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Vol 4 No 49 _
-:-'.- CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28208-THURSDAY. JUNE 29. 1978
——-—^^^_ _ Price 25c
LOVELY LESLIE VANESSA COLSTON
—Native Of Neve York City
Energetic Leslie V. Colston
Is “Beauty Of The Week”
uy l/cui a outiney
Post Staff Writer
Energetic Leslie Vanessa
Colston is the Post Beauty of
the Week. A native of New
York City, Vanessa has been
in Charlotte for about five
years. She mentioned that
Charlotte is quite a change
from New York, but she feels
; pace is-a defi
^ V3vantage.
^cK^A-'lhnner office supervisor
’ w Service Merchandise,
—Vanessa In now employed as a
Contest Coordinator for Big
Ways Radio. She attended
both Central Piedmont Com
/» ■ . _
mumty College and Johnson
C. Smith University where she
majored in Commercial Art
and Communications, respect
ively.
talented in the art
anessa cited that art is
she has always
with the public,
-Vanessa chuse to major in
communications and hopes
someday to be on radio and,
possibly, television. She even
UJ ^Hanging juries
Area Fund Deals
4 *
With “Flexibility” __
uy Lancia r lorence
Post Staff Writer
Flexibility is what the Char
lotte Area Fund is all about,
according to agency executive
director, T. H. Sanders. Last
week, Sanders talked about
the benefits of flexibility in
such an agency.
“We need to be flexible so
that we can serve the needs of
the people who don’t come
under the guidelines of other
community agencies,”
Sanders said
“We are the only agency
going that deals with the
flexibility of the changing
time. We are given the
fflTTtude to change as the needs
of the people change,'' San
ders explained.
But in order to stay abreast
of the changing needs of the
people, Sanders said the 42
person administrative and
outreach staff must contini
ously stay in touch and assess
the needs of the people
CAF is a federally funded
non-profit private Community
Action agency set up to assist
the poor
Sanders, 37, who joined CAF
about a month and a half ago
admits he's still learning
about the specifics of CAF
But community action agenc
ies are not new to the Forsyth
Nothing makes some pe.,»,le
go into debt like trying to keep
w*th People who already «*r«.
county native.
Sanders, came to CAF from
the State Economic Opportu
nity Office in Raleigh. Before
that, he'd worked at the Davie
County Community Action
Agency.
Having come from a poor
background, Sanders said he
could identify with the poor.
He said -that flexibility in
assisting the poor is one thing
that attracted him to CAF.
Sanders isn’t sure of the
exact number of people that
CAF is presently serving. But
he estimated that between
85,000 and 90,000 Mecklenburg
residents are eligible for ser
vices.
To be eligible for assistance
a non-farm family of four
must not earn over $6,200 a
year. A farm family the same
size must not earn over $5,270
a year.
n__ J__<_«_
cmiiui a uu (A.iui
of CAF field operations, said
the agency doesn’t attempt to
speak for the poor an elderly,
but instead, “assist in organi
zing and enabling the poor to
speak for themselves.”
For example, a CAF repre
sentative might contact an
already existing senior citizen
organization such as Senior
Citizens United or The Council
on Aging They would help the
group organize or prioritize
their needs, assist in planning
an agenda or strategy to
accomplish those needs and if
necessary assist in a letter
writing campaign to the
legislatures
Or if the group wanted to
present a proposal to the
Count) l xinmissioners, the
representative might assist
the group in planning a pro
senlation. according to Ms
McMullen
CAF is presently serving
nearly loo senior citizens with
their Hot Meals Urogram
Snf c of the meals are car
ri' 'i • •• o the citizens, but the
See t Ac on Cage 12
has plans, if the opportunity
presents itself, of hosting her
own show. She commented, "I
am very fond of people, and I
do like to deal with the public;
I'd like to host my own TV
show and be successful in the
communications field."
Vanessa described herself
as being "very happy, pretty
easy going, outgoing at times,
energetic, talented, with an
occasional temper tout rartiy
often), I have made a close
circle of friends, my disposi
tion is generally good, and feel
^hat-nothing is mnrp relaxing
than spending a nice evening
at home with a close friend,”
she concluded.
Vanessa didn’t have to tell
me all those things for me to
know that she is such an
outstanding individual. Her
attitude spoke much louder
than her words, and it is the
type that will carry her far on
the road to success, in com
munications or whatever else
she may choose.
vanessa, at tne ripe anu
prosperous age of 22, is also
the possessor of a political
streak. She is a member of the
Young Democrats, and has
also considered being a public
servant of some sort.
She also possesses a type of
philosophy that she expressed
as “a person's inside beauty is
much more important than
outside beauty; outside
beauty does not last.”
Vanessa attends East Stone
wall AME Zion Church, and
shares an apartment with a
rabmmate.
She is the daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Dan and Memphis
Colston of New York.
54 Page Publication On Brooklyn
Community Will Be Released Shortly
n.. O! J_* a__
l IIUI J niWICtfli
_ Post Staff Writer
' Selecf&r phoTograpffS fTorrr
the Brooklyn community slide
collection of the Rev
DeGrandval Burke have been
printed in booklet form.
The 54-page publication is
part of the results of extensive
research by the 68-year-old
retired religious educator
Presentations of his work
have been made to community
groups Burke has appeared
on television to discuss black
culture and history regarding
the Brooklyn section of Char
lotte
His work has been spon
sored by The Afro-American
Cultural and Service Center in
Spirit Square. The center has
had 1.000 booklets printed and
will sell them
With this project under
wraps. Burke is planning to
extend his study of black
history to include all of Char
lotte and Mecklenburg
County He said the study
began two years ago when his
last class at Johnson C. Smith
University (JCSU) surveyed
the history of area churches
The fact that many
churches traced their begin
nings to the Brooklyn area
perked Burke's interest
Further study snowballed
after his retirement from the
university He worked there
for 18 vears
Since retirement. Burke has
become known as a local
expert on the culture and
lifestyles of Brooklyn
In a recent interview. Burke
said Brooklyn probably began
as a community of service
workers for whites who occu
pied houses along Morehead
and in the Dilworth section
The Brooklyn neighborhood
apparently represented the
beginning of urbanization of
blacks in this area
JCSU started in Brooklyn.
Kcv DeCrandval Burke ,
Kelired religious educator
according-lo Hwrtce A-gdt ol
land in what was then consi
dered the country established
the university at its present
location
Another pervasive influence
was Second Ward High .School,
said Burke It was established
in l»2:f West Charlotte High
.V-hool was ouin in 193«
Myers Street Elementary
School also played a signifi
cant role
Before these public schools
went into operation, blacks
either did not go to school or
they went to private, usually
church related schools JCSU
had a high school for many
years, Burke said
Mis research nas show n that
the county began to educate
blacks as far back as DM I.
before the Civil War.
Burke complained that
many official records are
lacking to validate the history
of the black community Me
said much ol the material he
has developed luo. (null1 miffi
private rather than public
sources.
The former educator and
minister is a native of nearby
Matthews Me holds advanced
degrees in religion and was
recently named to Who s Who
Among Black Americans
Study Shows
Progress, Disappointment
Have Marked Black Progress
" _
New Program
To Aid Poor,
Jobless People
A new government program
makes it possible for poor
jobless people to make money,
go to school and get a job.
It is called the Skill Training
Improvement Program
(STIP), an extension of Title
III of the Comprehensive
Employment and Training
Act (CETA). Local CETA
supervisor, Anne Goodman
said the program will help
disadvantaged people that
have aptitude but no money to
go to school to learn a trade.
Another purpose for the pro
gram is to meet industry
needs for skills, according to
material from the State De
partment of Commerce in
Raleigh. The department has
arranged to begin the new
program at Central Piedmont
Community College (CPCC)
with a metal working class. It
has been determined that such
skills are needed in the Char
lotte area.
Ernest Standback. director
of adult education and con
tractual program at CPCC,
said 18 participants will be
admitted from Mecklenburg
and 12 from Gaston Counties.
He explained that participants
would enroll in regular
courses ancT otherwise be
treated as continuing educa
tion students.
Participants will receive
$2.65 an hour for 30-hours per
week training over a six
month period. Other STIP
courses may take up to 15
depending on occupational
requirements.
Job placements are antici
pated upon completion of the
program.
To qualify for entry into the
program, an applicant must
have been out of work for 15
weeks or employed earning
wages below the poverty level.
-Post’s photographer Milton Hinnant found
local citizens who are beattng the beet in the
current M degree plus weather by spending
considerable time in local swimming pool.
S’een above enjoying a refreshing swim in the I
po»i at Revolution Park CdAer is Atrthbrry
Gr.*y.
^aa ^ --—-j.,j
tsiacK Leaders Agree
Charlotte Urban League
Has “Very Good Chance”
ny i.inua r lorence
Post Staff Writer
A Charlotte Urban League is
in the making and has a very
good chance of being develo
ped. according to several
members of the Urban league
sponsoring committee who
were contacted this week.
The Urban League, accord
ing to some committee mem
bers, is a non-profit organiza
tion, dedicated to improve the
total economic and social lot
of the minority and poor
white.
"The climate is right at this
time, to bring a chapter of the
Urban League to Charlotte,”
said Willie J. Stratford Sr. a
sponsoring committee mem
ber who led an unsuccessful
drive to bring the Urban Lea
pt'* to Charlotte in 1970.
1 he tirst time around, Strat
ford a U.S. Postal official said
he felt the organization was
misunderstood and didn't re
ceive the needed support of
the Charlotte business com
—munity.
While few major companies
supporrted the drive the first
time, this time, the Urban
League has already been
endorsed by the Charlotte
Chamber of Commerce, All
state Insurance, Western
Electric, Wells Fargo and
Exxon; to name a few
On Friday, Vernon Jordan,
the Urban League's National
president, will be in Charlotte
to speak to the sponsoring
committee and other commu
nity leaders about raising
money.
Jordan, 43, succeeded the
late Whitney Young, as head
of the Urban League in 1972.
He is also former head of the
Voter Education Project in
Atlanta and directed the
United Negro College Fund
work, I probably wouldn't be a
part of it,” said David Taylor,
sponsoring committee and
vice president at Celanese
“My basic feeling is that
every single year the relation
ship between minority and
white business community
gets better l think there's a
feeling of fairness in each of
us; and I think we realize the
black community hasn't got
ten a good a shake as de
served,” Taylor explained this
week.
Taylor said that there are
more '‘totally qualified
blacks" being placed in more
responsible positions and
added that 16 percent of the
work force is black
“We need each other We
need the total community and
total economic system
working,” he said
Efforts to establish a local
chapter began with a study to
determine the gaps between
blacks and whiles in all major
program areas; such as:
housing income, employment,
education, social services,
health and welfare
After that, an interracial
sponsoring committee was
named
"A lot of work has been
done, but there's still an awful
lot of work to be done. " Taylor
said
He said the firsl year's goal
is lo raise between $35.000 and
$50,000 "Then come the
naming of the board of direct
ors and staff development.
Taylor explained
Under the national guide
tines, each local group muni
raise its own money and re
ceive only special program
grants from the national
office
The Urban league began in
New York in 1910 as The
Committee on Urban Condi
lions Among Negroes
Blacks
Still Have
A Dream
oiuiicv muore Jr
Post Staff Writer
Progress and disappoint
ment have marked the 13
years since the 1965 march
from Selma to Montgomery,
Alabama.
Since that historic march,
176 blacks have been elected
as mayors. Congress has 17
black men and women. There
is a black on the U.S. Supreme
Court and aitcfther represents
the U.S. at the United Nations.
A black woman is a member
of the President's Cabinet.
Advances have been made in a
” number of- areas—including—
government and business
Vet, over a fourth of all
black families still live below
the poverty line of $5,815 for
an urban family of four.
Unemployment is over twice
as high for blacks at 13 per
cent as it is for whites at five
percent.
I iHlPC thrill’ K1 or»b innn inn
unemployment at 42 percent
Many either drop out of high
school or graduate without
employable skills.
Influential blacks have
many opinions as to what
should—be- -done to_further
progress in their community
They represent achievement
and are often forced to
acknowledge disappoint.
"Black people have to stop
depending on the government
federal, state and city-as their
saviour. We're starting to get
the tools. Now, we must go out
and do it ourselves," said
tennis player Arthur Ashe.
He said there are scholar
ships for the talented, jobs for
those who have ability and
better jobs for those who can
tough it out
Muslim leader Wallace D.
Muhammed also emphasizes
self-help
"Our community is stress
ing self-knowledge We feel a
person has to know himself,
have a sense of identity and
faith in his potential, before he
can accomplish anything,"
said the 44-year old religious
leader
Some leaders sav education
is the ticket to prosperity
others say jobs are the key
v\e should start looking to
international markets for jobs
and business opporlunities.''
according to Andrew Young.
C S Ambassador to the U N.
"For example. Nigeria, one of
ihc richest African countries
because of its huge oil re
serves. wants products that
are essentially made in
America Because of our
imports of its oil. we huve
a multi billion dollar trade
deficit with Nigeria that could
lx- reduced by exporting more
ot our gixxfs [here
The lormer Congressman
rntrfTTTRat Nigeria plans to
spend about SH billion this year
on health, agriculture, educa
tion and industrial develop
ment But the aggressive
Africans otten seein mtimida
ling to white businessmen.
Noting recommends integra
ted trade negotiation teams