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THE CHARLOTTE POST
VOL. 3 NO. » -
"Charlotte's Fastest Growing Community Weekly
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA-28208-Thursday, November 2S 1976
BLACK NEWSPAPERS
EFFECTIVELY REACH
BY FAR, MORE
BLACK CONSUMERS
LOVELY DEBRA WORTHY
...Has duo personality
Ms. Debra Worthy
Is Beauty Of Week
By Melvetta Jenkint.
Post Staff Writer
A duo-personality (the re
sult of being born under the
sign of Gemini ( distinguishes
this week's Beauty, Ms. Debra
Worthy from all others.
Ms. Worthy, who resides at
2401 N. Sharon Amity Rd., is a
1972 graduate of Myers Park
High School. She is presently
employed with Crum and For
ster, where she is an evalua
ting clerk for automobile insu
rance renewal. Ms. Worthy
said that she enjoys her work,
but anticipates the day when
she'll "be able to" look at
someone else's job application
and decide "yes" or "no."
Looking toward the future,
our Beauty plans to enroll in
Trim Modeling School in Jan
uary. She said that she has
been invited to Chicago in July
of next year to audition for
Carlton Hamilton as a fashion
1-1
Ms. Worthy has many loves
in her life, the most important
being Antonio, her four-year
old son. "1 love children," she
i jd, adding that she devotes
most of her time to being with
Antonio and the children in
her neighborhood.
"I try at lea^t once a week to
get the kids in the neighbor
hood over to do things. I
believe that children have to
be taught to use their minds,
which is really good. If they
aren't taught to utilize their
minds, they'll get lazy. Child
ren are really smarter than a
lot of people think. I like to see
them thinking and to hear
them talk about what they feel
and think," explained our
Beauty
A very conscientious mo
ther, Mrs Worthy said that
she believes a child should be
discouraged from excusing
TtfroE-TAMi
.ΛΤίΠίλΗ could have HALF
/his wishes heNvould DOUBLE,
' his TROUBLES'.
don't know.'' in ο nays that
she's teaching Antonio to think
by encouraging him to tell her
why he does and says certain
things instead of copping out
by saying "I don't know."
Ms. Worthy enjoys collect
ing house plants (she has 27),
sewing, playing tennis, paint
ing and writing poetry and
short stories. She said that she
does abstracts in oil and wa
tercolors, but hasn't submitt
ed any of her pieces to be
exhibited. On the other hand,
she has submitted a short
story to ESSENCE magazine
and is awaiting a reply. She's
been writing since she was in
high school and plans to have
some of her poems published
this summer.
Melba Moore, Lou Rawls,
and Clifton Davis head her list
of favorite entertainers. She
said that Miss Moore is her
favorite actress because
"she's for real. She has a
beautiful voice, appears to
nave a ιυι ui sen-respect ana
lives her life in a way that
demands respect." Ms. Wor
thy is an avid fan of Clifton
Davis who, she said, "likes
smart women, not just a pret
ty face. He doesn't strike me
as being a "hound" for wo
men." Lou Rawls gained a
strong supporter when he
made "Groovy People." Ac
cording to Ms. Worthy, "no
thing beats being" around peo
ple you can really relate to;
just sitting around and talking
to."
Our Beauty believes that
"gentlemen prefer Hanes"
and television is full of "fairy
tales and propaganda." She
only eats fish and vegetables
because she's trying to get
away from "mil those preser
vatives and additives."
"My philosophy of life is 'if
at first you don't succeed, try,
try again.' I feel that you'll get
knocked down a lot in life and
can't always depend on any
body else to pick you up, so
you've got to do it yourself,''
Ms. Worthy said. "I also be
lieve that there's no such thing
as Ί can't,' it's always 'I'll
try.* "
Ms. Worthy said that she is
glad to be a Beauty, "not
because I wanted my picture
in the paper, but to get to meet
people. I like meeting people
and want them to read this
article and see what I'm all
about." .
The POST takes pride in
introducing Ms. Debra Worthy
as our Beauty of the Week.
Bus Strike Continues
« «UV/L· £\JÇ
CAF Board Of Directors Urge
Riders Τ ο "Make Needs Known"
Attorney General's
Request Not Detailed
CCNS - The Rev. Léon
White, director of the North
Carolina · Virginia Commis
sion for Racial Justice, has
expressed dissatisfaction with
the investigation of the miss
ing files which a former offi
cial of the N.C. Good Neigh
borhood Council said could
have exonerated the "Wil
mington 10" if they had been
part of the trial documents.
White said on Tuesday that the
investigation of the files,
which disappeared from the
Council in 1972, was only a
small part of what he had
requested in order to fully
clear the "Wilmington 10".
Michael Carmichael, press se
cretary for Attorney General
Rufus Edmisten, denied
White's claim and said that his
letter contained no specific
details beyond investigating
the missing files.
Disappearance of the files
was revealed by former Good
Neighbor Council official Rev.
Aaron Johnson to a reporter
With the Greensboro Daily
News. Johnson said informa
tion conuined in the files
indicated the innocence of the
Wilmington 10. Johnson was
quoted as saying (Jhavis was
in Wilmington in a peace
keeping role and the Good
Neighbor Council was glad to
have Chavis there. The vete
ran mediator of racial turmoil
said, "Chavis was about the
only man we knew who could
prevent that (refering to a
takeover from Black militants
from other cities) and still
have a chance of keeping a lid
on things." Johnson was also
quoted as saying that the files
would have ' documented
where Chavis was during the
turmoil.
The Wilmington 10, nine
Black men and a white woman
were convicted in 1972 of arson
and conspiracy charges con
nected with the burning of
Mike's Grocery, a white own
ed grocery in Wilmington's
Black ghetto. The only testi
mony which directly accused
the 10 young defendants ol
criminal activity was that ol
Allen Hall, a young Black mar
who pleaded guilty to burning
the grocery. Hall recently re
canted his original testimony
that he saw the defendants
burn the grocery. He said thai
his initial testimony was co
erced by Prosecutor Jay
Stroud for leniency on Hall
U.S. Magistrate Logan Howel
is now considering amendinf
an original petition in behalf o:
the Wilmington.lO.with Hall's
recanted statement.
_ Rev. White said that he
wants the suppression of he
testimony of the Good Neigh
bor Council investigated and
the role the Attorney Gene
ral's Special Prosecutor in
the case played. Johnson said
the Good Neighbor Council
resisted testifying even after
being subpoenaed because the
Council wanted to keep a low
profile and funding from the
North Carolina General As
sembly. Johnson was quoted
in the Greensboro Daily News,
saying, "We were on our way
(to the trial) when we heard
the defense had rested. We
had communications with the
Wilmington 10 defense. So far
as 1 know they never knew
that we had received the
subpoenas and never knew
we were on our way with the
records." · ·
Rev. Ben Chavis, interview
ed at McCain Prison after the
revelation of the missing files,
said that "it was no accident
or coincidence that they (the
. N'.C. Good Neighbor Council)
were late for the trial. 1 think
it was a very controlled situa
tion from ' the top of state
government to further us
away."
Lee, Michaux
To Get Top
N.C. Posts
(CCNS) Two among the se
veral Black North Carolinians
who are expecting patronage
from the recent Democratic
Party victories in the state
and nation are N.C. House
Representative H.M. Mi
chaux, Jr. from Durham
County and former Mayor of
Chapel Hill Howard N. Lee.
Patronage refers to a sys
tem of dispensing out political
appointments to boards, com
missions, jobs in government
and governmental contracts
based not upon qualifications
alone but primarily upon re
numeration for the support
given the candidate who won
the office.
Howard Lee said recently
that he had heard rumors that
he was being considered for
appointment by Governor
elect James Hunt to a political
office but did not know which
See LEE on page S
Elizabeth "Liz" Hair
...Board chairman
Robert "Bob" Walton
...New commissioner
Pete Foley
...Received 87.075 votes
New County Commissioners
To Take Office December 6
The new Mecklenburg
Board of County Commission
ers will officially take office
Monday morning, December
6.
The swearing in ceremony
will be in the Commissioner's
Meeting Room on the fourth
floor of the County Office
Building and it will begin
shortly after 9 a.m.
The five Commisssioners
who will take office are, in the
order of the number of votes
received: Elisabeth "Liz" G.
Hair,'84,075 votes; Peter A.
Foley, 74,567 votes; Robert L.
Walton, 61,599 votes; Edwin B.
Peacock, 52,973 votes; and
William H. Booe, 50,933 votes.
Other candidates for the
Board in the November 2nd
election were L.C. Coleman,
48,903 votes; Thomas F
Moore, Jr., 47,946 votes; Har
ry McKinnon, 47,938 votes;
William L. Griffin, 39,132
votes; Jerry Taylor, 31,117
votes; and Stephanie Ezrol,
805 votes.
Mecklenburg County Com
missioners are elected by a
countywide vote every two
years. Elections for the Board
«re held in November of even
numbered years and candi
dates run for office as mem
bers of a political party. Major
duties of the Board of Com
missioners include:
-Adoption of an annual County
budget.
-Establishing the annual
County property tax rate.
-Appointment of various Coun
ty officials including members
of County boards and commis
sions and some County em
ployees.
-Regulation of land use and
zoning outside the jurisdiction
of municipalities.
-Enactment of policies con
cerning the operation of the
County.
-Planning for County needs
-Enacting local ordinances.
The Board also has authori
ty to call bond référendums,
enter into contracts and esta
blish new programs and de
partments. The Board holds
regular business sessions on
the first and third Mondays of
each month in the Commis
sioners' Meeting Room. Zon
ing hearings are held by the
Board on the second Monday
of each month in the same
location at 2 ρ m.
IN ational Campaign Begins
To Reduce Black Resistance
(CCNS) Frank Lewis, ad
ministrator of the state's
swine-flu program said this
week that although millions
have been inoculated against
the risk of catching the virus
only 13 persons have been
known to have it. Lewis and
other health administrators
around the country, responsi
ble for inoculation of several
million people this year, are
concerned that only a few
Blacks have been inoculated
" and will conduct state-wide
and national campaigns to
break down barriers that
Blacks and other inner city
residents have against the
shots.
The flu was isolated by
researches last year and de
termined to be the cause of
death of a Fort Dix soldier.
The soldier became the first
and only.victim of the flu. With
the virus reproduced it be
came possible to develop a
vaccine which would intro
duce the antibodies of the
virus in safe quantities into
the systems of people to pre
vent their catching the much
feared virus.
There are two types of vac
cine. Type A New Jersey is the
swine flu, called so because it
resembles a virus isolated in
hogs. Although only one per
son has had the disease, pork
producers and health admini
strators have been quick to
Johnson C. Smith University
Plans To Extend Its.Boundaries
By A mette Barksdale
Poet Staff Writer
There is presently a long
range plan for the five-points
area of the Northwest section
of Charlotte which may result
in J.C. Smith University ex
tending its boundaries and
acquiring more land, accord
ing to the University Presi
dent.
Dr. Wilbert Greenfield stat
ed that among other tkings the
plan calls for Trade St. to be
transformed into a Freeway
similar to 1-77.
"If this happens then the
campus would be surrounded
by three expressway's (1-77,
Northwest, Trade St.) and
very easily accessible," Dr.
Greenfield continued
Students in J.C. Smith'· Ur
ban Studies program have
been assisting the two plan
ning commissions in studying
the areas that are in blight
conditions around the campus
Ur. James D. Bass, urban
studies director, stated that
"the class is going to look at
the area around J.C. Smith,
and conduct feasible studies of
alternative land use pro
grams, as it relates taJCSU."
"If this land, which is pri
vately owned, is acquired by
the University," Dr. Green
field explained, "we can use it
for future campus housing and
to help in finishing up our
campus football stadium."
The University's president
added that "right now the
five-points plan is not given
high priority, but hopefully
within three to four years it*
will be top priority on the
Commission's list."
Commenting on the future of
I
J.C. Smith in community in
volvement Greenfield added,
"Through our Social Science
classes and Urban Studies I
want to see this University get
involved in more community
orientated affairs, and solving
some of the problems of the
neighborhood."
The Urban Studies program
at J.C. Smith is sponsored by
the government and is part of
the Advanced Institutional De
velopment Program (AIDP).
Dr. Bass said that the govern
ment is becoming increasing
ly concerned about urban pro
blems.
"Consequently it has opened
up new fields and need people
with expertise in Urban Stu
dies," Dr. Bass said. "Many
urban problems, are not lust
political but economical and
social."
Dr. Wllbert Greenfield
.. J.C Smith president
Dr. Bass added that any
ultimate decision for the land
use program in the five-points
area should reflect the input of
Smith students
say that the virus in people
does not originate from eating
pork The other type of virus is
A Victoria which is the last
virus. The two viruses are
given to elderly citizens while
only the A New Jersey is given
to person 18 to 59 years of age.
Much of the concern of the
health administrators is that
once a virus takes a host it is
too late for the person to inocu
late against it. Lewis said that
an expected outbreak of the
virus could have detrimental
effects to many of those who
are staying away from the
mass inoculation centers -
Blacks and other poor that
suspect the government's in
tention with the vaccine.
No sooner had the swine flu
program begun that reports of
deaths resulting from the vac
cine bagan to mount. In a
center in Pittsburgh, Pa ,
three elderly people died fol
lowing the inoculation with the
vaccine I.ewis saiH thai iho
first person to die in Pitts
burgh was an elderly women
who had stood in a long line to
get the shot (or at least three
hours "After she was vaci
nated." Lewis said. "She col
lapsed because of her seem
ingly weakened condition."
Two other elderly persons in
the line collapsed and subse
quently died after they receiv
ed shots
The National Center for Di
sease Control studies the
deaths that occurred after the
vaccine was administered but
were unable to uncover any
link between the vaccine and
the deaths
Lewis said the deaths and
the distrust of government are
responsible for Blacks staying
away but expressed optimism
that a public campaign in
North Carolina with the
NAACP could bring Blacks
into the vaccine centers
City Keeps
Hands-Off
Policy
By Hoyle H. Martin Sr.
Post Executive Editor
The Board of Directors of
the Charlotte Area Fund
(CAF ι unanimously adopted a
resolution at their regular
monthly meeting on Thurs
day, November 18, expressing
its "deep concern about the
possible hardships the 12,000
daily bus riders might be
experiencing as a result of
the. strike, and particularly
the large number of low
income residents who might
not be able to get to work,
receive medical care or pur
chase food stamps."
Furthermore, CAF officials
accompanied an overflowing
crowd of mostly poor and
mostly black bus riders, and a
number of downtown retail
merchants, who pleaded with
the City Council on Monday to
take some action in an at
ννκιρν vu viiu ui\. ιυΛίαj jii inc.
Councilman Harvey Gantt
joined (he voices opposing cm
city's hands-off policy. He
proposed that the city send an
observer to the bargaining
sessions between the City
Coach Lines and the striking
bus drivers' union. Action on
Gantt's proposal was post
poned due to a technical point
in parliamentary procedure
Gantt told the Council fur
ther. "The relatively small
number of complaints coming
into the city from riders can
not be a serious measure of
the crisis we face. Many of the
citizens are poor, and are
often the least vocal about
making their plight known."
Gantt's comment was in
support of the CAF board's
resolution which "urges all
bus riders who have not been
able to find alternative means
of transportation to immedi
ately make their needs
known."
Sam Kornegay, CAF execu
tive director told the POST
upon leaving (he City Council
chamber, "the people here are
trying to make an impression
on the minds of those who
must make decisions about
transportation that the need to
end the strike is great, parti
cularly for low-income peo
ple "
In the meantime, the strike
remains at a stalemate as
Joseph Poquette, president of
City Coach Lines, say he will
hold firm to his offer of a
74-cent hourly raise and an
estimated 45-cents cost-of-liv
ing increase over two years
The bus drivers and their
union contend that they will
accept nothing less than a
$1 per hour increase plus the
cost-of-living increase
City Manager David Burk
halter responded to Council
man Gantt's proposal for city
involvement to help break the
stalemate by saying that to
send an observer to the nego
tiation sessions is "very bad"
for legal reasons and that such
action would "undermine our
management company's poei
tion." Apparently most coun
cil members supported Burk
halter's viewpoint.
One reason the City Coach
Lines is apparently taking
such a hard line in the negotia
tion is that company is on the
brink of negotiating its own
contract to continue managing
the bus system for the city. It
is the feeling of some who are
"in the know" that if the bus
managers looae in their dis
pute with the striking bus
drivers the city will not renew
their contract.