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__ “The Voice In The Black Community”
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Reginald Church
...practices on universal machine
McCrorey 4Y’ Has
Activities To Help
by Teresa Burns
Post Staff Writer
Some of you may be tired
of others pushing physical
fitness as a means of mak
ing you look better, feel
better, and making you less
prone trnftne6ses plaguing
many Americans?
But if you realize that
these three-reasons have
validity, then why iust sit
there? Jog (or ride) to the
neighborhood YMCA or
YWCA. There, you will find
programs benefiting the
youth, the middle aged,
wll the elderly. In essence
it doesn’t matter who you
are, the Y has an activity to
help you achieve physical
fitness and physical
attractiveness.
For example OTF
McCrorey Branch Y on
Beatties Ford Road recent
ly installed a Universal
Machine. It has IS stations
including weight lifting and
forms of sit-up benches.
According to George E.
Shinhoster, executive
director of McCrorey Y,
the Universal Machine
possesses the potential to
better serve the adult popu
lation.
Name Changes
For Gouncfl On
Aging Office
The name of the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg Council
on Aging office, which is
located at 316 E. Morehead
St., has been changed to the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
^•Senior Access Service
office.
The location and tele
phone number. 374-3200,
will remain the same.
The office will continue
to provide information, re
ferral and related services
as required under the con
ditions of the federal grant
that funds the operation.
A new advisory and ad
vocacy function has been
established by the Board of
County Commissioners, the
Charlotte City Council and
the United Community
Services, and this will be
called the Council on
Nothing brings the
TRAFFIC regulations to
mind quite like spotting a
POLICE CAR in the
REARVIEW MIRROR
fr
I
‘‘We are interested in
designing more fitness pro
grams for men and women
geared at increasing the
cardiovascular respiratory
output. We don’t see our
Universal Machine de
signed for body building. It
is there to make people
trim up, tone up, and firm
up,” Shinhoster said.
Already streamline con
scious women come on
their lunch hours to work
out on the Universal Ma
chine he said Times for
work out at the fitness
center are 9-9, M-F. There
are also classes to work on
the specific needs of the
individual, according to
Shinhoster. For a schedule,
check with the YMCA.
-Xha V, Chinhnctor said
wishes to provide year
round programs for adults
The addition of the fitness
center’s Universal Ma
chine, the building of the
baseball field and the re
modeling of the locker
room facilities, are just a
few ways of trying to get
the adult population more
involved with physical
fitness.
‘‘In the immedite future
we plan to have the football
field, soccer field, and
jogging trail completed,"
Shinhoster announced.
The Y may provide these
services, but they are not
good to you unless you take
advantage of them. So
what is your fate in the
physical department -- fit
ness or flab9 Just think, if
you become disciplined to
sound exercise three times
a week, according to Shin
hoster, within 6-21 weeks
you will feel the results of
the exercise
Homecoming Celebration To
Welcome Rev. Ben Chavis
Crime
Prevention
Week Set
Governor Jim Hunt has
proclaimed February 10-16
as Crime Prevention Week
in North Carolina.
“I firmly believe that it is
only through the support,
cooperation and involve
ment of the citizens of
North Carolina that we can
effectively combat crime
in North Carolina,” Hunt
said. "To do so, we must all
participate in proven crime
prevention programs such
as Community Watch.”
Hunt issued the procla
mation in support of thfc'
National Exchange Club
and the Exchange Clubs of
North Carolina who spon
sor a crime prevention
week annually as part- of
their “Count Your Bless
ings, Counter Crime” cam
paign, and in support of the
efforts of concerned citi
zens and law enforcement
in crime prevention
Crime Control and Public
Safety Secretary Burley
Mitchell joined the Gover
nor in calling for citizen
involvement in crime pre
—ventmn "Thprp a m nvt> r
3000 active Community
Watch programs in North
Carolina,” Mitchell said,
“which shows that people
can get personally involved
in the fight against crime
Our new Crime Prevention
Division is now actively
seeking citizen and law
eniorcement suggestions
about the kinds of things we
can do in crime prevention,
such as the crime prevent
ion committees we have
helped establish in over
half of the 100 counties in
North Carolina, and such
as the current statewide
media campaign to edu
cate the public about indi
vidual and community
crime prevention responsi
bilities.”
Mitchell added, “We are
proud to support the
Exchange Clubs in this
effort. We think they are a
vital resource in both state
and local crime prevention
efforts ”
Governor Hunt with award recipients at
the N.C. Human Relations Council An
nual Recognition Banquet and Work
shops From left to right: Jim Bowser of
Fayetteville, receiving the Citizen Award
for his father, the late William Bowser;
— Shirley Mebamg-Edwardsr director of
the Goldsboro Community Affairs Com
mission, receiving the Commission
Award; Governor James B. Hunt. Jr.;
Paul Sticht, Chaiwnan of the Board and
Chief Executive Officer of R. J. Reynolds
Industries, Inc., receiving the Business
and Industry Award; and Durham
County Commissioner William V. Bell,
receiving- the Community Leadership
Award.
/ o Iioii'ser , Hi>11
Governor Jim Hunt
Presents Special Awards
special 10 me I'ost
RALEIGH-Governor
Jim Hunt today presented
special awards for valu
able contributions to hu
man relations in the state
during a luncheon in Ra
leigh.
Those honored were the
late William Bowser of
Fayetteville, William V.
Bell of Durham, the Golds
boro Community Affairs
Commission and R J
Refolds Industries, Inc
of Winston-Salem
The ceremony concluded
a two-day session of work
shops sponsored by the
council and attended by
approximately 400 persons
from all across the state.
“The fine contributions
made by these dedicated
folks have set an example
for all of us," said Govern
or Hunt “The spirit of good
human relations and fair
treatment of all our citi
zens begins in the com
munities and we are honor
ing that kind of voluntary
community spirit here
today," he added
Governor Hunt went on
to praise the accomplish
ments of the Human Rela
tions Council over the last
two decades and to talk
about the challenges
ahead. "I think one of the
best ways to build on the
foundation we have laid is
to work vigorously in the
area of economic develop
ment," he said
"Providing jobs - and
providing the skill training
people will need to work at
those jobs - goes to the
very heart of what we are
trying to accomplish in the
areaof human relations. We
are investing in families,
because there is nothing
more important you can do
for a man or woman than
provide the kind of job that
carries a decent income
and a degree of dignity,"
t.overnol Hum continued:—
He stated that there is
nothing more important we
can do for a child than give
his father or mother mean
ingful employment, and
that we must continue to
see that citizens are em
ployed in an environment
that is free of discriminat
ion and oppressive working
conditions as we move
ahead in industrial growth
Durham County Com
missioner William V. Bell
was honored with the Com
munity Leadership Award
for his involvement in local
activities. Some of his ef
forts have been with
Operation Breakthrough,
Durham Chamber of Com
merce, UDI Community
Development Corporation,
and the Durham Commit
tee on the Affairs of Black
People He is an engineer
ing manager at IBM Cor
poration in the Research
Triangle Park
Black Leaders Have Vary ing Opinions
About President Carter, Ted Kennedy
_ _ 7
■ VI van I'UI in
Post Staff Writer
Kecent polls show that
the public generally ap
proves with the way Carter
handles foreign affairs and
higher defense spending.
On the other hand the
public's disapproval of
-Carter’s economic solu
tions is quite evident.
Between Carter and Ken
nedy who would be the best
candidate? This question is
facing America, and slowly
polls reveal that Kennedy
will lose the race for presi
dency. Or will he?
Three Charlottean lead
ers have varying opinions
about Carter and Kennedy -
the seemingly two front
runners for the Democratic
Primary.
Robert Davis, principal
of Street Academy, feels
that Kennedy doesn't stand
a chance.
“Right now he does not.
t
Robert Davis
...St. Academy principal
Before the Afghanistan
crisis, I would have told
you he had a very good
chance. But the crisis
made a fierce difference
We have a sense of loyalty
to our nation and the presi
dent. Any negativism to
wards Carter would be con
sidered Anti-American
ism,” Davis commented
Charles Dannelly
...city councilman
Davis feels that no mat
ter who the candidate is.
Blacks should not commit
themselves too early.
He said that in the past.
"We have committed our
selves early and sold short
to programs meant to bene
fit the poor and Black We
should get commitments -
those who can’t work for us
1
need to be turned out to
pasture,” Davis contended
As for who would make
the better president, Davis
admits he is not sure, but
he added, "Not a great deal
has happened in the Car
ter's administration We
are not naive enough to
believe he can wave a wand
and make something hap
pen, but he has not pushed
strongly enough for pro
grams, for Blacks "
But. Davis said, what
ever Carter asks for. Con
gress does not always coml*
ply He also said that he is
not sure if Kennedy could
do a better job if he were
the president.
Today, Kennedy stands
against the draft, while the
administration is seeking
registration for the draft
Davis is “...in accord
with registration in case a
draft is needed ” He be
lieves that American wo
men should not be intro
duced to combat. He
agrees with Carter’s de
fense increase < up 15.3 bil
lon from 142 7 billion in
Carter's budget)
Kennedy opposes the de
fense increase He recently
said, "Needless weapons
drain the resources to pay
for needed ones."
But Davis feels that. “In
a time of crisis America
must be strong The in
crease is necessary to
make sure America is de
’ fensable You can have
both guns and butter
America is wealthy enough
to have both."
Davis is an advocate of
increased defense spend
ing, but he also feels that
the monies alloted for Hu
man Health Services
should be applied more
efficiently
See BLACK on Page 6
* >
Service And Rally Set
For Sunday Afternoon
’1 -„ r - I..M.
by Kileen Hanson
Special To The Post
There won't be any pom
poms or cheerleaders, no
football heroes or brass
bands. The Homecoming
celebration for Rev Ben
Chavis on Sunday, Febru
ary 17 will be more like an
old-time freedom rally,
celebrating the victory of
one political struggle, and
inspiring support for the
next round of battle.
The service and rally will
be held at University Park
Baptist Church, 2156 Senior
Drive, beginning at 3:30
p.m The public is invited.
Rev. Chavis, member of
the Wilmington 10 and
director of the Washington,
D C. office of the United
Church of Christ Commis
sion for Racial Justice, will
be the keynote speaker
Other speakers will be Rev.
Leon White, head of the
Commission for Racial
Justice in Raleigh: Ms.
Ann Braden, co-chair with
vndvis ui me aoumern or
ganizing Committee; and
T. J. Reddy, local poet and
member of the Charlotte 3.
Samuel Stevenson will
lead the singing of the
Negro National Anthem.
-Choirs from—University
Park Baptist, Gethsemane
AME Zion and East Stone
wall AME Zion Churches
will sing Local clergy par
ticipating include Rev .
James Palmer (University
Park Baptist), Rev Ray
mond Worseley (First
United Presbyterian), Dr
Harold Diggs (Mayfield
Memorial Baptist) and Dr
N. C. Calhoun (New
Emanuel Congregational
United Church of Christ)
It will be Chavis’ first
public appearance in Char
lotte since his release on
parole from Hillsborough
prison Dec 14, 1979 Chavis
is currently working in
Washington. D C.
“We are calling this a
'homecoming rally' be
cause Ben’s roots are in
Charlotte,” said Carrie
Graves, member of People
United for Justice which is
sponsoring the rally Ben
is one of those instrumental
in opening doors for blacks
He was involved in Char
lotte's human rights strug
gles for years "
The 32-year old Chavis
grew up in Oxford, N.C.,
but came to Charlotte in
1967 to attend UNCC, one of
8 black students and the
first black in the chemistry
department Within a short
time Chavis was involved
in campus politics, the anti
war movement, and was
counseling black youth
about the draft
Together with Dr Jim
Grant (member of the
Charlotte 3) he organized
the Black Cultural Associa
tion which opened up Black
House near Oaklawn and
Statesville Aves The BCA
organized rent strikes, boy
cotta of white merchants,
pickets at the housing au
thority and black cultural
activities
In 1968 Chavis founded
the Black Student Union at
UNCC and became its first
president Grant, a VISTA
volunteer, became the “fa
culty advisor” because
there were no black faculty
at that time After much
protest by the BSU, the
University agreed to estab
Rev. Ben Chavis, speaking
at the Greensboro Anti
Klan rally, i photo by
Eileen Hansom
lish a Black Studies pro
gram and to recruit more
black students and faculty
Chavis saw the acute
need for the black com
munity to exercise its poli
tical muscle so he helped
form the Black Political
Organization which ran an
all-black slate for City
Council in 1%H. with Rev
George Leak for mayor,
Chavis. Graves and 5 other
blacks for council The
“slale called foi Miicloi—
housing code enforcement,
resident control of public
housing, and district
representation
~J'We saw the need at that
time to be independent of
the Democratic and Repub
lican parties, which never
kept their promises to us."
said Chavis in a recent
Charlotte Post Interview
Chavis and Grant also
worked with the Black Pan
ther Organization and the
Southern Christian Leader
ship Conference They saw
that civil rights meant no
thing without economic
power, and began working
with the American Federa
tion of State. City and
Municipal Employees
‘AFSCMEt, organizing
Charlotte's sanitation
workers They led a mili
tam strike in 1969 that
eventually won a contract
and dues check off for the
largely black workforce
When' the Federal
District Court ordered
Charlotte Mecklenburg
schools desegregated.
Chavis worked to keep the
black schools from being
shut down He was arrested
for trespassing while
speaking to students at the
all-black Second Ward
School
That was the first of
several arrests which fol
lowed--as- Chavis went
around the state organizing
black communities Fol
lowing graduation in 1970
he went to work for the
Commission on Racial
Justice, which sent him to
Wilmington in January,
J971 to help quell racial
unrest in the high school
The rest is history
For 9 long years the
Chavis family and thou
sands of supporters all over
the world have been work
ing to free Ben and 9 others
from convictions stemming
from the Wilmington un
rest Many believe they
were imprisoned more for
their political beliefs and
activism, than for the
charges of unlawfully burn
See SERVICE on Page 2
f