IUfI THE CHARLOTTE P< ►ST [H=l
i^ Voice Of lhe Bltu'k ( immunity
THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, October 30. 1980 n .
Urban
League Needs
Volunteers
By Susan Ellsworth
Post Staff Writer
The Charlotte-Mecklen
burg Urban League needs
volunteers. This non-profit
organization matches dis
advantaged and unem
ployed people with jobs in
the private sector. It needs
receptionist and clerical
volunteers.
"You can see people’s
progress,” according to
Barbara Kloc, a CMUL job
developer. “Volunteers can
also find job contacts for
theifllelves at the League,
pointes that will
in their job
i assessing their
own career,” she ex
plained.
In the Private Sector
Initiative Program the
League entreats local busi
nesses to hire minority
applicants for positions as
printing press trainee,
photo lab technician, or
cabinet maker.
A Woman’s Program
offers secure non-tradition
al jobs in the labor market
and construction trades
such as a housing rehabi
litation supervisor and
utility carpenter trainee.
Sensitivity, a desire to
work with people, com pat
ability are helpful traits for
volunteers to have, Ms.
Dec emphasized.
wunieers concern
Ikaikselves with applica
ttoa procedures and dis
tributing referrel forms.
Ms. Kloc described work
ing for the Urban League
as a team effort.
“When one person gets a
job everyone’s happy,” she
%fBce a volunteer would
be part of the team, she can
acquire “a sense of having
helped someone reach his
goals,” Ms. Kloc empha
The League office at 951
S. Independence is open
from 8:30 a.ra. to 5 p.m.;
volunteers can schedule
their own hours within that
time slot.
Interested in volunteer
ing? Call the Urban League
at 372-7977 or the Voluntary
Action Center.
NHS In Plaza
If you live in the area
bounded by Central Ave.,
Hawthorne Ln., Park wood,
Mecklenburg Ave., Fort
Street, Matheson Ave. and
Briar Creek Rd., you are a
resident of the Plaza-Mid
wood section, and there
fore, can receive assist
ance from Neighborhood
Housing Services (NHS).
NHS can help you obtain
money for improvements
to your home, either
through local banks and
savings and loans, or
through a special loan fund
set up for those who do not
qualify for a normal bank
loan.
Lovely Celeste Johnson
...Howard Sophomore
Celeste Johnson
Is Beauty Of Week
By Teresa Burns
Post Staff Writer
Add our beauty’s name,
Celeste Johnson, to the list
of Black Americans known
for speaking up for their
rights. Ms. Johnson is not
as well known as Jesse
Jackson or Nikki Giovanni,
but her thoughts concern
ing Black Nationalism are
just as relevant.
Now a sophomore at
Howard University, major
ing in Political Science
with a minor in Marketing,
Ms. Johnson’s ambition is
to become a corporate law
yer.
“I feel that if I apply
myself I can make it in
corporate law,” she ex
plained. “I’m at an ad
vantage - I am Black and
female. I plan to return to
the Black community and
make sure youths are
aware of their rights."
Every facet of our
beauty’s life is engulfed
with the purpose of im
provement. She enjoys
dancing, drawing, gymnas
tics and tennis. She be
lieves that staying physic
ally fit is equally as
important as staying men
tally alert.
She is treasurer of her
dorm, Whealtey at Howard
University, a member of
National Organization for
Universities and Black
Colleges (NOUBC), is
chairperson for Home
coming I960 and is quite
active in the NAACP and
D.C. Voter Registration
Drive.
“We are trying to make
Black youth ages 18-25
Collins Hoik
more aware oi this pre
sidential election. Our vote
is necessary - and more
people should be aware of
each party’s platform,”
she remarked.
One could call Ms. John
son a humanitarian, a
well known trait of Aqua
rians. Her views concern
» ing life encompass better
living conditions and better
lives for the disadvan
■taged
"The government should
have more programs to
help minorities and the
disadvantaged,” she noted.
"Help our own people first
before we help other coun
tries in poverty. This is a
nice gesture, but this coun
try has too many of its own
people in poverty,” she
maintained.
These are a few of Ms.
Johnson's favorite people.
She explains why. Her
parents, Mrs. and Mrs.
William Johnson of Char
lotte: "They stick behind
me in anything I want to
do”; Andrew Young: “I
admire him because he
spoke his mind and told the
truth. A lot of Blacks in
certain positions cater to
what others want them to
say, even though it may
hurt their own race”; and
Nikki Giovanni: "She
doesn’t cover up the Black
issues. She’s not afraid to
tell people how it is.”
in a few years look for
Ms. Johnson to return to
her home base, Charlotte.
If any one person assumes
the role of making positive,
vital changes, Ms Johnson
can be that star.
Culp: “23,000 Blacks
Will Vote Here Tuesday”
I-n-■! i i
School And
Politics
Heats Up
The courts, U S. Justice
Department and local
schools officials, among
others, "are on the hot seat
today,” because of school
desegregation, bilingual
education and other issues
which closely lirtk politics
and education. Congress
woman Cardiss Collins
(D-Ill.) told a group of
educators and other pro
fessionals Friday night.
The Seventh District U.S.
Representative spoke at
the Holiday Inn, Chicago
City Centre, at the in
vitation of the Center for
New Schools. Her talk fol
lowed a reception in her
honor.
mrs. ^omns saia me
Justice Department’s de
termined efforts in recent
years to desegregate the
nation’s public schools
have brought intense pres
sure from teacher unions,
parent-teacher associa
tions and civil rights and
minority groups.
"Increasingly, Hispanic
groups are getting into the
action,” insisting strongly
on bilingual education...
Clearly, politics and go
vernment are inextricably
tied to education issues and
will be for some time to
come,” according to Mrs.
Collins.
The congresswoman
cheered the recent settle
ment of the long-standing
desegregation battle be
tween the Chicago Board of
Education and the Justice
Department.
In late September, the
board proposed, and Jus
tice agreed, that the board
would implement a dese
gregation plan by fall of
1981. The plan must be
approved by the board by
March, 1981 and public
hearings will be held to
allow for parental and com
munity participation.
"Chicago educators, ad
ministrators and parents
now have the perfect op
portunity to give input to
government officials to
assist them to do a better
job of educating our child
ren,” Congresswoman Col
lins said.
In Memphis^ Term.
73rd Holy Convocation
Will Convene November 4
ine beventy-third Inter
national Holy Convocation
of the Church of God in
Christ will convene in the
World Headquarters of the
Church, Memphis, Tenn.,
November 4-14, with His
Grace, The Most Reverend
J. O. Patterson, Presiding
Bishop and the General
Board, presiding jointly
and severally.
The Church of goo in
Christ is the largest Pen
tecostal denomination in
the world with a mem
bership of better than 3.5
million members and ex
pects better than 43,000
delegates from around the
world to attend the Holy
Convocation and General
Assemblv in November.
The Church of God in
Christ will hold it's qua
drennial elections on Wed
nesday, November 12. At
that time, the present ad
ministration, led by Pre
siding Bishop J. O. Patter
son for the past 12 years,
will be candidates for re
election along with some
eleven otner oisnops irom
around the United States
who seek election to the
General Board of Twelve
The General Assembly is
the lawmaking body of the
denomination and it is ex
pected that the General
Assembly will deal with
some constitutional
changes along with the
electoral system of the
Church.
Prior to the elections, the
Charles Harrison Mason
Foundation of the Church
will sponsor a $100 per
plate dinner hosted by the
Presiding Bishop This
tund raising eitort is de
signed to aid and assist
worthy students who wish
to attend college w ho would
not otherwise have been
able to. To date, the
Foundation has sponsored
oratorical contests, talent
programs, seminars in ex
cellence, and many other
programs to encourage
young people to exeell
Better than seventy
persons have been spon
sored by the Foundation
and have completed their
education with honors and
have entered the several
professional fields of our
nation
The Church is expected
to continue in it’s conser
vative stand on moral is
sues and in theological
position. The Church of
God in Christ is Pente
costal-Holincss in theology
and practice The Church is
predominantly black and
has better than 15,000
churches and missions
throughout the world
At present, tne Church is
engaged in a mammoth
fund raising project for the
erection of a religious con
vent ion center w hich shall
be known as “Saints
Center ' This center will
house the entire operation
of the denomination in the
matter of gospel promul
gation Literature, bibles
and radio tapes will be
published in every tongue
and dialect and distributed
throughout the world for
Saints Center
Saints Center will cost
better than $25 million The
Church is presently in
volved in Phase I of the
entire project, which en
compasses the total revival
and renovation of the pre
sent Downtown Headquar
ters Building in Memphis.
lenn. This building, form
erly known as the Chisca
Plaza Hotel, was given to
the Church by the influen
tial Todd and Snowden
family of Memphis in 1971
Since that time, the build
ing has housed the Mason
College of Bible, the
Church of God in Christ
Rook Store and all of the
Apostolic and Department
al Offices of the denomina
tion. Saints Center will
cover eight square blocks
and will include a Fine Arts
Center, Wax Museum,
National Temple, C. H.
Mason University (an un
dergraduate school) and
Gospel Network.
HUD Policy Shift On Subsidized Housing
Congresswoman Cardiss
Collins last week hailed an
apparent policy shift by the
'U.S. Department of Hous
ing and Urban Develop
ment (HUD) favoring sub
sidized housing for minor
ities in their own neigh
borhoods.
The Seventh District
Chicago Democrat has long
fought for subsidized
housing in black neighbor
hoods such as her own
mostly West Side district.
Congresswoman Collins
(7th D-IU.) praised the
published statement Thurs
day of HUD Assistant
Secretary Sterling Tucker
that the Department
planned to announce a new
policy for locating federal
ly subsidized housing next
year.
“1 am pleased that HUD
is now prepared to recog
nize the right of people to
have a fair share of assist
■ ed housing where the ma
joritv of them want to
live," she said.
Mrs. Collins has fought
for subsidized housing in
‘minority and low income
areas for the past several
years. According to high
level HUD officials, Con
gresswoman Collins pro
vided much of the initial
impetus and significant
input for HUD’s decision to
reevaluate its rules on the
location of subsidized
housing
. In her fight to get more
assisted housing for lower
income Chicago neighbor
hoods, Congresswoman
Collins has met with of
ficials of the HUD Chicago
area office, then-Secretary
Patricia Harris and dis
cussed the issue with
President Carter in May,
1978.
As Chairwoman of the
Manpower and Housing
Subcommittee of the House
Committee on Government
V
Operations, sne held hear
ings on the effects of th*
GAUTREAUX decision in
September of that year.
Congresswoman Collins
also introduced legislation
to free Chicago from the
strait-jacket of the
GAUTREAUX formula
Although the Congress
woman ardently supports
open housing, she objects
to holding Chicago housing
programs hostage to the
unworkable dispersion for
mula of the GAUTREAUX
decision, which prevents
subsidized housing from
being built in black neigh
borhoods.
“Most people want to
remain in their present
neighborhoods," Congress
woman Collins stated,
“and we should provide
affordable housing to those
entitled to it in that lo
cation."
Mrs. Collins noted with
satisfaction the statement
I
that HUD will require
serious attempts to decon
centrate lower income
families and provide a
wider choice of housing
opportunities
*'I intend to monitor
closely HUD’s progress in
this crucial effort to re
evaluate the standards of
locating subsidized hous
ing,” Congresswoman Col
lins cop^ltided “We in
Chicago, have been par
ticularly hard hit by re
strictive rules, and we look
forward to a chance to
provide housing to our peo
ple who want to stay in
their present neighbor
hoods.”
Congresswoman Collins
is currently chairwoman of
the Congressional Black
Caucus
Lowery Named To Committee
governor Jim Hunt »
campaign chairman for
Mecklenburg County, John
Belk, has named three
local people to co-chair the
steering committee.
Belk named Charlotte
Mayor Pro-tern Betty Cha
fin. County Commission
“Liz" Hair, and Mecklen
burg businessman Bobby
Lowery to the committee
The Hunt steering com
mittee is supporting a "get
out the vote” campaign
aimed at minorities, ac
cording to Mrs Hair.
Along with the Vote Task
Force the steering com
mittee will offer public
transportation to the polls
on Election Day.
It will contact residents
in Districts 1, 2 and 3
door-to-door and drive
those without transports
tion to their precincts
Senior citizens will be
transported in vans
t
Record
Turn-Out
Expected
By Eileen llanson
Special To The Host
The November 4 General
Election will attract an all
time record voter turn-out.
according to Election
Superintendent Bill Culp
—“I expect 14U.OOO voters
in Mecklenburg County to
go to the polls, or about 70
percent of those regis
tered,” Culp told The
Charlotte Post
Among black voters Culp
predicts a 65 percent turn
out, or 23,000 voters, which
would surpass the 18,000
<59 percent i that voted in
,the 1976 Presidential elec
tion.
The polls will tie open
Tuesday, November 4,
from 6:30 a in to-7:30 p m
at ill voting places (listed
elsewhere in The Charlotte
Post i.
roi voting iniorinaimn
call the Board of Elections
at 374-2133 For rides to the
(Hills contact the Vote Task
Force at 333 0394.
“There is a growing in
terest in the campaign in
recent week," said Culp,
pointing to the Presidential
debates, the hostages in
Iran and anxiet> about
various candidates as
factors that will attract
voters to the polls.
“The downward trend of
voter participation ma\ be
reversed in this election,"
he said There are more
than 33,000 registered
black voters in Mecklen
burg County, out of a total
ol 196,000 registered voters
Because of the expected
large turn-out, Culp em
phasized the following pro
cedures to assist voters
1> Study the sample ballot
ahead of time > available at
all libraries. First Union'
and Mechanics and Farm
ers Banks, and the Election
Office). Voters may mark
the sample ballot and take
it into the voting machine
w ith them
21 The Presidential and
Vice Presidential candi
dates are located at the top
of the ballot in a separate
area Pull down one pointer
for the candidates of your
choice.
•» . 'T- _. i .
tv »viv a siicii^ll!
party ticket (which DOES
NOT include the Presiden
tial race i, pull the lever at
the extreme left which in
eludes every candidate in
that row If you wish not to
vote for certain candidate's
in the row. you may lift
those pointers UP
4i To split your ticket
among two or more
parties, pull down the
pointers only over the can
didates of your choice
5) Review you ballot and
make any changes You
are not required to vote for
each office and you may
vote for fewer than the
number of candidates al
lowed in offices that allow
more than one vote Be
sure the pointers over the
names you want to vote for
are all pulled DOWN
61 To record your ballot
and open the curtain, pull
the large red lever to the
left
Voters will be limited to 5
minutes in the voting
machine during busy
hours. To avoid the rush,
See RECORD on Page 7
• v
Special Voter
-jlpdition On
Local, National
State Races,
4 Issues In
| Section B
The trouble with life:
you're halfway through
before you realiie it’a one
of those DO IT YOURSELF
DEALS
Rev. George E. Battle, member of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board
and pastor of the Greater Gethsemane
AME Zion Church, chats with business
man Ernest Alford at Precinct 42.