the
economy We must utilize the
budget process as a mechani
sm for providing employment
and the necessary skills to
afford the long-term unem
ployment an opportunity to
participate in the economic
mainstream." said Mitchell
lotte and I'd like to see a
MESBIC added to that...with
the financial power in Char
lotte, why not?” Partially ans
wering his own question, Hod
ges cautioned however, that
"Charlotte's greatest problem
may be with the high incomes
of individuals but few with
large capital. Charlotte must
decide whether it cares to
respond to the MESBIC chal
lenge.”
In a related development,
Congressman Parren J. Mit
chell (D-Md.) has introduced
in the House of Representa
tives legislation called the
“Minority Enterprise Act of
1976, (H.R. 12741)."
This legislation, as stated
and supported by the Congres
sional Black Caucus, is de
signed to "challenge the Con
gress and the people to de
monstrate that all people with
in the nation have a right to
participate in the free-enter
prise system and share equit
ably in the nation's wealth.
In more specific terms, the
biil calls for launching a tTIJee
pronged attack on the real
problems of minority enter
prise, that is, capital and ope
rational finance as well as
access to contracting and sub
contracting opportunities. It
seeks to amend the Small
Business Administration Act
to expand assistance to mino
rity small business enter
prises; establish an associate
administrator for those exist
ing SBA programs having the
greatest impact upon minori
ties ; provide needed statutory
standards for contracting and
subcontracting by the federal
government with minority
small business firms; and the
establishment of a commis
sion for federal assistance to
minority business enterprises
designed to develop methods
to guarantee the survival and
growth of minority business
with our nation's larger econo
my.
Finally, the proposals ACT
calls for the reorganization,
transfer of authority and pro
gram implementation within
the 20 year old Small Business
Administration, an entity de
signed to deal with the myriad
of problems faced by all small
business enterprise.
A GIFT FROM VVG1V
Nine volumes and an index of THE GREAT SOVIET
ENCYCLOPEDIA, pulbished by the McMillan Company
have been presented to the James B Duke Memorial Library
at Johnson C. Smith University by Ken Goldblatt of Station
W'GIV When publication is completed a! a cost ol well over
one thousand dollars there will t«. Jo dim ;>t •• a ip rfv
Reference Department ol the library to be u.-a-.i ny all I i>. is
of the university. Pictured receding Hie encyc'i.ped as from
Ken Goldblatt, General Manager of U’GI\ is Mrs Mas;. (
Flowe, Acting Head Librarian ol Johnson c Smith I niver
sity.
Georgia Blacks To Stand Firm
Just south of Jimmy Car
ter's home county of Sumter a
group of blacks is also raising
peanuts-but they, according to
Congressman Andrew Young,
"expect to build a new society
in the South based on justice
and humanitarian concerns."
They are settled on 6.000
acres of Lee County, which is
in the heart of Southwest
Georgia's-Badlands for
blacks, and they call their
settlement New Communities.
Inc. As they dream of the just
society they plant, aside from
peanuts, corn, sugar cane,
soybeans, strawberries, grap
es. watermelons, and assorted
vegetables. They also herd 250
cows, tend pigs, and fish in the
bountiful streams and ponds
on their cooperative farm
Their venture has enlisted
the support of Coretta Scott
King, the Rev Martin Luther
King. Sr., Julian Bond. Jesse
Jackson. Kiln Bakei as well
as Congressman Young ,i
niong others
ll has also ii.t-i with the
'hostility ot white rae.sts m
Southwest <ieorgia In one in
stance. this hostility attracted
national attention . A 14-year
old girl. Dorothy Young, was
arrested in her school on
charges ot having told a white
hoy. "kiss my ass she was
sentenced to seven years in
prison by the local court and
served three months m jail
before being released on ap
pea I
Other incidents have not re
reived national publicity The
home ot the Uev Charles
Sherrod, v ice president and
guiding spirit ot New Commu
nities. was burned to the
ground So was the home of
the Bass family liev Sher
rod's lather-in law. Josiah
Miller, was shot and killed by
.i while* farmer A 12-year-old
boy was beaten severely when
he insisted on getting Ins cor
rect change at a local market
Despite* these and other in
stances ol terror and harass
tnenl. the settlers are deter
mined to remain, to cultivate
their land, and to create a
community of 200 homes, a
hospital, and education’center
from day care to college and
a variety of religious and eom
munity services
They have the courage, and
the willingness and ability to
work, that are needed to make
their dream come true Hut
they do not have the money
because they are all people,
joined by the desire to till and
own the land in common. So
they lace an old blight of the
poor farmer a mortgage To
meet this problem they have
called lor help
Congressman Voung re
sponded I plan to save one
acre, he said, "and I strongly
urge you to follow my exam
pie In effect, he pledged
$2.-»0. as this is the amount
needed to make an acre mort
gage tree. according to New
Communities *
the General Board ot the
National Council of Churches,
meeting in Atlanta, urged its
member communions ”to re
spond as their conscience and
resources dictate to the op
tical ot New Communities
A New Communities spokes
man said that those willing to
help should make checks pay
.•hie to the SWGP-New Com
munilies Band Debt Ketire
ment Fund. Acet No 260 6282
8 First National Bank of Al
bany. Post Office Box 1427.
Albany. Georgia, 31702.
()verc«Hh To Present
Program (>n Freezing
Kachel Overcash will pre
sent a free program on freez
ing and canning foods 10 a m .
Monday, June 14 at East
Branch Library (2001 Com
monwealth >
Anyone wishing to attend
the program should call the
library at 374 2982 prior to
June 11
Rev. Bob Walton Files
For Commissioner Seat
By Sidney Moore Jr.
Post Staff Writer
"I certainly do feel that I
will offer myself again for
public office,” said Robert
“Bob” Walton after an unsec
cessful bid for the city council
last November. "I don't know
what or when."
The First Union National
Bank manager answered the
questions what and when Fri
day. May 21, by filling his
candidacy for County Com
mission. He has entered the
Democratic Party primary
election which is scheduled to
be held on August 17.
Eleven candidates, includ
ing Walton, will campaign to
win one of five contested
seats. Winners of the primary
will square off against Repub
lican challengers in the No
vember General Election
One of Walton's 10 oppo
nents is businessman L.C.
Coleman, who is also black.
Both black candidates say
their decisions to run came as
Rev Robert "Bob" Walton
Bank executive
the result of urging from vari
ous representatives of the
community.
"As a result of a number of
telephone calls, and after
commissioner Rowe Motley
decided not to run," W'alton
says he decided to enter the
race The young minister, pas
tor of St Paul Presbyterian
Church, beat tbe noon filing
deadline by 15 minutes
His most recent involve
ment in county affairs was his
support of the newly approved
hospital bond referendum
Walton said he is also interest*
ed in the quality of welfare
social services and the schools
to the extent .•nit the commis
sion is involved in supplying
these services He wants
•greater results for black peo
ple." from county govern
ment.
Major issues for this race
have not yet evolved, said
Walton Because of antagoni
sms between city and county
government and other rea
sons, the candidate envisions
consolidated city-county go
vernement • w ithin the next
five years".
In answering the questions..
what and when, Walton says
he sees a need for more black
representation on policy mak
ing bodies whether that body
is of the city or the county
CMS Board Heeds Vague
Request Of White Parents
By Hoy li* fl Martin. Sr
Post .Staff Writer
In an apparent attempt to
take advantage of the recent
anti-busing mood and state
ments by President Gerald
Ford, the C'harlotte-Mecklen
burg School Board broke a
commitment to the federal
court by heeding to parent's
requests for a delay in moving
fourth graders from schools in
white neighborhoods to
schools in a black area
Based on vague complaints
by w hite parents of students at
Starmount and Huntingtowne
Farms schools, that they had
not been given "sufficient"
notice about plans to transfer
their fourth-graders, the board
voted 5 to :i on Wednesday of
last week to not transfer white
students to the Bruns Avenue
Elementary School
During discussions before
the vote. Edw ard Sanders, as
sociate superintendent for ad
mimstrative services, cau
tioned the board that a delay
in transfering the students
would lit in violation of their
commitment to L'.S. District
Judge James McMillan.
Sanders was referring to a
report prepared last year lor
Judge McMillan in which ihe
school board committed itself
to the extent that "the process
of moving fourth graders to
five-six schools will be contin
ued as kindergartens are
phased in and as buses and
space become available "
Sanders, author of the re
port. told the board that
"space and buses are avail
able in the school now and
that he was recommending
that the transfers be made
w ithout delay In spite of San
ders' comment, board chair
man William Poe and member
Thomas Harris expressed the
view that school administra
tors w ere not certain about the
availabilitv of buses
The initial commitment to
.Judge McMillan was based on
his repeatedly expressed con
cern that younger black child
re i had carried a dispropor
tionate share of the busing
burden, that is. they were
generally bused away from _
home to schools in white areas
more so than w hites bused into
schools in black areas.
Voting along with Poe and
Harris against the transfer
were Kobert Culbertson, Jane
Scott and William Booe Vot
ing "For" the transfers were
Phil Berry. Marylyn Huff and
C l) Spangler. Jr John Mc
Laughlin. chairman of the
board committee that recoin
mended the transfers abstain
ed from voting
Berry told the POST, the
school board's action is in
direct violation of our v'ommit
mont to the court " Further
more, he said, "the recent
anti busing action and com
ments by President Ford no
doubt influenced the thinking
and actions of the parents
requesting that the transfers
of their children not take
place."
Unconfirmed reports have
indicated that Julius Cham
bers, attorney for the plain
tiffs in the original desegra
tion case, plans to investigate
the entire matter
United Service*
Open Information
Referral ('.enter
The new Information and
Referral Service located at 301
South Bervard Street will open
officially for services on June
1 Sponsored by the City of
Charlotte, Mecklenburg Coun
ty, and United Services, this
new system will maintain
complete up-to-date informa
tion on all human services
available in Mecklenburg
County.
Persons needing help with a
problem or services of some
kind are confronted with over
300 human service agencies in
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
The information and Refer
ral Service will help people
decide where to go to get help
or information.
Second Ward’s ’
Boat Ride
The Class of 1932 of Second
Ward Senior High School will
have its annual Boat Ride
Friday. July 2
Tickets for this event are
being sold by Zoel Hargraves.
399-8897, David Williams, 334
7923; Julius and Sarah Stroud.
332-4533. Carl Hunt. 394-J741
Alvin Kennedy, 375 7277 and
Wilhelmena Williams. 334
8041
wmt-tAU
W’>y can't life's problems
hit is when we re 18 and
KN(W EVERYTHING?
Charlotte School Board Breaks
Commitment To Federal Courts