fSiPH CHARLOTTE POST (s=
^5 1 1 “The Voice Of TheBlack Community” I BLACK C0NSUMERS
- , gwaadr.fl’ an.« *««***-*•
DR. REGINALD HAWKINS
Overwhelmingly approved
It9s Official, Now!
Dr. Hawkins Is Pastor Of H.O.
Graham Presbyterian Church
The United Presbyterian
Church’s Permanent Judi
cial Commission voted
overwhelmingly on No
vember 5 to reissue a call
to Rev. Reginald Hawkins
to pastor H. O. Graham
Metropolitan Presbyterian
Church.
Rev. Hawkins had va
cated the pulpit to follow
the proper procedure tor
acceotina a call.
The Catawba Presby
tery, which rules all Char
lotte-Mecklenburg
churches, in January found
Hawkins, 57, guilty of in
subordination and “failing
to maintain peace and
unity” in the church It
then stripped Hawkins of
his ordination until at least
the end of i960.
Controversy first mush
roomed in 1978 when Haw
kins began oreaching at
Metropolitan on an interim
basis after the former
pastor’s death.
Congregation members
“issued a call’’ for Haw
kins to pastor regularly.
But Presbytery members
argued Metropolitan had
violated church procedure
far filling the pulpit.
An argument centered
around the time betweerr
Metropolitan's pulpit com
mittee recommending
Hawkins to the church's
session and that recom
mendation going before
Metropolitan’s congrega
tion.
Church laws say a 10
day notice must precede
any congregational meet
ing, according to Rev. Bob
Walton, the Catawba Pres
bytery moderator.
This procedure was vio
lated in Metropolitan’s
request to have Hawkins
pastor the church.
Therefore, when the
- Hawkins recommendation
reached the local Presby
tery, an argument resulted
over the procedural viola
tion.
“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.”
When Hawkins was first
ordered by the Presbytery
to vacate the pulpit in July,
1979, he continued to
preach. But Hawkins also
appealed the ruling to the
Permanent Judicial Com
mission in Philadelphia,
the national church’s high
est court. It supported the
local body.
Since Hawkins resisted
the national church order,
he was tried by the Cataw
ba Judicial Commission in
January for violating
church laws.
Later he was tempo
rarily stripped of his or
dination and ordered for
the second time to vacate
the pulpit.
In July, the national
Commission dismissed
charges against Hawkins.
But it also said the pulpit at
Metropolitan was vacant
and the church would have
to start over in calling a
pastor.
Congregation members
have chosen to wait, follow
procedure and reissue the
call to Hawkins.
Mayfield Memorial Plans
“Senior Citizens’ Day”
senior citizen s uay, an
annual observance at the
Mayfield Memorial Baptist
Church, will be held Sun
. dsy, November 16.
Proud of the fact that
they have been given Godly
personalities who are re
presentatives of the good
and mercy of the Lord as is
manifested through the
longevity of years the
seniors have lived, May
field sets aside a time
u> the senior citizens, “We
love you, are proud of you,
and deeply appeciate you,”
Dr. H. S. Diggs stated Wed
nesday.
/ One of the special guests
for this auspicious occasion
will be the Rev. Dr. W. C.
Upshaw, of Akfon, Ohio,
who will deliver the 11 a m.
sermon. Dr. Upshaw is a
senior citizen who la 83
years young, still actively
pesters the leading Black
church in Akron. Ha has
the very unique distinction
of being the first Dean of
the National Progressive
Baptist Congress of Chris
tian Education. As the
young convention was Just
beginning, the leaders real
ised the greet necessity of
having concerned, trained,
dedicated and devoted per
ions in responsible post
The minds of that con
vention turned to W. J.
Upshaw aa they prayer
Dr. H. S. Diggs
...Mayfield pastor
fully persuaded him to ac
cept the position that has
become a very coveted one
With integrity and farsight
edness, Dr. Upshaw chart
ed the course of the cur
riculum for the National
Progressive Congress of
Christian Education from
the year 1M3-07. The sense
of direction given that con
gress by him has enabled
that congress to be re
cognized as one of the best
national congresses in the
world. Dr. Upshaw former
ly served as a member of
the faculty of Arkansas
Baptist College before ac
cepting the call to pastor in
Akron, Ohio. He now serves
as one of the instructors in
the congress where he
served as first dean.
The annual Senior Citi
zen's Banquet will be held
•t J p.m. Sunday after
noon. Each senior citizen,
and their invited guests,
will gather in the Fellow
ship Hall of the church,
where the Eveready Host
ess Committee will help
make thsir day more en
joyable by serving an ap
petizing meal. The Bene
volence Committee will as
sist In helping the entire
day be one of enjoyment for
the citizens being honored.
Mayfield Memorial Bap
tist Church Is located at 700
Sugar Creek Road West
Fraternity To Honor 14
Black Citizens Sunday
Median Famiy
income Rose
11 Percent
Median family income in
the United States rose to
$19,680 in 1979 - 11.6 per
cent higher than in 1978
but the rise was almost
entirely offset by an 11.3
percent rise in prices, ac
cording to a report issued
today by the Commerce
Department's Bureau of
the Census.
The report also shows
that an estimated 25.2 mil
lion persons, 11.6 percent of
the population, were below
the poverty level in 1979.
Although this figure is 700,
000 higher than the year
before, the number is not
considered significantly
different in a statistical
sense from that of 1978. The
poverty threshold for a
nonfarm family of four was
$7,412 in 1979.
No significant changes
occurred in the relative
incomes of white, black or
Spanish origin families, the
report notes. Median
family Income in 1979 was
$20,520 for whites, $11,650
for blacks, and $13,320 for
Spanish origin families. Al
though there was some
evidence of a decline of
about 4 percent in real
median family income for
blacks and no change for
whites or Spanish origin,
these changes are not
statistically different from
one another due to sam
pling variability. In 1979,
black median family in
come was 57 percent of that
for white families, not sig
nificantly different from
1978’s figure of 59 percent.
The report shows that
although there has been no
significant change in the
overall number or propor
tion of persons below the
poverty level since the
1975-76 period, certain
population subgroups
showed changes between
1978 and 1979. For exam
ple, the number of poor
persons 65-and-older in
creased from 3.2 million in
1978 to 3.6 million last year.
The more detailed in
come questionnaire was
tested in connection with
the March 1979 survey and
a detailed analysis of its
impact on the estimates is
contained in "Current Po
pulation Reports,” Series
P-60, Nos. 123 and 124.
PRETTY SONJA MARIA LANEY
...Ransom Junior High student
Sonja Maria Laney
Is Beauty Of Week
rty icrcsii ourns
Post Staff Writer
Sweetness and that ting«
of innocence only a 12
year-old young lady can
possess are just a few
characteristics of Sonja
Marie Laney.
The only child of Ms.
Betty Laney, our 5’3”, 103
pound beauty has an ath
letic inclination. "I enjoy
playing volleyball and run
ning track at Ranson
Junior High," she began,
“During the school year
it’s a change in activities
for me."
As co-captain of the
volleyball team, Ms. Laney
doesn’t mind practicing
everyday. “I’m pretty
tired when I get in, but I
don’t mind,” she con
fessed.
It seems our beauty en
joys a challenge. It's a good
indication that her ambi
tion is parallel to her life’s
pattern. "I’d like to study
to become an attorney. It
looks as though it will be an
interesting subject for
me.”
But for now she is im
mersed in her present
school work. Science is Ms
Laney’s favorite subject,
mainly Decause of the tech
niques used in the learning
, process, such as frog di
section and the laboratory.
Art and dancing are also
favorites of Ms. Laney’s.
And as for television, she
enjoys the antics of the
“Good Times” cast. On
Sunday she can be found at
East Stonewall AME Zion
Church. There, she sings
alto on the Junior Choir.
She supports the West
Charlotte Lions (her cousin
Zonta Laney plays-on the
team) and sites her mother
as her favorite person.
Ms. Laney has received
numerous honors, includ
ing a certificate of recog
nition in track this year and
being crowned Miss Mc
Crorey YMCA in 1978.
Both the volleyball court
and the track field are
parts of our beauty’s life.
But she has also realized
the various tracks of life as
well - and it’s probable
that she is on her way to
becoming a champion in
her own right
As far as Ms Laney is
concerned her life has only
just begun and her path
seems to be directed to
wards great success.
Hunt Appoints Bobby Lowery
To Private Industry Council
By Teresa Boras
Post SUff Writer
Bobby G. Lowery, pre
sident of Better Cleanly
Maintenance Supply, Inc.
has been appointed to the
N.C. Balance of SUte Pri
vacy Industry Council
(PIC) by Governor Jim
Hunt.
Lowery vice chairs the
33-member council which
has at least five other
blacks as appointees. "Our
purpose is to review propo
sals for CETA funds from
the private sector,”
Lowery began, "and more
important than reviewing
proposals is that we pro
vide skilled training to the
economically disadvan
taged who may be unem
ployed or underemployed."
The council aids the Of
fice of Employment and
Training Programs in the
• 0 •?
Bobby O. Lowery
...Chairs council
State Department of Na
tural Resources and Com
munity Development in co
ordinating vocational and
on-the-job training pro
grams with regular educa
tional programs. The coun
cil will also coordinate em
ployment and training with
local economic develop
ment efforts.
Governor Hunt had
beard about Lowery’s work
as chairman of the Meck
lenburg County Business
Advisory Council. This
council worked with the
allocation of spending
CETA funds locally. One
individual from each of the
18 regions was recom
mended by Gov. Hunt by
local citizens. Lowery’s
name was on the list and
the late Sen. Fred Alex
ander encouraged his ap
pointment to the state
council.
PIC has moved smoothly
and efficiently during their
fiscal year which began in
October. “Seventy-five
percent of the 1M0 funding
has already been approved
to proposals presented to
this point,” Lowery noted.
% . A
"At least three under con
sideration were from
Mecklenburg
Lowery, along with two
other members represent
region F which encom
passes Charlotte, Mecklen
burg, Iredell, Cabarrus.
L.incolnton, Kowan, Stan
ley and Union. His com
pany, Better Cleaning
Maintenance Supply, Inc.,
which it located in Char
lotte, College St., has em
ployed many through the
CETA program. The com
pany was recognized in
October by the National
Minority Supplier Develop
ment Council as the num
ber one minority business
in the Southeastern
District.
Bom in Blacksburg, S.C.
Lowery has resided in
Charlotte since 1954
By R. Douglas Spears
Special To The Post
Omega Psi Phi Fratern
ity, Inc. has designated
November 9-16 as National
Achievement Week Sun
day at 4 p.m. the fratern
ity will honor 14 Black
citizens for their contri
butions to the community
at the Omegas of Charlotte
Fraternity House, 3301
Statesville Ave.
In Education, Mrs. Vinie
M. Watkins, former prin
ciple, and Rev. James
Teamer, founder of the
Teamer School. Mass Me
dia, Mrs. Willie Mae Porter
(posthumously) reporter
for the Afro-American
Newspaper, Eugene S.
“Genial Gene” Potts,
former radio announcer for
WGIV and Willie L. ‘‘Bin"
Johnson, Publisher of The
Charlotte Post.
In Business, Arthur
Grier (posthumously),
owner of Griers Funeral
Service, Zack W. Alexan
der (posthumously), owner
of Alexander’s Funeral
Home, and A. E. Spears,
former manager of North
Carolina Mutual Insurance
Comnany.
In fteligion. Rev. Frank
Shirly (posthumously), lo
cal Presbyterian minister,
and Bishop Lovette Warn
er, (posthumously), form
er Bishop in the AME Zion
Church.
In Law Enlorcement,
Armstead "Bub" Houston,
one of the first Black
policemen of Charlotte
Mecklenburg. In Recrea
tion, Mrs Lula Mae White
Brown, first Black recrea
tion supervisor for the
Charlotte Parks and Re
creation. In the Military,
Colonel CLSA Taylor, one
of the first Black com
missioned officers in Meck
lenburg County.
Local Chapters including
Rho Chapter at Johnson C.
Smith University, Epsilon
Zeta Chapter at University
of North Carolina at Char
lotte, and Pi Phi Chapter a
graduate chapter, will be in
observance during the Na
tional Achievement Week,
November 9-16.
Pi Phi Chapter will hold
its Seventeenth Annual
Awards Banquet on Friday
evening at 8 p m at Wag
oner Hall, Holiday Inn
Youth
Appreciation
Week Set
To celebrate Youth Ap
preciation Week, the West
Charlotte Optimist Club is
giving 100 area high school
students tickets for the
state football playoffs.
After raising $3,500 to
support black community
athletics, the club will pre
sent 25 students from J. T
Williams. Lincoln Heights.
Northwest and University
Park with tickets for the
Friday, November 14,
game that will feature
West Charlotte Senior High
School
The local Optimist group
which was chartered in
May, I960, now boasts of
100 members, according to
its president. Wvlie Harris.
Its first project was spon
soring Camp Expo, which
involved a group of John
son C. Smith University
students in athletic activi
ties. .
North. The black tie affair
will feature the Rev. J.
Herbert Nelson, pastor of
St. Luke United Presby
terian Church, Orange
burg, S.C. as the keynote
speaker. The coveted
Omega Man of The Year
award will be presented to
the Omega brother who has
met all the necessary re
quirements The Citizen of
The Year Award, the se
cond highest given by the
Omega Psi Phi Fraternity,
will be presented to the
citizen who has made an
outstanding contribution to
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
community.
The famed Pi Phi En
semble, under the direction
of Fredrick Ervin, will
render the music at the
banquet and the Sunday
morning worship service at
First United Presbyterian
Church at U a.m.
Linda Stinson
Dalton's manager
Book Fair Will
Benefit Equal
Rights Council
The Charlotte Equal
Rights Council will hold a
Holiday Book Fair Satur
day, November 15, at B
Dalton's Bookstore in
Charlottetown Mall from 10
a m. to 6 p.m
According to B Dalton’s
manager. Linda Stinson, a
variety of books and gifts
for holiday giving will be
available, including child
ren's books, calendars, art
and photography books,
and a wide selection of
best-selling and classical
fiction and non-fiction
"We will feature a spe
cial selection of books by
and about blacks, minor
ities and women, in keep
ing with the theme of equal
rights." said Stinson, the
only black woman man
ager of a local bookstore.
A percentage of Satur
day's Book Fair sales will
go to benefit the work of the
Charlotte Equal Rights
Council. The ERC Is a
Council of organizations
and individuals that have'
come together "to struggle
for and achieve the equal
ity of all people who have
been discriminated against
because of their nationality
and color, religion, sex,
economic status, age. phy
sical or mental condition."
In the past year the
Charlotte ERC has been
active in the struggle
against the Ku Khix Klan,
in support of human rights,
in efforts to gain a new trial
for John E. McCombs, Jr.
and other criminal Justice
issues, and in opposition to
the bus fare increase. The
ERC has also supported
union organising efforts
and other equal rights
struggles through local
actions and its monthly
newspaper, "The Southern
Advocate."
A
—
Omegas Cite Blacks For
Community Contributions