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YOUR BEST ADVERTISING MEDIA IN THE LUCRATIVE BLACK MARKET CALL 376-0496 THE CHARLOTTE POST BLACK NEWSPAPERS · EFFECTIVELY REACH BY FAR, MORE BLACK CONSUMERS "The Voice In The Black Community' _THE_CHARLOTTE POST, Thursday, May 22. 1980 Price 30 Cents ———r—■τ—-—■ "*■ ' warn"*** Oba's Corner owner William Perry ...with wife Dorine For His Success Perry Blames No One But Himself? By Teresa Burns Post Staff Writer William Perry has no one to blame for his successful business career but him self. Well; maybe an olc gentleman inspired him years ago when he nudged Perry and announced, "You're still mopping floors, just like me." This statement raised Perry's consciousness and his mind began to tick. "I sat there for about four hours and thought 'What can I do, what I am equipped to do?' · Perry reminisced. The answer was Oba's Corner, a retail and wholesale eetabliab . m«nt of women's apparel ? · founded by Perry in 1965! He had little money, no credit, and an immense amount of determination. The later factor prevailed and he opened his first store in New York. The first few years were profitless Perry uttered. But his business had to survive - the most import ant reason being... "Black professionals should go into business and think in terms of preparing jobs for other blacks, gi ving others jobs enhances others' lives," he stated. "This is the only way we can have anything to say about our destinies." The brainstorm to open an Oba's Corner in Char lotte, located in North Park Mall near Krogers, was inspired by many reasons. "I opened a store in Char lotte March 1979 because I felt like semi-retirement. I wanted to relax and enjoy my family and ί felt like I could do it here." Ferry said that Char lotte, compared to New York, has a much slower pace. "People are quicker ji New York - in a rush. People get things done here, but with a smile." The New York Oba's Corn er is still in operation and run by one of Perry's sons. The name OBA refers to an African leader. Actually the name could refer to Perry also. In New York he was appointed to the Board of Directors for Consumer Affairs Council. He became a member of the 125th Restoration Corporation and a member of the Con cerned Men and Women'» Business Organization - founded by Perry in "iWl. Now that be resides in Charlotte, Perry is the only Black in the Merchants Association of North Park Mall Ho ΓΟΛβηΗυ nKtairuvl the position of president of this organization. Years of organizational and business experience, conversing with other busi nessmen and observing just what the customer prefers has allowed Per ry's business to become one of the most respected in Harlem. Both the New York and Charlotte stores have the willingness to please the customer and low prices in common. Perry likes to emphasize the fact that low prices are not synonomous with gar ments of poor quality. "People should try to understand quality · the fabric of the merchandise for instance. Don't let price dictate what the value of the garmet is," Perry ad vised. The economy, how ever, has helped to turn heads towards Oba's Corn er. "When the economy is the way it is, it improves business - more people are looking for deals," Perry continued. Getting your need to gether in your OLD AGE could simply mean AS SEMBLING TEETH. GLASSES AND A TOUPE Memorial services W· Be Hdki Sunday Veterans buried at Beat tiea Ford Memorial Gar dens will be memorialized by the Mecklenburg County Veterans Council, Sunday, May 25, at 3 p.m. According to Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens president Luther Caldwell, "Each year the Mecklen burg County Veterans Council goes to a cemetery to honor the deceased veterans. I believe it start ed about five years'ago. And this year they decided on Beatties Ford Memorial Gardens." Harvey Gantt, former Charlotte City Council member, will be the guest speaker. There will be other special guests pre sent as well. wcntwJf White Warns Democrats Not To Take Blacks For Granted Report Says Workers Favor Union By Eileen Hanson Special To The Post Almost half of all North Carolina workers who had the opportunity voted "yes" for union represen tation last year, according to reports of the National Labor Relations Board. "This contradicts the myth that N.C. workers don't want unions," said a Charlotte Central Labor Union report. Only 6.5 per cent of the state's work force is unionized, the low est in the country. Last year unions won 48 of the 112 elections held in North Carolina and lost 64, with 10 challenged elec tions. South Carolina had 54 union victories, 102 losses and 16 challenged elec tions. However, of the 21,449 workers in the two states who had an opportunity to vote, 45 percent voted "yes" for unions, while 55 percent voted "no". As more northern indus try moves into the area, union organizers are not far behind. But most will admit that organizing in the South is not easy. Faced with opposition from employers, the Chambers of Commerce, employers' associations and even the media, organizers find it difficult to get their mes sage across. The United Auto Workers (UAW) is currently trying to gain a foothold in Gastonia, an area of strong company and media op position to unions. Less than one percent of the 67,000 workers are union ized. About 3 percent of Charlotte's workforce is or ganized. Workers at 4 Wix plants, part of the Dana Corpora tion, have filed for an election with the NLRB. The 1,600 workers make filters for the auto indus try. About half the workers are black, which could be a decisive factor since black workers tend to vote pro-union. If successful, the UAW would become the largest local in the Charlotte Gastonia area. Students from Zaire, Ntumba Kayembe and Remy Kubangusu, discuss African Liberation Day. (Photo by Eileen Han son) CFCC Students Say: Africa Is Wealthiest Continent In The World? By Eileen Hanson Special To The Post Africa is the wealthiest continent in the world, yet its people are among the world's poorest. Every mineral needed by industrial society is found in Africa, but some Afri cans claim the deyeloped countries won't sell them the technology they need to .make use oftheir wealth. Ntumba Kay em be and Remy Kubangusu of Zaire, a mineral-rich country in central Africa, are among several students at Central Piedmont Community Col lege. This week they talked with the Charlotte Post about the problems of in dependent Africa, 20 years after independence. May 25 is African Libera tion Day, celebrated in Africa, the Caribbean and USA with marches, rallies and festivals. The day marks the founding of the Organization of African Unity in 1963. Prior to 1957, only two African countries were "in dependent Ethiopia and Liberia, but both were eco nomic satellites of the USA. The rest of Africa was split between the European poers - Britain, France. Belgium, Portugal and Spain. World War II paved the way for an independence upsurge that led to Ghana's break with British colonial ism in 1957, followed by 27 more independent coun tries in the next five years. Thirty independent Afri can states joined together in the OAU in 1963 in Addis, Ababa, Ethiopia, pledging to "liberate the continent from a century of colonial ism and exploitation." Today the OAU claims 50 members. In June Zim babwe, which won inde pendence only this year after 15 years of bloody way, will become the new est member. Only two countries remain under minority white rule: Na mibia and South Africa. According to Kubangusu, "There are two blocs in the OAU, the pro-capitalist and the pro-socialist, about equally balanced." Most of the recently in dependent countries, such as Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Zim babwe, are in the pro socialist camp. "Zimbabwe's indepen dence is of enormous im portance for the liberation of South Africa," said Ka yembe. "For the first time there is direct contact be tween independent black Africa, and white-con trolled South Africa." South Africa has 22 million Africans and 4 million whites. Located at the strategic point of Africa, and laiden with mineral wealth. South Africa is the greatest in dustrial and military power on the continent. Many African countries ig nore the official OAU boy cott of South Africa be cause it is a cheap source of manufactured goods The OAU has strongly con demned South Africa's apartheid policy or rigid racial segregation which deprives blacks of any voice in politics or eco nomic affairs. "The USA condemns South Africa's apartheid, but they are there with the investments," said Ka yembe. The USA has $1.7 billion in direct invest ments, and $2.2 billion in loans in South Africa, which critics say helps sup port the white-dominated economy. Charlotte-based North Carolina National Bank ( NCNB ) has an office in Johannesburg to oversee its loans and investments. "Any fight against South Africa is also a fight against the USA and Europe," saicTKubangusu. In many ways the USA has taken over the role of the European colonialists in Africa and other de veloping countries. "We have Independence, but most third world presi dents are kept in power by the USA. "Hie presidents don't see how the people are suffering," said Ku bangusu. According to the Zairian students, Africa will some day develop as a world power in its own right. Already Zaire is first in world production of indus trial diamonds, second in cobalt, sixth in copper. "We have all the min erals in the world, but because the West won't sell us the technology to de velop them, we are forced see AFRICA on Page 2 » Proposal To Abolish Free Bus Service Upsets Senior Citizens My Eileen Harmon Special To The Poet "We depend on uie dus. It's not (air to ask those who live on fixed incomes to bear the increased costs. We worked hard all our lives, and we still have to beg," according to Eliza beth Wigfall, president of Senior Cititens United. The Steniors are upset because the Charlotte Transit System is pro posing to abolish free bus service for senior citizens and the handicapped, and asking them to pay the regular increased fare of 50 cents during peak hours. Mrs. Wigfall, who lives in Addison Apartments, feels many elderly people would not be able to pay the 90 cents fare. Her organisa tion will ask City Council to keep the present system. Elizabeth Wigfall ...SOU president Now, any citizen· 82 year» or over, or who has a handicap certification from a doctor, can buy 20 blue tickets for $2 00, and receive 10 red tickets free. Blue tickets can be used anytime. Red tickets can be used anytime except during peak hours (week ua/Bv-9a.iii. auu .ι-Ό μ.ni.;. According to Transit Manager David Mines, the increased fares will offset increased operating costs. Eliminating free senior handicap fares would generate $40,000 a year, about one person of the total transit budget, but five percent of the $800,000 revenue increase. Fifty cents a ride pays only a third of the opera ting cost of bus service, according to Hines. The City and Federal govern ment* split the difference More people are taking the bus to work now be cause of increased oil prices. Buses are full at peak hours, and some routes demand more ser vice. Hines says senior citi zens can arrange their ap pointments and travel at non-oeak hours, and most can aifora 20 cents fare. Mrs. Wigfall disagrees. "Many of us get only about $200 a month in social security. After we pay rent, telephone, a little food and medicine, there isn't much left." She said some seniors collect empty pop bottles and cans to earn a little extra spending money. Some churches provide bus service on Sunday and the Housing Authority takes residents on weekly excur sions. "But sometimes you just get so tired of looking at the 4 walls, you go for a bus ride," she said. "You aren't going anywhere. You just ride up and down from one end of the line to the other, just to keep from crawling the walls. For some of us the bus is the only outlet we have. White: Blacks To Ignore The Race For Governor? Rev. Leon White, Direc tor of the North Carolina Office of the United Church of Christ Commission for Racial Justice, called for a new political strategy for Black people and warned the Hunt Administration and the Democratic Party "not to take our votes for granted in November. Black people may ignore the race for governor in November or we may vote Republican." In a press conference held last Tuesday in Ra leigh, Rev. White analyzed the results of the May 6 primary election and con cluded that "Blacks are not in a strong position poli tically today." He advised that neither the Hunt Ad ministration nor the cur rent Black political leader ship is responsive to key concerns of the Black peo ple of North Carolina. Referring to the Demo cratic primary for gover nor, White said, "Hunt won an overwhelming victory Tuesday. If every Black voter in this state had votec against him, Hunt would still have carried the election. We know this and we know that Hunt and his political machine know this." This lack of Black poli tical power. White said means. . "we must unite Black people in a new political strategy - one that will show the Governor and the state the power that we have and force the Hunt Administration to nego tiate our demands and con cerns with us." That this was not done before the primary can be blamed on the current poli tical strategy designed by the Black caucuses and the current Black political leadership He continued, "Our leaders have accept ed a few crumbs from Jim Hunt's table-some high paying jobs and govern ment grants - and given their support in return. "Black people have de manded that the Governor pardon the Wilmington Ten; we have asked him to find a more just alternative to the competency test; we have worked for the repeal of Hunt's mandatory sen tencing law; we have sought a just resolution to the controversy over the racial segregation of our public colleges and uni versities We have received nothing." Rev. White believes that Blacks in North Carolina can "challenge both the Hunt Administration and the Black Caucuses to be come responsive to the key concerns of the Black com munity." Studying the re sults of the Democratic primary, Rev. White sees the beginning of this pro cess. He said, "In Raleigh, Hunt lost approximately 50 percent of the votes in Black precincts to Scott. In many precincts in eastern North Carolina, Black voters decisively rejected Hunt. For the first time in many years, the masses of Black voter repudiated the endorsements of the Black political leaden." Looking to the future, Rev. White called for a new four-step political program for Blacks designed to "ob tain vindication of the Wil mington Ten, to secure redress of our arievances, and Ιυ the traditional political parties and the established Black leader ship to be accountable to the Black community." Rev. White outlined the new political strategy as follows: "First, we must begin a new voter education pro gram in the Black com munities of North Carolina. "Second, we must or ganize maasive voter re gistration drives. "Third, we must organ ize a new Black Political. Leadership Conference irr the fall which will include representatives of the total Black constituency. "Finally, we must nego tiate our demands and grievances with both the Democratic and Republi can Parties before the November election." In concluding, Rev. White warned, "Jim Hunt did not need us in May but indications are that he will need us in November. This time we will not trade our untoc tr\y ortimVv " Cox Calls For District-Wide Speak-Up Meeting By Susan Ellsworth Post Staff Writer Charlotte City Council man Tom Cox last week called for his first district wide SPEAK UP meeting to provide citizens with more information about major policy decisions un der consideration by City Council. Citizens ^ho attend the Thursday, May 29th meet ing at 7:30 in the multi purpose room of Beverly Woods School may "speak up" about the tough re venue and service options anticipated to be in this year's budget recommen dations from the City Manager A typical 8PEAK-UP agenda features a format that begins with City Coun cil news, continues with a presentation of facts and background on the night's main topic, and concludes with a question and answer period Audience polls and votes are included The main topic for the May 29th SPEAK-UP is "Revenues, Service Level, and Productivity: What's the right combination to balance next year's Bud get?" According to Cox, "The formula for avoiding pro perty tax increases is not refutable." He continued, "The City must either find other revenue sources, re duce or eliminate services, or demand greater pro ductivity in delivering services." Gydeedalee Not Corning The Clydesdales are not coming. That's the officia) word from Bealer Whole sale, Inc., distributors of Budweiser beer in Char lotte. Although the eight-horse hitch was scheduled to tour the Charlotte Metrolina area May 19-26, they will not be able to meet that obligation.