MO.il. U.C.
Violent Crime Is Making Human Jungle Of Cities .
By Hoy le Martin Sr.
Poet Executive Editor
"Increasing violent crime is
making a jungle of our cities
and our suburbs and blacks
are four times as likely as
whites to be mugged, raped
and assaulted." This is part of
the findings noted in an article
entitled "The Challenge of
Crime."
Written by Harry Fleisch
man, executive director of the
National Alliance for Safer
Cities and Race Relations Di
rector of the American Jewish
Community, New York City,
the article points out that in
1949 a gallop survey showed
that only four percent of big
city residents named crime as
their city's worst problem but
follow-up surveys show that
by 1975 that concern had risen
to 21 percent and surpassed
unemployment and inflation.
In fact, Mr. Fleischman com
ments that many law-abidding
urban dwellers walk the stre
ets mentally and pnysically
prepared to kill in defense of
themselves.
Other disturbing facts about
crime as reported by Fleisch
man are:
- 47' 2 percent of all murder
victims are black, yet blacks
make up less than 12 percent
of the nation's population;
- about 85 percent of all violent
crimes are committed by peo
ple of one race against people
of the same race;
• in 1975 violent crime in the
suburbs jumped 6 7 percent
while in cities of over 250.000 it
went up only 2.8 percent.
- two-thirds of ail arrests for
major crimes are committed
by people 21-years of age or·
younger*,
- youth between lti and 19
years of age suffered 93 vio
lent crimes per l.(HK) and the
elderly had 12 per 1.000 in
1974. however, fear of being
victimized has caused many
of the nation's 22 million elder
ly to isolate tnemseives in
self-imposed house arrest.
■ families with incomes below
S7.500 per year, suffer 45
violent crimes per l.ooo per
sons while the more wealthy
with incomes over S25.000
yearly have a rate of only 25
per 1.000.
a 1»(U Justice Department
national jail census revealed
that less than II percent uf ali
jails had edueationalrehabili·
tation program for inmates
and
the Joint Economic om
nilttee of Congress estimates
See CRIME " On Page 8
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THE CHABLOTTE POST
"Charlotte's Fastest Growing Community Weekly"
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BLACK CONSUMERS ·
VOL. 4 NO. 20
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA-28208-Thursday, Nov 24. 1977
PRICK 25c
IMI1 ■ ^ _■
In Observance Of Thanksgiving;
Area Churches Will Hold
Special Prayer Services
ATTRACTIVE LUGENIA THOMPSON
~~.J\'orth Carolina National Bank Teller
, t
Mrs. Lugenia Thompson j
Is "Beauty Of The Week"
By Jeri Harvey
Post Staff Writer
This week, The POST Beau
ty of the Week is Lugenia
Thompson and she was re
commended by a customer of
the Morehead St. branch of
North Carolina National Bank
(NCNB) where she works as a
teller. Her bright smile and
sunny disposition were so im
pressive the customer felt a
lot of people should know
about her.
Born and reared in Char
lotte, Lugenia attended West
Charlotte High for three years
but spent her senior year at
Garinger and graduated in
1971.
Immediately after gradua
tion she married Robert
Thompson and they have two
daughters, four year old Tha
misha and Takeya, who is
five. Robert is a truck driver
for Observer Transportation,
••jor four years Lugenia wor
ked as a grocery cashier and
then applied for a job at
NCNB, where she was hired
and given a three week train
ing period before becoming a
teller.
Of her work at NCNB she
says, "I had thought a lot
about being a bank teller
before I applied and I'm really
glad I did it. The people I work
with are very warm and kind.
But especially, I enjoy meet
ing the public. You might say
1 m just a plain person who
enjoys people."
She mentioned that on the
day of the interview she was
busy making preparations for
a large family dinner the next
day. "One of my biggest plea
sures is having my family
around me," she said. "My
family and my church are
very important to me. 1 mar
ried young and at first my
husband and I were pretty
wild, like a lot of young people,
but now we've settled down
and being marrièd to a good
man who cares about his
family and seeing my children
grow up in a home where God
is gives me pleasure every
day."
1 The Thompsons belong to
Jeruselem Church of God and
the pastor is Bishop Matthew
Brown. Lugenia is an usher
and a member of the Gospel
Chorus. Outside of her job and
church activities, she spends
her spare time sewing for
herself and the girls and she
and her husband often have
friends in for dinner and an
evening of fellowship.
Lugenia's parents are Mr.
and Mrs. Howard Calloway.
Her father, who is retired,
babysits with Thamisha and
Takeya is in kindergarten.
Talking to Lugenia makes it
hard to be sad. Her good
natured, friendly manner co
mes over so strong it bright
ens up the dreariest day.
N.C. Motorists Will
Pay More For Gasoline
According to a survey re
leased Monday by the Caro
lina Motor Club, the holiday
turkey won't be the only one
•
arouna getting it in ine neck
this Thanksgiving. Consider
the plight of the poor North
Carolina motorist, who will
have to cough up over 3 cen
more per gallon than what the
national average price was
last year for regular grade
gasoline.
The Tar Heel motorist will
be paying an average of 64.Î
cents per gallon for regular
The national average last
Thanksgiving for regular gra
de gas was computed at 61.!
cents per gallon
In a spot check of 75 retail
gasoline outlets scattered
throughout the state, the clut
found the average prevailing
price at full-service station!
for premium gas will run 68 f
cents per gallon, an unleaded
regular, 67.3 centa. Diesel fue
prices will average 5β.7 centi
per gallon.
ΌΚΠΜΜΧ
^ ν
...If a MAN could have HALF
his wishe· he would DOUBLE
his TROUBLES.
She talks about God as if he
were a personal friend who
walks with her daily and says,
"Without God I can't do any
thing, with him I can do any
thing," and she added "Also,
it may sound corny to say so
but I've found that if you
smile, things go better. You
know the old saying, 'Smile
and the world smiles with
you.' Well. I've found it works
for me."
A lovely person, not just on
the outside, but inside, where
it counts most. We wanted you
to meet her because her kind
is hard to find these days.
Schools, P. Ο-,
Gty Offices To
Gone For Holiday
By Cynthia Bell
Post Staff Writer
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools and all departments of
the Charlotte City Govern
ment will be closed to observe
the Thanksgiving holiday. The
schools offices, and the Edu
cation Center will be closed on
Thursday and Friday, Nov. 24
and 25, providing students and
employees with a long holi
day Classes will resume and
offices will reopen Monday,
Nov. 28.
All offices in City Govern
ment will be closed Nov. 24,
Thanksgiving Day, and reop
en Friday at 8 a.m. for busi
ness. "There will be no back
yard garbage collection on
Thanksgiving Day," accord
ing to Marylyn L. Williams of
the Charlotte Clean City Com
t mittee. Normally collection is
scheduled on Monday and
Thursday, and on Tuesday
and Friday . Due to the holiday
it will be on Monday and
Wednesday and Tuesday and
! Friday. Each residence will
have its two pick up· during
the we«k keeping the city in
line with it* clean city cam
paign. Curbeide collection will
be eliminated during the week
and leaf crews will operate on
a Monday, Wednesday, and
Friday schedule.
The York Road Landfill will
also be closed on Thanksgiv
ing Day, and the Charlotte
Animal Shelter located at 2700
Toomey Ave. will be open
from 8 a.m. to β p.m. provid
ing only emergency services.
Bealer To
/
Vid King
Statue Drive
By Jeri Harvey
Post Staff Writer
A drive to benefit the Dr.
lartin Luther King Jr Statue
oundation and, at the same
ime, keep the Queen City the
lean city is being sponsored
y Bealer Wholesale Distribu
ons, in cooperation with the
leygolds Recycling Center.
Persons wishing to partici
pate in this undertaking shou
d bring all alumninum cans
hey can get their hands on to
Jie Recycling Center, 3000 Ε
Independence Blvd. on Satur
lay, December 10. At that
Lime they may make an on
the-spot contribution to the
statue drive and receive a
receipt for their tax-deducti
ble gift. At the end of the day
when all contributions have
been totaled, that amount will
be matched by the sponsors
and a check presented, later in
the week, to Rev. James Bar
nett, chairman of the fund
drive.
Robert A. Barnett, assistant
manager of Bealer Wholesale,
distributor for Anheuser Bus
ch, Inc., said, "We were a
ware of the foundation's need
for additional funds and we
saw. this as an opportunity to
strengthen our civic ties with
the community while aiding
the ecology at the same time."
Posters will soon appear
around the city advertising
this venture and it is hoped
that church, civic, fraternal,
school, social and other gro
upe and individuals will enlist
this relatively painless means
of bringing the statue drive to
successful close.
A competition is being or
ganized on the JCSU campus
among groups of students and
winners will be treated to a
victory party by Bealer
See BEALER On Page ο
i
Rev. H.S. Diggs
...concerned for others
ι·
V. «.
Rev Robert Walton
...County Commissioner
Rev George Ε Battle
Dynamic young minister
Blacks and The Energy Crisis
Editor's Note...This The Third
In A Series About BLACKS
AND THE ENERGY CRISIS
By Mark Hyman
Mark Hyman Associates, Inc.
At the very beginning Pre
sident Carter's Energy Plan,
which is projected to 1985, has
a definite impact on Blacks
and poor people with fixed
incomes.
For home owners his plan
offers a two hundred dollar
tax break on the first $800
spent on home insulation. If a
homeowner spent $2,200, a
four hundred and ten dollar
tax break would be allowed.
Realistically this places an
additional burden on low in
come homeowners and people
with fixed incomes. Either
they will have to spend their
precious savings or make un
desirable loans Representa
tive Charles Rangel of New
York, the Black member of
the House Ad Hoc Select Com
mittee on Energy says:
"For many increased ener
gy costs means that they must
choose between keeping warm
and having enough to eat."
President Carter's Plan em
phasises energy conservation
rather than finding new sour
ces of energy ( if red tape were
eliminated, nuclear energy
would provide adequate ener
gy clean and reliable). He
feels that Americans can de
crease their energy consump
lion without affecting the high
standard of living. Overlooked,
here is the fact that millions of
blacks and the poor have
never gained the higher stan
dard of living. What this indi
cates is that they will never
get it.
Carter suggests that tests
show that apartment buildings
can save thirty percent of
electrical costs by installing
separate electric meters on
each unit. Again the cost for
energy is passed on to the poor
and people of fixed income.
The President's Plan tou
ches on coal conversion for
industries...conversion from
oil and natural gas; that they
convert to coal burning No
one seems to mention the
growing difficulty associated
with the mining of coal, both
from the technical and envi
ronmental standpoints The
environmentalists have ma
neuvered such prohibitive le
gislation on the books of some
mining states that effective
mining will incur exorbitant
costs. Then, after it is mined,
there are even stringent regu
lations as to how the coal car
be burned ir the plants Ir
order to keep from polluting
the air, environmentalists
have suggested plants use
"scrubber " Actually the cost
of installing and maintaining
scrubbers can eventually cos
more than the plants them
selves, .which makes for a
losing proposition. Even at
this, who would eventually
pay for it all'.' The consumer of
energy And who would be
even deeper behind the econo
mic eight ball0 Blacks and the
poor.
The President suggest so
lar energy" as an alternate
source of inexpensive energy
for warming, lighting and
cooling the home. Again, for
the poor and people of fixed in
comes this can seem like a
Logan's Run contraption. The
plan would allow 40 percent on
the first one thousand dollars
spent by the homeowner on
solar equipment and installa
tions. How much equipment
would a thousand dollars get'1
The plan further allows 25
percent tax credit on the next
$6,400 How do little people
raise this kind of money in the
first place?
Λ danger lurks in the energy
crisis for every body...espe
cially inner city people We
will definitely need more ener
gy and more sources of ener
gy Where nuclear plants or
electric generating plants cou
Id provide the answer, prevail
ing red tape would extend
building time to fifteen years
There are 30 regulating agen
cies alone governing that ma
ny facets of nuclear plant
building requirements
Meanwhile the predictions
are that the coming winter
will be as severe as the last
one
Next In The Series: The
Raw Facts
Conference
On ( rimirial
Ί
Jiietice Set
A two day conference or
"Blacks and the Criminal Jus
tice System will be held or
December l · 2 at Shav
University in Raleigh, NC
according to Charles Cobb
executive director of the Unit
ed Church of Christ's Commis
sion For Racial Justice
Keynote speakers for th<
affair will be Congressmai
John Conyers ι D Mich t am
Reginald Kaves, the first bla
ck Commissioner of Publi
Safety in Atlanta. (Georgia
Hoyle Martin Named
Assistant Director Of CD
Hoyle Martin has been nam
ed assistant director of Char
lotte's Community Develop
ment (CD) Department.
The appointment, which is
effective immediately, was
made by Community Develop
ment Director Vernon L. Saw
yer. Martin replaces E.W.
Waddell who retired in March,
1977 after serving 10 years
with the department.
Martin, 47, will direct the
Relocation and Economic De
velopment Division and its 25
employees. He will plan and
manage the CD manpower
recruiting program developed
to provide employment for
residents of the Community
Development target areas He
also will be responsible for the
relocation of families and
businesses, affirmative action
Jm
Hoyle Martin
Poet'» executive editor
and equal opportunity pians
and assistance efforts for local
minority contractors
Martin is a native of Broo
klyn, New York and graduat
ed magna cum laude from
Benedict College He holds a
masters of economics degree
from Syracuse University and
has completed other studies at
the University of Missouri,
Emory University and North
Carolina State University
A college teacher for 12
years, Martin entered the field
of administration as a director
of the Charlotte Opportunities
Industrialization Center, Inc.
in 1968 From 1969 1972 he
served as director of the
Charlotte Concentrated Em
pioyment Program He was
coordinator of Extension and
Continuing Education for'
UNC-C from 1972-76 For the
past year he has been editor of
THE CHARLOTTE POST and
a lecturer in economics at
UNC-C
Martin and his wife. Rose,
have four children They at
tend Berean Seventh Day Ad
ventist Church
Many Will
Distribute
Food Baskets
By Jeri Harvey
Post Staff Writer
Thanksgiving Day for nu»
Americans means famille? co
ming together, tables loatied
with food. football game: pa
rade watching: and the b^t
breathing spell before get' : u;'
down to serious préparai i'iivs
tor Christmas
It is also a time to pause and
consider the blessings u < have
received over the past ν ear
As is always the cuslt'ii
many local churches will hoid
special'services on or belote
the holiday Some eoiigrega
tions will combine tor joint
services and many v. ill iistri
bute food baskets to the needy
or treat them ο special- din
ners In general, it i- a time
for graditude and sharing
A number ol area ministers
w-ere ι ontacted and asked to
share their feelings atiout
Thanksgiving Collectively .
they agreed that there is much
for most of us to lie grate!ul
for, and that the best way to
show gratitude for blessings
received is to share those
hl< ssings with the les* fortu
nal··.
I'ere arc some ol the mdivi
dua! uays they expressed
their views
( ounty commissioner Ko·
bei t Walton, who is also pastor
ol st Paul United Presbyleri
ai church said. "Thanksgiv
ing 1 >av is perhaps the second
πνΜ important day in our
year with Christmas t>eing
most significant Thanksgiv
ing Day gives us, as indivi
duals and a nation, an oppor
tumty to pause to be thankful
foi the many, many blessings
provided by God and his son.
Jesus Christ
My greatest jo\ is being
al>le to look around and see
that I am helping someone
Those were the words of Rev.
George Ε Battle, the dynamic
young minister of Greater
(«ethsemane AME Zion Chur
ch
I led mis is me oniy way ι
ran show f»od how t(rnleful
I am, by sharing my resources
of strength with the weaker
and neglected ones in my
community," he added
Rev I^emar Foster, pastor
of Second Calvary Baptist
Church, said, "I look upon
Thanksgiving as stemming
from the principal of 'Going
hack a second time ' We asK
for favors so often, but often
fail to return a second time to
offer thanks for the many
blessings we receive from (»od
and friends "
The pastor of Silver Mount
Baptist Church in Pineville.
Rev Raymond I>ee Jr. obser
vedthat. "Thanksgiving ought
, to be an every day expression
! of gratitude, not by words
I alone, but by our best atti
tudes. good actions and deeds:
rendered each other from day
See CHURCHES On Page 10