YOUR BEST __ „ __ ____ _ _ __ sssr TWP PliaH HTTP D 10*1* s^s?^s, _CALL^^_ X JUb tlXlilll jU l XI* JL Fu I BLAC^emS^MERS “Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly”" Vol.«No. 45 THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, July 12, 1979 p - *^'nce M After Bad Year? Federally Funded CBRC Wants To Expand Community Support SANDRA DENISE HILL ....Rising North senior Miss Sandra Hill Is Beauty Of Week by Sherleen McKoy Po6t Staff Writer Our beauty for this week is Sandra Hill, a rising senior at North Mecklenburg High School. This summer Sandra is working at Carowinds in mer chandise and games and sometimes as a cashier. Towards the end of this month, July 27, 28 and 29, she will be competing in a Miss /y.S. Teenage Beauty Pageant. Her talent will be a patriotic dance and panto mime. “I’m very excited about it," she said enthusias tically. The winner of the competi tion will receive a Caribbean cruise. Describing herself as a "nice but crazy” person, San dra's hobbies are disco danc ing, reading, conversing and watching television. Her future plans after high school include attending a college here in North Carolina to study business administra tion. “I would like to become a computer operator,” Sandra noted. Citing her mother as the most influential person in her life, Sandra explained, “My mother is always there when I need her. She always tries to keep me on the right track! ” A joyous occasion in Sandra’s life is that of meeting new people. “I just love to meet new people,” she said, “anybody!" Someday Sandra would like to visit the state of Hawaii. Why? “The tropical islands, the beautiful sun and the beach,” she said. More than that, she’s really looking forward to graduating from college, perhaps to make her dreams more of a reality. A native Charlottean, Sandra plans to keep it that way. Her philosophy of life is “to live each day to its fullest.” Sandra is the daughter of Ms. Mary Hill. She has two older brothers. Southern Bell Seeks 2-Phase Rate Increase Southern Bell last week asked the North Carolina Uti lities Commission for a two phase rate increase that com plies with President Carter’s anti-inflation pricing guide lines. Alan Thomas, Vice Presi dent for Southern Bell's North Carolina Operations, said the Company needs additional revenues of $45.3 million to reverse a deteriorating earn ings situation caused by infla tion and to enable it to meet the State’s growing demand for communications services. He emphasized, however, that to comply with the Presi dent's anti-inflation program, the Company is seeking $25.4 'Million now and the balance of {TH 9 million as soon as the guidelines permit. The $26.4 million represents an increase of 6.09 percent in annual reve nues. "As individuals, we applaud the President and the North Carolina Utilities Commission in their efforts to bring infla tion under control. As corpor ate citizens, we’re pledged to join In those efforts. We recognize, however, mat our willingness to comply with the President’s program is not without risk. Under the proposal, basic local telephone service in the Charlotte exchange will be in creased by 50 cents a month for residence customers and by $1.35 a month for single line business customers. Long distance charges remain the same. SCLC-Push Form Action Coalition Special to the Post The parent (SCLC) and the child (PUSH) joined together last week and formed an action coalition for jobs and justice around the theme, “Put America Back To Work.” Rev. Joseph Lowery, Presi dent of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), was the guest speak er in Chicago at the regular Saturday morning national forum of Operation PUSH and emphasized that, “we have come to a point in history when we must not only deal with America’s head, but we must deal with the head and the heart. Racism has surfac ed again in recent years, aided and abetted by economic un certainty, a lack of a sense of national direction, and a loss of confidence in government. ’' He further stated that, “we realize that out of the 60’s and 70’s some progress was reali zed, to be sure. We won some significant battles, but too many of us thought we won the war.” Rev. Lowery contined, “It is time for the action forces to go back to the streets again. On January 15 of this year, Mr. Carter received a peace prize, but few noted that SCLC wasn't inside the church, but 750 of us were on the outside in the cold march ing and chanting “Jobs, Jimmy - Jobs, Jimmy.” During a press conference which followed the PUSH meeting, Rev. Jesse Jackson, National President of Opera tion PUSH, and Rev. Lowery agreed to form a coalition because they had jointly come to the conclusion that the action forces had become dor mant during the 70’s and must be revived. Rev. Jackson noted that, "It is clear that there is a greater correlation between pressure and pro gress than between presidents See SCLC on page 16 r TRtX the charlotte \ Protesters sang ana marcneu 111 uic lain vsij Saturday, July 7 calling on Gov. Jim Hunt to free the Wilmington 10 and Charlotte 3. Leading the march were Rev. Robert Morgan, Kev. Rush Otey, Rev James Barnett and June Davenport, sister of Ben Chavis. (Photo by Eileen Hanson) Supporters Of “3”, “10” Were “Singing In The Rain” by Eileen Hanson Special to the Post Supporters of the Charlotte 3 and Wilmington 10 were sing ing in the rain last Saturday, July 7, but their tune was hardly a happy one. “Free the 3, Free the 10. Take them out and put Hunt in,” chanted the 50 protesters as they marched the 5-mile route from University Park Baptist Church to Marshall Park in the pouring rain. The Fairview Homes Drill Team, 20 girls ages 6-13, led the procession with fancy foot work. They were followed by marchers, a motorcade, a hearse and two police cars. Hundreds of motorists stop ped along the route to see the strange "funeral procession”. The sign on the hearse said, "Justice is dead in North Carolina.” At Marshall Park “pallbear ers” brought out a casket and a brief ceremony committed "Old Lady Justice" to her final resting place Rev. Robert Morgan of Seigle Ave. Presbyterian Church declared that “as of today Gov. Jim Hunt is no longer the moral leader of North Carolina." Morgan called on Hunt to “Come down from your tower of Babel and quit hiding behind the govern or's label that doesn’t belong to you.” Dr. R. B. Phifer, affiliated with Greenville Memorial AME Zion Church, continued the message to the Governor. “Pharaoh Jim Hunt, wake up!" cried Phifer. “We may not be as large as the gas storage tanks at Paw Creek, but our energy potential is a thousand times greater. We demand that you 6top evading your responsibility and act to free the Charlotte 3 and the Wilmington 10." Phifer was recently elected to the board of the National Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression, a nation al organization fighting to free Dr. Hawking Will Fight Action Presbytery Orders Church’s Pulpit V acated F or Procedural Violations by Milton Jordan Special to the Post On Sunday morning, members of the H.O. Graham Metropolitan United Presby terian Church will go to church to hear a sermon, but instead will hear that they have no dm tor. A three-member commit tee - two ministers and a church elder - representing the local presbytery that rules all Presbyterian churches in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, will read the congregation an order that vacates Metropoli tan’s pulpit The order, in effect, fires the church's pas tor, Jtev Reginald Hawkins Hawkins, a local dentist, and political activist, said In an interview this week that he will fight in civil cowt any action to lift his contract to pastor the church His con tract is issued by the presby tery. Sunday's action, If It occurs, Dr Reginald HawUna Political activist will culminate a year-long controversy surrounding Hawkins' “call” to pastor Metropolitan, the area’s youngest United Presbyterian Church The church's new sanctuary, a nearly $300,000 structure, is located at the corner at west Boulevard and Old Steele Creek Road. The controversy began in April 1978 following the death of Rev. H. O. Graham, Metro politan's first pastor Accord ing to doe Henderson, a retired Presbyterian Church state executive, Hawkins began preaching at the church about two weeks later on an Interim basis But when the congregation “issued a call" for Hawkins to pastor the church regularly, it was argued that Metropolitan had violated Church proce dure for filling a pulpit. The argument centers around the time between Metropolitan’s pulpit commit tee recommending Hawkins for the pastorate to the church's session, and that recommendation going before Metropolitan’s congregation The "session" governs indivi dual churches According to Walton, Pres byterian Church law says a 10-day notice must precede any congregational meeting, and this procedure was violat ed in the case of Metropoli tan’s request to have Hawkins pastor the church. Therefore, when the Hawkins recommendation reached the local presbytery, an argument ensued over the procedural violation. “But there Is no doubt that a majority of the church's members want Hawkins to pastor the church," Walton said, "but these things must follow procedure." Nevertheless, the local pres bytery approved Hawkins' “call" under protest last July But one presbytery commis sioner, a lay member of the church, filed a complaint with the Piedmont Synod, the next ruling government level in the church The Piedmont Synod governs churches in Dels See Presbytery on Page 8 the Wilmington 10 Rev. James Barnett, another board member and head of People United for Justice, spoke to another theme of the March. “The Ku Klux Klan is not welcome in Charlotte or in China Grove,” said Barnett referring to the Klan rally the following day “The same people that control the Klan also put the Wilmington 10 and Charlotte 3 in jail, and put their money in South Africa.” Speaking for the African Liberation Support Commit tee in Greensboro, Sandy Smith invited the marchers to a rally to oppose the Klan in China Grove and called for the unity of blacks and whites against the KKK The marchers said they were not discouraged by the rain which cut attendance at the protest. According to one marcher, “It's only God’s tears falling on North Carolina today be cause Old Lady Justice is dead.” DOT (loses Wilmont Road For 6 Months The Division of Highways of the North Carolina Depart ment of Transportation will close Wilmont Road (SR 1256) in Mecklenburg County to through traffic for approxi mately six months, according to Division Engineer David B Roberts The road, located in Meck lenburg County, two miles south of Douglak Airfield will be closed from Monday, July 9 to January, 1960 The temporary closing will allow NCDOT maintenance crews to build a culvert and grade the intersection of the inner loop road. Yorkmont Road traffic will be detoured along Wilmont Road (SR 1156) to NC-lW NC-160 traffic will be detoured along NC-160 to SR 1177-1156 to Yorkmont Road A W. Whitmore, Jr , resi dent engineer, said that every effort is being made to com plete the project as soon as possible to minimize any in convenience to the traveling public BRC Hasn’t Come Qose To Reaching Its Proposed Goal Editor's Note: The Char lotte Business Resource Center has been in business here since 1972, financed over that period with more than $500,000 in Federal money to help Black businesses get started, develop and grow But what have they done? What does the future hold for this program? The POST assigned Charlotte Journalist Milton Jordan to answer these questions This week begins a three-part series that shows the BRC racked with many problems this year, despite a relatively good record since 1972. The future for this program or one like it is uncertain. by Milton Jordan J&A News Service Special to the Post Smarting from severe local criticism, an unfavorable report from federal officials and serious internal problems, the Charlotte Business Resource Center wants three other local organizations to take over the job of helping black businesses. The BRC is financed with a $150,000 one-year contract with the Office of Minority Business Enterprise < OMBE), a division of the U S Depart ment of Commerce. The program is designed to develop sales opportunities for black businesses, put together loan proposals that will pass close scrutiny by lending agencies, and give manage ment and technical advice and education to blacks and other ethnic groups who are in business or who want to go into business. The organiza tion operates in Mecklenburg, Gaston and Union counties. But things haven't gone well this year for the BRC, a program that began in 1972 as a Chamber of Commerce sponsored project. The BRC hasn't come close to reaching its proposed $1 million goal in approved busi ness loans To date, less than $200,000 in loan requests have been submitted to area lend ing agencies, and none have been approved In June the organization's two loan officers were fired for not getting loans approved, and for allegedly falsifying their work reports to the BRC director Hams Jones said the secre tary was fired because she made too many mistakes, was disorganized and insubordin ate No action was taken against other staffers, but Jones says he will resign at the end of the contract. July 31. So with its contract ending in a little more than two weeks, the BRC must over come a number of problems during the past 12 months to convince OMBE the local organization deserves another chance to provide assistance to black businesses The problems include com ments from a number of black business operators In the three-county area that the organization is incompetent to work with the problems facing black businesses today “I don't think they know what they're doing up there," said one local black business man who asked not to be identified "I think they mean well, but they just don't know what they’re doing ” Some other black businesses Harris Jones BRC director support the BRC, and blame the problems the organiza tion encountered on other factors "I think the BRC people do a fine job,” said Sam Pattillo, of Sam's Exxon on Beatties Ford Road “It’s the banks that mess you up They just don’t want to loan blacks any money, and they find some reason to turn you down, no matter how good a job the BRC has done.” victor Wray, chairman of the BRC board of directors, in an effort to combat the BRC's many problems wants three other local organizations to take over the BRC. He has asked the newly formed Char lotte-Mecklenburg Urban League, the Chamber of Com merce, and the Charlotte Busi ness League, a predominantly black professional group, to step in and bid on the new contract. “What we've asked these organizations to do," said Wray, a local attorney, who has been associated with the BRC board since 1972, “is to give the BRC a much wider community base to draw from.” In a recent letter to heads of the three organizations, Wray recommended that the three groups form a committee that would ask the current board to expand its membership, and name a new board of directors to take office August 1 The current board would resign on that date, according to Wray's letter. Stewart Spencer, who chairs the Chamber’s minority busi ness council, said this week that after several meetings with Harald Hansen, urban league board chairman, and Bill Cunningham, president of the business league, that they’ve decided to recom mend a list of potential board members to the BRC and let them take it from there The list of names has not been completed yet, but Spencer said it would be ready in a few days Meanwhile, the seven member BRC staff operates on a day-to-day basis not knowing if the organization s contract will be extended by OMBE beyond July 31. or will they have to go out of business when the contract expires? “All I’ve been told by the Atlanta Regional Office is that a request for proposals has been sent to Washington for approval," said Jones “We can't do anything about put ting together a proposal for next year’s contract until we see the guidelines ” The guidelines detail the criterion by which a contract proposal will be evaluated, set out the scope of work that must be included in the propo sal and establishes the con tract fundina level ■ ■■ ■ ■ ■ = I ■%. When you flee TEMP TATION be sure you don’t leave a FORWARDING ADDRESS.