Bob Johnson ————
UJh QC S
niDCftino!
FESTIVAL TIME....It’s that time of year
again. Time for the annual Anita Stroud Festival
in the Park. For those few of you who may not be
familiar with this magnificent lady and some of
her accomplishments, let me enlighten you.
When twenty year old Anita Stroud, from
Chester, S.C., stepped off the bus in Charlotte
some 60 years ago, she brought, along with her
belongings, the dream of finding a job and saving
enough money to buy a large farm to “raise all
the children nobody else wanted.” Miss “Neet,”
as she’s affectionately called by her children,
hasn’t gotten the farm yet, but as a friend once
told her, and she agreed, she’s got the most
important part - the children.
ovi uuu aian i
give birth to any of h
“her” children. But she ?
has given them what she
says every child needs:
“food, a home and 1
someone to love them.” g
Even though she is ill "
right now, Miss “Neet” g
is at home making prep- I
arations to hopefully I
accompany her children *
to camp for the 40th j®
auiinner. c.igniy years BOD Jotmson
old, and stricken with diabetes and arthritis, this
woman with boundless energy is responsible for
sending a countless number of children to p«rnn
over the years. These a/e children who would
otherwise be unable to experience camp living
because of the economic situations in which their
families live. She sends not only children from
her Fairview Homes neighborhood, but from dll
over Charlotte and the surrounding areas.
Before she became ill, once a week you could
find Miss “Neet” teaching Bible to her
children (anywhere from 25 to 60 children,
depending on the number that showed up) in the
trailer in her backyard. You’d also find arts and
crafts classes in that trailer once a week, and on
holidays there were parties.
In Miss Stroud’s apartment, there’s a wall
covered with awards. Among them is a plaque
.dated March 29,1971 from the President of'the
United States, commendihg Anita Stroud “for
her humanitarian efforts” and “exceptional
l service to others.”
I Miss Stroud sells our children • way of life -
in something. They need to learn they’re worth
something. They,need love.”
The Anita Stroud Foundation, in its sixth year,
was created to perpetuate the work of Anita
Stroud. It’s our obligation to help our children,
and to show this “Black Angel” that someone
else cares and appreciates. Anyone willing to
help, mail contributions to: Anita Stroud
Foundation, 300 Hawthorne Lane, Charlotte,
N«C.
June 16 is the date for the 6th Anita Stroud
Festival. It will be held in Anita Stroud Park,
located between Fairview Homes on Oaklawn
Avenue, and Double Oaks Apartments on Double
Oaks Road. The festival will he sparked with
many activities - local bands will perform and
disco music will be rendered by local disc
jockeys along with performances by local dance
groups, just to name a few. If last year's festival
is any indication, then this year’s will be a real
great affair. The public is cordially invited to
participate in this function.
MAY FESnVAL....,#ToBe Young, Gifted and
Black” is the theme for a May Festival
presented by “Project ME”. Project ME is a
hand on the arm of the Youth Services Depart
ment on the body of the Housing Authority.
Project ME means that each young person has a
project, amt the project is himself.
The Festival will be held Saturday, May 26, in
the stadium on the campus of Johnson C. Smith
University.
There will be sack races, music of all types,
dances, poetry, drill team performances, wrap
ping of the May pole and many other family
related activities. Bring your chairs, blankets,
picnic lunches and what have you, and join the
! Youth Services Division of Charlotte’s Housing
1 Authority in "Project MB’s” 4-8 p.m. May
i Festival.
Atlanta ruN... .Atlanta, Georgia, com
: monly referred to as “Hotlanta” fay those who
venture for a taste of Southern hospitality, was
: the host city for the BATCH Traveling All-Stars
! match with the Gate City Racquet Club last
! weekend.
-f Sights such as The Underground, Piedmont
Park, Figure Eight Disco, Paschal’s Restau
rant and Motel, Six Flags and The Varsity were
visited by the Stars.
Seen playing tennis and having fun were
Robyn Gool, Mr. and Mrs. Larry Crisco, Ernie
Felder, Mr. and Mrs. Wilbur Young, Mr. and
Mrs. Cornell Whitley, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Parker, James Cuthbertson, Mr. and Mrs.
Wilbur Young, Tom Brown, Xavier Artis, Mr.
and Mrs. Goldwyn Parker, Don Morgan, Fred
Thompson, Lorraine Taylor, Eureatha Taylor,
Polly Williams, Dana Berry, Derrick Milligan,
Tony White, John Murphy, Eric Abrams. Brian
Murphy and Doodie Murphy.
Newcomer Rockie Robbins Faces Great New BeeinnW
by Sherleen McKoy
Post Staff Writer
The road to success is often
paved with mounting
obstacles, repeated failures,
utter despair and long dura
tion.
Sometimes that very same
road with the intervention of
the hand of fate (usually on
very rare occasions), may
have just a bump or two
before the initial destination is
reached.
So it was with Rockie
Robbins in the latter ..a new
face, a debut album and a
great new beginning!
A native of Minneapolis,
with little formal training or
experience, Rockie relin
guisbed a secure, lucrative
position with Munsingwear to
front a series of bands. Seeing
that the disco mania dried up
local openings for performing
groups, Rockie decided to
produce his own demo tape.
unce the tape was complet
ed, it was mailed to record
companies with simple faith.
Ron Moss of A k M’s A k R
department listened to it,
placed a call to Minneapolis
and two short months later
Rockie signed a contract.
“It was like a storybook
tale,” Rockie recalled. “I was
aghast when I received the
call from A k M." And so
were his neighbors and friends
who are accustomed to seeing
Rockie jog around the neigh
borhood every day. Minnea
polis is not especially known
for producing new talent.
Rockie said that he has
always had an “inner desire’’
to sing. Born the oldest of six
children, he said that his
mother was a singer in the
Kansas City and St. Louis area
before she came to Minne
sota, met and married his
father and settled down to
raise a family.
“My mother’s ability passed
on to me,” Rockie said jubi
lantly. “Needless to say, she’s
very happy with me, my
I—
SINGER ROOKIE ROBBINS
...Enroute to huge success
1CIL1ICI mu.
Rockie, 30, said that his
musical career began three
years ago. Having written
five of the nine tunes on his
LP, “Rockie Robbins,’’
Rockie stated that he consi
dered it to be an honest album,
one void of over-production.
He personally selected each
cut that carried purpose and
meaning for an actual situa
tion.
“People need an alterna
tive,” Rockie emphasized,
“with disco being so heavy.”
Richard Evans, co-producer
of the album, who has worked
with Natalie Cole, Dinah
Washington, and Maynard
Ferguson, to names few, said,
“I know what the sisters out
there like and when 1 heard
Rockie doing ‘Be Ever
Wonderful,’ the old Earth,
Wind and Fire thing, I knew he
was a killer from the jump...
he has one of those incredible
voices that’s going to be
around for a long, long
time...”
Rookie’s songs are about
love and the tunes flow effort
lessly from ballad to funk to
disco to reggae.
On his promotional tour in
Charlotte on Monday and
Tuesday, Rockie praised the
South.
“This is my first time down
South,” he said enthusiasti
cally. "It’s not only a profes
sional experience for me, but
a learning one. I see a new
way of life that I can appre
ciate. It makes me proud to be
black.”
At this point in his life,
Rockie is content with “work
O
ing myself into the minds of
Americans as a capable
singer by making music that
,makes people feel good.”
Rockie, his wife and six
year-old son have no inten
tions of leaving their home in
Minnesota anytime soon.
As for his newly found
success, Rockie said with ela
tion, “I’m enjoying every
second of it."
ti way system Helps
“Get It Together”
RALEIGH-North Carolina
is called the “Good Roads
State”...and for good reason.
Some 75,000 miles of roads,
ranging from simple unpaved
secondary roads to multi-lane
i interstates, crisscross the en
tire state and comprise the
largest state-maintained high
way system in the nation.
The system serves North
Carolinians efficiently, econo
mically and safely in trans
porting thousands of people
and goods wherever they need
to go daily.
But that is not all.
North Carolina’s highways
play a major role in the
balanced growth and econo
mic development policy of
Governor Jim Hunt for the
state.
As Governor Hunt noted in
his 1979 State of the State
message to the General
Assembly, “Our economy, of
course, rides on our transpor
tation system — highways,
ports, airports, railroads and
public transportation."
Accessibility is a prime fac
tor a business or industry
considers when choosing a
location to expand, relocate or
build.
Manufacturers look for good
roads to provide their labor
force convenient and safe
transportation. Emphasis on
home-to-work roads is receiv
ing more and more emphasis
by the State Board of Trans
portation.
Manufacturers must also
have roads that insure prompt
receipt of raw materials and
rapid shipment of finished
products.
In turn, the North Carolina
Board of Transportation and
the North Carolina Depart
ment of Transportation staff
are committed to carrying out
Governor Hunt’s policy to
develop a highway system
that flows easily east and west
connecting the state’s moun
tains and piedmont counties
with its deep-water ports.
Hunt recently announced
that so far in 1979 North
Carolina has already attract
ed over $1 billion in planned
investment. North Carolina
exceeded the fl billion figure
for the first time in 1976. In
1977, the state attracted $1.45
billion in new and expanded
industry. The figure exceeded
$2 billion in 1978.
In yet another respect, the
highway system is a key in
economic development
through its contribution to the
travel and tourism industry of
North Carolina
I
Charlotte Woman
Among 563
Juniors Honored
A Charlotte woman was
among 563 juniors honored for
academic achievement re
cently during a special recep
•tion at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro.
Camille Joleta Taylor, 30, is
a home economics major con
centrating in child develop
ment.
Nominated as Junior of the
Year from the borne economic
department, Camille plans to
attend graduate school at
UNC-G, and pursue her
studies in child development,
i Following graduate school,
Ms. Taylor says she would like
to teach or work in a pedia
trics clinic.
Her hobbies include read
ing, movies and bicycling.
A graduate of Myers Park
High School, Camille is the
daughter of Mrs. Geraldine R
Taylor and the late Willie
Taylor of Charlotte.
Der rats To
Hold County
Conventions
RALEIGH-Russell Walker,
chairman of the State Demo
cratic Executive Committee,
said that Democrats across
the state will get down to some
old-fashioned politicking next
week. Walker was referring
to the annual Democratic con
ventions which will be held in
each of the state’s 100 counties
at 12 noon, Saturday, May 19.
The county party chairmen
will choose the site of the
conventions in their respec
tive counties.
Subscribe to the Charlotte
Post! Your support helps!
With a host of standard features inducing
toansverseHnountedengine,Madfertblf
Stout suspension, rack-and-pinion steering,
front disc brakes, radial tires and more.
The above photograph contains a
remarkable story. It is the heart of
the new front-wheel-drive Chevrolet
Citation, Pontiac Phoenix,
Oldsmobile Omega and Buick
Skylark. And it has a number of
features that are standard equipment.
Transverse-mounted engine.
Because the engine sits sideways, we
can reduce overall length, vet design
a car with plenty of room for
passengers and luggage. The one you
see here is the available V-6, a
4-cylinder engine is standard. (These
GM-built engines are produced by
various divisions. See your dealer for
details.)
MacPherson Strut front suspension.
Helps us design a roomier passenger
compartment.
Rack-and-ptnlon steering. Offers
quick, easy response
Front disc brakes. A new low-drag
design with audible wear indicators.
Radtal tires. A new design with a
special rubber compound to lower
rolling resistance even more than
“conventional” radials.
Deko Freedom* battery.
Maintenance-free, never needs water.
Maintenance-free wheal bearings.
Completely sealed bearing assemblies
are preset for precise clearance and
lubed for life.
And more. The aforementioned
features are just some of the standard
items you get on these exciting new
front-wheel-drive cars. You also get
others like self-adjusting brakes,
carpeted passenger compartment.
Body by Fisher construction and
many more.
Hike a teat drive. If you’ve never
driven a car with front-wheel drive
before, we’re convinced our front
runners for the ’80s offer you a great,
new and rewarding experience.
If you have driven front-wheel- •
drive cars before, well—these are
about to bring something brand-new
to the ball game.
Look Into buying
I or leasing at your
VI 9 GM dealers today.
Front-Runners
for the’80s.
Chevrolet Citation, Pontiac Phoanix,
OMamobie Omega, BuickSkybr*.
I