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. ****"— I “Charlotte s r astest Growing Community Weekly” I black consumers «
_;_—. CHARLOTTE. NORTH 1
i^^ * HICK 25c
MISS CYNTHIA HOOVER
,~J$elk » sales manager
Lovely Cynthia Hoover
Is “Beauty Of The Week”
n.. i_: it._...
Host Staff Writer
Lovely Cynthia Hoover, The
Post Beauty of the Week,
credits daily jogging for keep
ing her body and mind in
shape. “I run religiously eve
ry morning 101 ai feist a
mile,” she told us, “and more,
if possible. I’ve been jogging
seriously for the past four or
five months and it’s a wonder
_ _ /
ful way to relieve tension and
get my day started before
going to work. After I jog my
whole body feels alive and
good and I enjoy putting on
makeup and dressing for the
dav." '
Cynthia is a native of the
Queen City and is sales mana
ger in the cosmetic and acces
sories department at Belk’s in
Eastland Mall. In that capaci
ty she supervises a staff of 25 -
30 persons and is responsible
for scheduling working hours,
merchandise display “and an
ything that comes up," she
said.
A graduate of North Meck
lenburg, Cynthia studied fash
ion merchandising at King's
College. She’s been with
Belk's for three years, begin
ning in the Jr Sports depart
ment and moving into her
present position about a year
and a half ago.
She describes her job at
Belk’s as "fantastic." “I real
ly get a kick out of helping
women complete their fashion
costume with accessories and
makeup,” she explained, add
ing, "After a woman has
selected her basic outfit she
the right finishing touches or
the whole effect she was striv
ing for will be ruined.”
If she ever leaves Belk's our
beauty said she’d like to be a
traveling makeup artist. She
recently met Gwen England,
who travels for the Flori Ro
berts line, and frankly admits
she "idolizes" Gwen.
Twenty-two year old Cyn
thia is the daughter of Mrs.
Doris Withers and has an
older sister, Ms. Doris Wat
son; a 16 year old brother,
James; and an 18 year old
brother, Melvin, who graduat
ed from North Mecklenburg
High this past spring. He’s
now attending Arizona State
University on a full football
scholarship and his big sister
is busting with pride for him.
Cynthia attends Mount Olive
Baptist Church and Rev Max
B. Mcllwain is her minister.
Minority Businesses
Face New Problems
“The halcyon days of the
1960’s when minority business
es could exist because they
were minority owned, are
gone,” stated Charles Jordan,
who has recently joined Urban
National Corp. (UNC), the
Boston-based minority ven
ture capital firm
“The 1970's are a time of
honesty for ail minority busi
nesses. The money which exis
ted in abundance during the
1960’s to finance minority own
ed companies has all but
vanished,” Jordan comment
ed.
“There are a series of abso
lutes for the success of any
business -- managers must
* possess sound business skills,
there must be adequate capi
tal, and a dynamic market
place must exist for the pro
ducts which are produced.
Minority owned companies
must meet these absolutes.”
Jordan, who recently left
Bankers Trust Co. in New
York to become a vice presi
dent of UNC, is confident that
minority owned and managed
businesses can prosper and
grow throughout the U.S.
“My decision to join UNC,
and even the fact that UNC
exists, underlines our com
mon belief in this process,”
Jordan said.
Urban National Crop, was
founded in 1971 with the ex
press purpose of providing a
source of capital for minority .
entrepreneurs
UNC’s $10 million invest
ment fund was provided by 24
institutions and corporations
such as Crum and Forster,
Harvard University, Mutual
Life Insurance Co. of New
York and Mobil Oil Corp.
Comprised chiefly of minority
professionals in the areas of
business, finance and law,
UNC has helped over 14 mino
rity entrepreneurs found busi
nesses in industries as varied
as supermarkets and electro
nirs
NAACP Demands
r
Senate Delay
Retirement Bill
NAACP Executive Director
Benjamin L. Hooks this week
deplored the "unprecedented
haste" in which Congress has
been moving to amend the
nation’s mandatory age re
tirement law. He called for the
Senate to postpone action for
at least a year to permit
"proper examination and stu
dy of the impact of these
revisions.”
He especially noted the ad
verse effect* that changes to
the Age Discrimination in Em
ployment Act would have on
efforts to implement affirma
tive action programs to pro
vide minorities and women
with job opportunities and also
on teen-age employment. Mr.
Hooks' comments were made
at a news conference on Wed
nesday.
He contrasted the speedy
action on this bill to Congress'
inability to adopt a meaning
ful program to end the na
tion's critical youth unemploy
ment problem and to adopt
full employment legislation
"We recognize that elderly
people have special needs, and
we are concerned about
them," he said, "we also
undersand that they represent
a rapidly growing constituen
cy who need special attention.
But these revisions are being
tair»n without proper study."
»
FRUSTRATION is not hav
ing anyone to BLAME but
YOURSELF
Median Family Income Up;
Poverty Population Drops
Why Young
People Do
Not Vote?
By Dannette Gaither
Post Staff Writer
The 18 year old was given
the right to vote, but a majori
ty of the young people don’t
exercise that right. At age 18
you are legally of age and can
do most things any other adult
can do. So why don’t more
young people register to vote?
In a recent survey conduc
ted by the POST, the question
of whether you are registered
and if so have you voted in an
election was asked of some
young people There were nu
merous answers given in re
sponse to the question:
M. Ann Gaither, a 24 year
old special student at J.C.
Smith said, “I'm registered,
but at the time of the presiden
tial election it didn’t make any
difference. I felt God would let
the best man win.”
Tanya Scot, a 22 year old
junior at J.C. Smith stated,
"I'm not registered and it
doesn’t make any difference
whether I vote or not, because
I feel that the mafia runs the
country anyway.”
Michael Deese, another 22
year old junior on the camDus
of J.C. Smith, said, “I'm not
registered because I wasn't
into any of the candidates. I
felt one would do just as good
as the other." However, he did
say he plans to register some
time in th future.
Out of the people interview
ed the majority were register
ed and most had voted in some
type of election. An unusually
large number are not regis
tered and do not seem to be
interested in doing so.
"There must be a lack of
interest in politics on the part
of the young people. Or the
politicians just aren't reach
ing this percent of the popula
tion. Whatever the reason, it’s
time the young people took an
interest in the way things are
being handled. Even though
they don't vote, the decisions
that are made concern them
also. Another thing is that if
they don’t vote, they won’t
have the right to say anything
about the decisions that are
made, even if they do concern
them." is the consensus.
The youth of today are the
leaders of tommorrow, if this
is the case, with the lack of
interest in politics on the Dart
of the youth, where will the
leaders of tommorrow come
from?
r ^ , -.wm
Fireman are shown at a recent blaze that
destroyed an abandoned house near Derita.
The fire was of undertermine<^origin. A
spokesman from the Charlotte Fire Depart
Photo by Douglas Tnompson
ment said it was out of control when
discovered by a passerby and little could be
done except contain it. There were no nearby
buildings.
Write-In Candidate
Bozo Says He Will Install
Windmill Atop NCNB Building
By Jeri Harvey
Post Staff Writer
He prefers to be called
"Bozo" and says if elected
mayor of Charlotte one of his
first official acts will be to
install a windmill atop the
NCNB Building as an emer
gency source of energy in case
of a blackout such as the ones
New York City has experienc
ed. After that he'll get busy
doing away with all city pro
perty taxes and reorganizing
city government.
Bruce Eugene Burleson is
campaigning for the mayor's
job as a write-in candidate and
admits he may be behind
because of scant media expo
sure but he's dead serious
about the whole thing and
talked freely in an interview
on Monday afternoon about
his plans for Charlotte, if
elected
"The main thing I want you
to write,” he said, "is for
people to slide the Number 1
write-in cover back when they
go in the voting booth, and
write in "Bozo”. Some of
them might not understand
you can write in the name of
somebody not listed on the
board, so you make that clear
to them.”
After explaining how he
could be voted for, "Bozo
went on to explain a few plans
he has for the city, including
how to finance the govern
ment after eliminating pro
perty taxes.
"I'd finance it by putting
liquor and cigarettes in the
drugstore where they belong,”
he said ernestly. ‘‘They're
drugs aren't they?"
When nobodv disagreed, he
continued. "That way all re
venues from them would go
directly to the city without the
Federal government, the state
ands the county getting a cut."
he reasoned.
As for city government, he'd
do away with payroll depart
ment and "let the banks han
dle the money like they're
supposed to.”
Next to go would be the
personnel department, with
all hiring being handled by the
Employment Security Com
mission thereafter. His rea
son0 "It would put a stop to
the 'buddy system' of hiring.
‘You hire my buddy and I'll
hire yours,' isn’t fair,” he
said. "That's why blacks and
poor whites can’t get good
jobs, they don't have no bud
dies in personnel."
Bozo has a solution or an
idea for just about any pro
blem one can imagine, and
doesn’t hesitate to expound
on them. He has experience
in a wide variety of occupa
tions, including sales repre
sentative, bricklayer, carpen
ter, engineer, road worker,
machine operator, profession
al wrestler, to name only a
few.
Often a candidate - repre
sentative, sheriff, mayor, gov
ernor of North Carolina and
President of the United States
- "Bozo" has been successful
only once. In 1967 he was
elected constable of Mitchell
County.
He says of that job, "My
trying to keep $34 million in
Mitchell County to get a road
built and good quality govern
ment, resulted later in then
Governor Dan K. Moore get
ting a law passed doing away
with the constables in North
Carolina As constable. I got
slot machines out of the coun -
ty, raided five stills, and a
doctor examine prisoners beat
up by the high sheriff and his
deputies, and had a woman
assigned to search female
prisoners I initiated a lot of
programs which weren't ac
cepted then, but were later
adopted and are being used
today "
At a recent clergy meeting
where mayoral candidates
were invited to speak to the
ministers. ' Bozo" claims ano
ther candidate "hogged all the
time" so he didn't get a
chance to talk much, but
figures he let them know he's
a serious candidate.
Serious, he is, and sincere
"After all." he offered, if I can
let a few people know that
here's a little ms" who under
stands the problems of other
little people, maybe they'll
figure I could help them.
Anyway, I got to try."
A 1951 graduate of Western
Carolia College, "Bozo" and
his wife, Nancy, have three
children Rebecca, David and
Bruce Jr He is employed with
Pneumafil Corporation,
j
Free The Wilmington 10”
Rally Scheduled For Noon Friday
By Jeri Harvey
Post Staff Writer
A “Free The Wilmington
10 Rally" will be held "on the
Square" at noon Friday, Oc
tober 28. The rall^r, sponsored
by the North Carolina Peo
ple's Alliance, is being held to
coincide with the Convention
of the North Carolina Bar
Association which will meet at
the Radisson Hotel Friday.
It is expected that Attorney
General Griffin Bell, Gover
nor Jim Hunt and Judge Susie
Sharpe will attend the Bar
Convention and a spokesman
for the People’s Alliance said,
"The rally will serve to re
mind them that the Wilming
ton 10 are still in prison."
The People’s Alliance is
described as "a statewide po
litical activist, multi-issue or
gamzation with no affiliation
with any national or interna
tional groups, whose primary
purpose is to promote social
and economic justice.” There
are reported to be chapters in
Durham, Winston-Salem, Cha
pel Hill, Greensboro and Char
lotte.
One of the scheduled speak
ers at the rally is Ann Shep
herd Turner, the only woman
and the only white member of
the Wilmington 10. She was
tried and convicted, along
with Rev. Ben Chavis and
eight other black males, of
arson and conspiracy follow
ing racial unrest in Wilming
ton in 1972. Ms Shepherd is
the only member of the group
to have been granted parole so
far
Other speakers inclusive in
Ben Chavis
this demonstration are mem
bers of the Charlotte Defense
of the N.C People's Alliance
Some Charlotte ministers will
also speak at the rally They
are: Kev. James Barnette,
who spearheads the drive for
erecting the Martin Luther
King Statue here; Rev. Walter
Cavers, President of the Black
Ministers Alliance, Rev. Bob
Walton, County Commissioner
for Mecklenburg County; and
Dr. Preston Pendergrass, who
is the pastor of the Antioch
Baptist Church on Skyland
Avenue
Dr Helen C Othow, sister of
Rev. Ben Chavis, feels that the
constitutional rights of our
black population have too long
been surpressed “Justice is
supposed to be for all, but
somehow that of the darker
complexioned man is always
abused Now is the time for
the Black population to band
together so voices can be
heard, and feelings express
ed "
Median
Income W as
$14,960
Family income Iasi year
increased more than enough
to overcome inflation and pro
duce the first real annual gain
for American families since
1973. the U S Department of
Commerce s Bureau of the
Census says in a new report
The report notes that the
median income of all U S
families in 1976 was $14,960, an
increase of 9 percent over the
1975 figure. After adjusting for
the 6 percent rise in prices
between 1975 and 1976, the 1976
median family income < in
terms of constant dollars
increased by $450 or about 3
percent.
Another piece of good news
in the report: The 1976 poverty
population declined 3.5 per
cent, or about 900,000 below
that of 1975 The poverty thre
shold for a nonfarm family of
four in 1976 was $5,813
The 3 percent increase in
real median family meom*
marks a sharp reversal from
the downward trend that had
prevailed since 1973. (he re
port says Heal median family
income decreased by 4 per
cent between 1973 and 1974 and
1974 and 1975 Thus. Ihe 1976
median family income of $14,
960 is still lower-ir. terms of
1976 constant doliars
1976 constant dollars--than the
1973 peak of $15,440
Reflecting the improvement
of the economy during 1976.
the number of persons elassi
fied as poor declined by ap
proximately 900,000 between
1975 and 1976, from 25.9 mil
lion to25.0 million. This was in
contrast to the preceding two
years when the number of
poor went up by 2 5 million
between 1974 and 1975 and by
1.3 million between 1973 and
1974
The report is based on a
nationwide survey of 65,500
households during March 1977
and also includes the follow ing
findings
White families had a me
dian income of $15,540 in 1976
which represented a 3 percent
constant dollar increase over
1975 following a 3 percent
constant dollar decrease from
1974 to 1975 In contrast, the
1976 median income of black
families ($9,240 showed no
statistically significant chan
ge in real terms either from
the previous year or from 1974
to 1975 In 1976 the median
income of families of Spanish
origin ($10,260) showed no
significant statistical change
from 1975 in real terms after a
decline of 8 percent between
'974 and 1975
macks
Facing
Lay-Offs
Blacks and other minority
workers who have filled over
90 percent of the 15,000 new
jot* created in shipbuilding
since 1969 may face lay-offs
next year
After 1978, many shipyard
facilities will have no guaran
tee for any work when existing
orders expire - compounding
the nation's unemployment
problems as shipyard job lay
offs occur Blacks and minori
ty workers would be hardest
hit, since many of them have
been more recently hired and
would have the least seniority