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- _ “Charlotte’s Fastest Growing Community Weekly" *
Vol. I No. 4 '
-—-- Tig CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, August 16. 1979 '
1 U '--—---- 30 Cents
Lawyer Babacar Niang of Senegal talks with
Charlotte 3 defendant Dr. Jim Grant at the
L. f_I* • i o
press conference on human rights vMatiom
in the U.S. (Photo by Eileen Hanson)
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Visiting Lawyers Investigate
Alleged Discrimination
By Eileen Hanson
Special to the Post
The international spotlight
exposing human rights viola
tions fell on North Carolina
last week when a team of
lawyers came to investigate
alleged discrimination in the
judicial system.
Lawyers Baba car Niang of
Senegal and Richard Harvey
of England visited Charlotte
ai/1jFa,eigh August 11-14 to
tala with members of the
Charlotte 3 and WilmingtoirlO,
their supporters, and N.C.
prison officials.
Speaking Saturday, August
ll At a press conference at
Charlotte’s main library,
Harvey explained their
mission.
“We are here to test Andrew
Young’s statement that there
are political prisoners in the
U.S.,” said Harvey, a member
of the International Associa
tion of Democratic Lawyers.
“Carter has chosen to make
human rights an international
campaign,’’ he continued.
“When we read in our coun
tries about the Wilmington 10
and Charlotte 3, we were
honored to be invited to inves
tigate these cases and to see
for ourselves if these people
are in fact political prison
ers.’’
The group of 8 international
lawyers and jurists were invit
ed to the U. S. by the National
Conference of Black Lawyers,
the United Church of Christ
Commission on Racial Jus
tice, and the National Alliance
Against Racist and Political
Repression. They are investi
gating 20 cases presented in a
petition by these groups to the
United Nations Commission
on Human Rights.
Niang, General Secretary of
the Senegalese Association of
Democratic Lawyers, stres
sed the importance of the
investigation.
“We will give our work
maximum objectivity,” he
said. “The question of respect
for human rights is the central
question of our epoch.”
Dr. R.B. Phifer, vice presi
dent of People United for
Justice, said in introducing
the guest lawyers, “We are
ashamed to welcome them to
the state which has the great
est number of prisoners per
capita not only in the U.S., but
in th£ world.”
Phifer went on to say that in
N.C. “we have one scale of
justice for the rich, white and
prominent, and another, heav
ier scale for the poor, black
and obscure.”
In spite of the somber tone
of the remarks, there was
some cause for the speakers
and audience of 30 people to
rejoice. The lawyers were
able to meet with members of
the Charlotte 3 in their homes,
and not behind bars. The “3”
were released on parole after
Gov. Jim Hunt reduced their
sentences last month for their
convictions in burning the
Lazy-B Stables in 1972.
Dr. James Grant, on behalf
of the “3”, thanked the sup
porters and urged them to
remain vigilant.
“All countries have their
political prisoners,” he said.
“We should put our fullest
energy into the human rights
struggle.”
Supporters of the “3” say
they were framed with per
jured testimony, and that they
were imprisoned because they
were black political activists
working to end the Vietnam
war and to gain equality for
minorities.
Also speaking at the press
conference were June Daven
port and Helen Othow, sisters
of Rev. Ben Chavis of the
Wilmington 10.
Dr. Othow reminded the
press that in 1974 over 10,000
people from across the coun
try marched in Raleigh to
protest the judicial system in
N.C.
The lawyer team visited
Chavis in his prison cell at
Hillsborough Prison on Tues
day,
The international jurists
will present their report next
week to the U.N. Commission
on Human Rights, which will
decide if further investigation
is necessary.
Jesse McCombs, mother of
another prisoner, John Mc
Combs, spoke of the violations
against her son's human
rights.
McCombs was convicted in
1976 of killing a plain clothes
policeman who broke into his
college dormitory in Durham.
McCombs thought he was an
intruder. Efforts to win a new
trial were defeated last week.
Other speakers included
Rev. Herman Thomas, profes
sor of Religion at UNCC;
Marlene Archer, National
Conference of Black Lawyers;
Rev. James Palmer, Univer
sity Park Baptist Church;
Rev. John Epps, St. Mark's
United Methodist Church,
James Ferguson, lawyer for
the Wilmington 10 and Char
lotte 3; and Rev. James Bar
nett, head of People United for
Justice.
Patricia Harris Promises To
Hit “The Ground Running”
Minorities
Need Passag
Of Salt
Special To The Post
Washington ~ If the SALT II
Treaty is defeated, social pro
grams benefiting minorities in
America face potential cut
backs, President Carter says.
"There is...a competition
for limited federal funds.
Without a SALT agreement to
limit immediately the level of
strategic nuclear weapons, we
would have to have a very
large increase in expenditures
for military defense above and
beyond what we would have to
have with SALT II.” President
Carter told a recent meeting
of editors and news directors
He was asked specifically
why minorities should care
about passage of SALT II, now
pending in the U S. Senate.
President carter estimated
that without a limit on strate
gic nuclear weapons, as much
as $21 billion a year could be
taken from programs such as
housing to strengthen military
defense - which he said is far
more than the government
would spend on defense if
SALT II passes
In addition, the President
said there are other reasons
for minorities to support SALT
II:
"I would guess minorities
would be concerned about life
or death or war or peace -
increased trade with other
countries or a separation of
one people from another.”
The President said that
many black leaders who have
been briefed on SALT II and
who recognize the importance
of the treaty's passage to their
constituents are speaking on
its behalf around the country.
ATTRACTIVE DEBORAH OWENS
...Independence High senior
a — _
Miss Deborah Owens
Is Beauty Of Week
Dy onerieen Mcrvoy
Post Staff Writer
Our beauty for this week is
Deborah Owens, a rising
senior at Independence High
School.
Deborah describes herself
as a "real serious person most
of the time who doesn’t like to
smile, but will. I can be quiet
at times and I can be loud at
times,” she said “I know
what I want to do in life and
when I want to do it."
A person who likes to be
alone most of the time,
Deborah's hobbies are bike
riding. dancing, swimming
and traveling. Occasionally,
she likes baseball and basket
ball
ueDorah s ambition in life is
to become a full-time register
ed nurse and a part-time
fashion designer. She plans to
attend a college in California
or Hamilton here in Charlotte
Ms Carolyn White, whom
Deborah said is a very under
standing health occupations
teacher at Independence and a
- forrfier nurse, impressed her
to go into nursing.
As for fashion designing,
Deborah stated that it held a
great interest for her
• Sometimes when I wake
up, I’ve dreamed about these
outfits,” she explained “I
can’t draw what I have in my
mind, so I just forget about
it." But Deborah plans to
make amends for those timec
she's forgotten. She intends to
study fashion designing at
Central Piedmont Community
College to make her ideas a
reality.
Deborah cites her mother as
the most important person in
her life.
"My mother has always
stood by me when I needed
her, she explained “I just
think that she’s the most
important thing in my life.”
Deborah recalls one of her
most exciting moments as the
time when she received a
letter from a movie star,
Bryan O’Dell of "Young
Blood "
"I wrote him a couple of
months ago and he wrote me
back." she said “I haven't
written him back yet, but I’ll
probably write him back
sometime this week ”
Movie stars also capture
Deborah's interest For this
reason, she’d someday like to
travel to California
"I've heard so much about
it, I want to see it for myself,"
she remarked “The stars,
beautiful houses and the disco
teques make me want to see it
even more."
Deborah is the daughter of
Mrs Annie Bell Owens and the
late Izell Owens. The youngest
girl, she has three brothers
and three sisters
New HEW Head Known
As 4tTough In-Fighter”
WASHINGTON -- Patricia
Harris promises to hit the
ground running when she
takes over the Department of
Health. Education and Wel
fare.
And she will have an advan
tage that might seem a liabi
lity in other circumstances —
many important vacancies
she can fill with pieople of her
choice.
As secretary of Housing and
Urban Development. Mrs
Harris won respect for her
ability, to attract competent
aides capable of turning
around an agency under fire.
She did it without a lot of
new programs or fresh
money.
At HfcaVV. where she replaces
the fired Joseph Califano, she
will have to manage and ad
minister a sprawling depart
ment of some 140,000 emplo
yees with a 1980 budget of
nearly $1200 billion - bigger
than the entire national
government budget of any
foreign country except the
Soviet Union
She is expected to make her
mark first at the management
level, and stressed at her first
news conference that substan
tive policy changes would wait
until later
"Nobody should take any
comfort from my appointment
regarding changes in current
policy," she said.
There are two key vacancies
Mrs Harris can be expected
to fill quickly and with her own
people -- undersecretary,
where ffale Champion recent
ly resigned; and a replace
ment for food and drug admi
nistrator Donald Kennedy.
In addition. Ernest Boyer
has left vacant the job of
commissioner of education - a
post Mrs Harris may not fill
until the issue is settled in
Congress on creating a sepa
rate. cabinet level Depart
ment of Education
As for personal style. White
House aides consider Mrs.
Harris "a team player com
pared to the independent Cali
fano But she is every bit as
blunt and outspoken as he is
She is also known as a tough
••• "ftlllCI VVIIII
traditional liberal philoso
phies a deep concern for the
poor. Blacks, the elderly and
others out of society's main
stream
“No issues of our time are
more important than those
involving the way in which a
rich Democratic society deals
with the young, the poor, the
handicapped, the infirm and
the aged," she has said
While she may press the
federal anti-smoking crusade
as hard as Califano -Carter's
aides are concerned about the
tobacco-state vote she will be
equally forceful in using
HEW's clout to achieve school
desegregation
Likewise, she can be expect
ed to support the general
thrust of such programs as
hospital health insurance
At the same time. Mrs
Harris is a political pragma
tist who knows how to live with
severe budget constraints - a
political asset given current
idministration philosophy
At HUD she proposed few
new programs, putting her
efforts into making existing
things work more efficiently
* \
T J. Reddy
.Political prisoner
Victory
Celebration
Planned
After seven lean and long
years of marches, demonstra
tions, petitions, speeches and
court briefs, this Sunday,
August 19, supporters of the
Charlotte 3 will sit back and
feast on music, poetry and
cake
A victory celebration will be
held in Freedom Park amphi
theatre beginning at 4 p.m
The party will celebrate the
release of the three political
prisoners -- Jim Grant. T J
Reddy and Charles Parker.
The party, sponsored by
People United For Justice, is
free and open to the public
Supporters are urged to bring
a picnic, but cake will be
provided
The “3'’ are on parole fol
lowing Gov Jim Hunt's deci
sion to reduce their long sen
tences for the 1968 burning of
the Lazy B Stables Support
ers maintained throughout the
case that the "3” were framed
because of their political acti
vities
The Performing Arts Guild
Ensemble < PAGEi, a group of
jerforming poets formed by
Reddy last year, will lead the
celebration
A new dramatic group.
Ebony and Ivory, will per
form Jazz musicians schedul
ed to play include Gerard
Benson, Matt Freeman, Ted
Stewart, Ben Bayers and
Cannon Ball
Also performing will be jazz
singer I)ee Rice and drummer
Phil Caneff
Reddy will perform his
poetry, some written from his
prison cell Grant and Parker
will also speak and greet
CimnArtaer
According to Rev James
Barnett, head of People Unit
ed for Justice, several candi
dates for City Council have
been invited
"While we re pleased that
the Charlotte 3 are out of
prison," said Barnett, “we
want to be sure it doesn't
happen again No longer are
we going to vote for people
who just turn around and do us
in.”
Barnett led several marches
from Charlotte to Raleigh to
urge Hunt to grant the "3" and
the Wilmington to pardons of
innocence While Hunt's deci
sion to shorten the prisoners'
sentences falls short of their
goal, supporters claim his
action was in response to their
petitions and political pres
sure.
President Jimmy Carter
*
Praises New HEW Head
vvasmngion-rresioem Jim
my Carter called former
Housing and Urban Develop
ment Secretary Patricia
Harris “a manager with a
heart" and praised her per
formance as HUD secqptary
during her swearing-in as Sec
retary of Health, Education,
and Welfare recently.
"Hers has been a sterling
|rv. .v. ...auvv ... nil wiiw nnuw
her realize that she is bold,
strong, outspoken,” the Presi
dent told a group of more than
500 people gathered in the
East Room of the White House
to witness the event. “Anyone
who looks to Pat Harris as a
‘yes woman’ would be both
foolish and ill-advised.”
Harris takes over the HEW
post from outgoing Secretary
Joseph Califano.
The President said Harris
fights for her beliefs and her
beliefs are sound and she wins
her fights . She’s got a superb
batting average on the Hill
(Congress) in getting legisla
tion passed."
"I want to assure everyone
... that I will work tirelessly
and resolutely to establish a.
separate Department of Edu
cation - to bring reform and
dignity to the American wel
fare system - and to enact
national health insurance.
We’re going to do them all,”
she said.
I
UKUMAU
Growing old to a question of
MIND over MATTER. If you
don't mind, it doesn't MAT
TER
tor lAly (^ouncu
Marnite Shuford To File
“Something During Week”
By William J. Crutchfield
Special to the Post
Marnite Shuford, Attorney
at Law, said she will file for an
at-large seat on City Council
for the Democratic ticket
sometime during the week.
Ms. Shuford, 28, began he»
private law practice in Char
lotte in January 1978. Ms
Shuford has a general law
practice which includes bank
ruptcies, domestic relations
car accidents and general cri
minal law. Previously, shi
was an associate attorney
general for the state's chil«
support enforcement pro
gram. She has also worked fa
the Legal Aid Society of Meck
lenburg County, taught
courses in law at both Win
throp College in Rock Hill and
Central Piedmont Community
College.
She obtained her law degree
in 1974 from the Indianapolis
Law School at Indiana Univer
sity. Her undergraduate de
gree is from Earlham College.
Richmond, Indiana, where she
matriculated at 19 years of
age j
As a Charlottean who has
lived here most of her life, and
who plans to make Charlotte
her home, Marnite Shuford
said she has watched this city
grow and develop, with its
expressways and skyline She
Manrite Shuford
Attorney at Law
•xpressed, “I want to be a
part of and help make dect
lions for the future growth and
development of Charlotte to
make sure it does not fall in
the growth problems of trans
portation and urban sprawl of
Jther large and growing urban
cities ”
She continued, "As a City
Council member at large I
would like to have input from
ill segments of the Charlotte
community on how we can
plan for the growth and deve
lopment of Charlotte for all its
:itizens "
Ms Shuford said that she
reels this City Council will set
the tone for the 80 s and make
decisive decisions for Char
lotte's future.
Active in both professional
organizations and community
groups, Marnite Shuford has
received the Community Ser
vice Award from the NC
Association of Black Lawyers
She served on several boards,
including the National Con
ference of Christians and
Jews, the National Associa
tion of Professional and Busi
ness Women Clubs, State Exe
cutive Committee of the North
Carolina Association of Black
Attorneys, the Mecklenburg
County Zoning Board of Adjus
tert, and the Board of Trus
tees of the Legal Aid Society
She is currently president of
the Charlotte Chapter of the
N.C. Associations of Black
Attorneys, member of the
Young Democrats of Meek
lenburg County, the Black
Political Caucus, and the
Black Women’s Caucus
Ms Shuford is listed in
Who's Who Among Black
Americans, and Who's Who
Among Women in the World
Campaign Headquarters,
according to Ms Shuford, will
officially open Sunday, August
19, at 328 North Tryon with a
kick off from 4 • 6 p m The
public is cordially invited to
attend.
City To Receive Sinter Citien Award
technical assistance to sis
ter city Arequipa. Peru in
improving its tax recovery
and collection system has
earned the City of Charlotte a
special achievement ’\»ard
from the Reader s Digest
Foundation
The award will be presented
after the 1979 Sister Cities
International Conference in
Louisville Kentucky on
August t«. and will be a part of
the seventeenth annual Sister
Cities Award ceremonies
sponsored by the foundation