WBU5 LI3RARY BF •
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CHARLOTTE P( >ST
is__________J * ae voice (Jf The Black Community -—cam _
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Volume 7, Number 8 ' -—------.———_
- --THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday. October 1. 1981 Price 30 Ce
TERESSA COLEMAN
...Born entertainer
Lovely Teressa Coleman
Is “Beauty Of The Week”
By Teresa Burns
Post Staff Writer
Teressa Coleman is a
bom entertainer and her
veins are filled with the
desire to become a star.
Presently the vocalist for
the band Future Shock, Ms.
Coleman is receiving am
ple experience to achieve
her goal.
It’s easier these days for
*u person with multi-talents
to be recognized. Ms.
Coleman has this aspect
under control, for she also
knows how to act.
-—At Central Piedmont
during the 1979-80 school
year she starred as Do
rothy in the college’s pro
duction of “The Wiz.”
Composing songs, both
words and lyrics, are also a
feature Ms. Coleman
exerts magnificently. And
while she sung lead vocals
with the band “Merchan
dise City” they cut a 45 -
“Love Is Our Destiny” and
“Gonna Funk You Up," on
the flip side.
Ms. Coleman is now at
tending Central Piedmont
Community, College in ad
dition to her singing
career engagements. She is
studying in the Health
Records curriculum and
will take piano lessons and
work with the drama de
partment as well.
Singing on the Young
Adult Choir at Ebenezet
Baptist Church will soon be
an activity added to Ms.
Coleman's singing experi
ences.
"I enjoy all types of
music exceot rock.” Ms.
Coleman injected. "The
band that I sing with, Fu
ture Shock, however, plays
mostly disco and jazz.”
Influential performers in
Ms. Coleman's life have
been Diana Ross and
Dionne Warwick. Both in
spire her to put everything
into her gift of singing.
"BjMpr Hruie place 1
hopa^reach one day," she
emphasized. They have
shown Ms. Coleman that
success for a black artist
can be accomplished
lUKAMttA
*
Whatever it is that keeps
people from getting rich...
most of us have it.
A striking Cancer, Ms.
Coleman is determined,
outgoing and reaching for a
certain goal in life - cha
racteristics some only hope
for.
But there is another side
to the determined Ms.
Coleman, the loving and
caring side.
“I like to be nice to
people and to show them
that someone cares. I also
like to inspire as many
young people as I can to
believe in God.”
Her favorite person is
her daughter, Patanzi. “I
love her. She’s my reason
for living. She makes me
feel better when I feel
bad."
If our beauty could make
a positive change in the
world ahe announced, "I
would make a better place
for poor people to live and
try to make everyone see
how important it is to love
one another.”
The daughter of Mary
Lee Coleman and Orange
Coleman, Ms. Coleman has
two sisters and four
brothers.
Congress Changes Law
Goverakig AFDC Program
Special To The Post
. RALEIGH - The N.C. De
partment of Human Re
sources has submitted a
proposal to the U.S. De
partment of Health and
Human Service for a six
county Community Work
Experience (Workfare) de
monstration project.
This will require welfare
recipients under the Aid to
Families with Dependent
Children (AFDC) program
to work in schools and
other governmental or pri
vate non-profit agencies to
work off their welfare pay
ments if the proposal is
approved.
Governor James B. Hunt
Jr. has written a letter to
Richard S. Schweiker, se
cretary of Health and Hu
man Services, endorsing
the "Workfare” demon
stration proposal request
ing that it be approved.
“Our program objectives
involve demonstrating the
usefulness of combining
the challenge offered by
the Community Work Ex
perience Program’s work
requirement with appropri
ate supportive services and
the cooperation of public
and private sector em
ployers to reduce the size of
the AFDC caseload. Our
research objectives focus
on documenting the results
of this approach,” Hunt
said in his letter.
The governor also indi
cated in his letter that it
seemed to him that the
long-term employment
prospects of Aid To Fami
lies with Dependent Child
ren recipients depend on
very close coordination be
tween AFDC program po
licies, the policies of perti
nent supportive services
programs, and the labor
market activities of private
employers “Yet we do not
have very much experi
ence with the kind of close
relationship that is possible
,4
under the new Community
Work Experience Pro
gram,” he said.
There are 45 counties ir
the state who are already
participating in the federal
Work Incentive (WIN) pn>
gram designed to find em
ployment for AFDC reci
pients. This is a joint ven
ture by the Employment
Security Commission and
county social services de
partments. All AFDC reci
pients who are not exempt
ed are required to register
for the WIN program in
these counties
_ _ m -—-- *»• hiv. imuui .
Reflections Waiter
James White Is “Something Special!” —
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
If you've ever dined at
the Reflections*Restau
rant, undoubtedly you've
encountered a smiling gen
tleman who answers to the
name of James Robert
White. If you’ve had the
double pleasure of having
him wait upon you, then
certainly you know tne rea
son why White has, upon
numerous occasions, re
ceived the title, "Boat
Waiter of Them All.”
‘T've always felt that you
should let your job repre
sent you and I've done
that,” replied White. It is
this attitude that has made
him the recipient of being
called the "best.”
In 1977 White was chosen
“The Best Waiter in Char
lotte” by the WSOC News
Radio Restaurant Review.
He was "Employee of the
Month” at the Radisson
Plaza Hotel during Sep
tember of 1978 and a final
ist for “Employee of the
Year” during 1978. Last
year in the CHARLOTTE
OBSERVERS "Perfect
Waiter-Waitress Contest
What White and his team
provide for his customers
Chisholm Tells Black
Caucus To “Get Active”
Reagan To
Help Black
Colleges?
President Ronald Rea
gan last week signed a new
Executive Order to help
strengthen black colleges. '
The signing took place at a
White House luncheon for
black college supporters.
The new Executive Or
der, established to improve
and protect black colleges,
increases black participa
tion in federally sponsored
programs; mandates go
vernment-wide coordina
tion to ensure full oppor
tunities for black college
participation in federally
sponsored programs; and
calls on the Secretary of
Education to encourage
private sector initiatives in
, assisting historically black
, institutions.
I Under the order, Presi
dent Reagan has directed
Secretary of Education T.
H. Bell to submit an An
nual Performance Report
on Executive Agency Ac
tions to ensure black col
lege participation in
federally sponsored pro
grams. This “report card”
will be reviewed by the
Cabinet Council on Human
Resources, the Vice Presi
dent and the President.
The President has asked
Vice President Bush to
work with the heads of
federal agencies in con
ducting a special policy
review to serve as a basis
for all future planning for
these educational institu
tions.
“We are gathered today
because all of us want to
nourish and protect an
American institution that
has served this nation well
...the traditional black col
leges and universities,” the
President said. “Hundreds
of thousands of young Ame
ricans received training at
these schools over the past
100 years, expanding their
opportunities as indivi
duals and laying the found
ation for social progress. It
should never be forgotten
See Reagan on Page 16
Across the South people are marching to
defend the Voting Rights Act. Above,
some 5,000 marchers recently in Mont
gomery, Alabama. (Photo by Eileen
llansen)
Mayor Carthan To Lead ’
Freedom Walk Here Saturday
By Eileen Hanson
Special To The Host
Can a black elected of
ficial get justice in the
courts of Mississippi?
Eddie James Carthan.
former mayor of Tchula,
Miss., will be iiT Charlotte
Saturday, October 3, to
lead the Freedom Walk for
the Voting Eights Act to
raise support for the Tchu
la 7 case.
The Tchula 7 are a group
of black officials from the
heart of the Mississippi
Black Belt wto were re
cently convictecl' Yrnecrand '
sentenced for exercising
their authority as political
officials.
The Freedom Walk in
support of the Voting
Rights Act and black poli
tical representation, begins
Saturday morning at 7:30
a m. at West Charlotte
High School parking lot.
Mayor Carthan will join
Charlotte's Black Council
men Ron Leeper and
Charlie Dannelly in kicking
off the walk, which is de
dicated to the late Fred
Alexander, Charlotte’s
first Black councilman and
State Senator since Recon
struction. All Black elected
officials have Keen intriloH
to join in me f reedom
Walk, sponsored by the
Charlotte Equal Rights
Council.
“The Tchula 7 case is a
living example of why we
need the Voting Rights Act
to assure that Blacks have
political representation in
the South," said Ted Quant,
southern regional organiz
er for the Equal Rights
Congress.
The Tchula 7 case began
in April, 1980, when the
local police chief resigned
and Carthan, as mayor,
appointed a temporary^;
lice chief, who was Black.
Unhappy with Carthan’s
decision, a white Alderman
decided he would take the
law into his own hands and
illegally appointed a white
police chief.
A confrontation errupted
when Mayor Carthan at
tempted to persuade the
illegally appointed police
chief to go home. The man.
Jim Andrews, pulled a gun
on Carthan
Carthan, assisted by six
auxiliary police officers,
managed to subdue An
drews. Both Andrews and
Carthan swore out war
rants on each other. The
Justice of the Peace, who is
also Andrews' sister-in
law, followed up on An
drews' charges, but had
Carthan's thrown out.
On April 21, 1981, Car
than and six co-defendants
were convicted on charges
of simple assault on a law
enforcement officer ‘ Car
than was given three years
in prison for a crime that
usually carries a penalty of
a small fine. The six co
defendants were given sus
pended sentences of three
years and fines of $500 to
$l,ooo each.
~~Acair4i0g to Carthan.
"Our conviction is a cTea?~
attempt to intimidate and
harass the Black commun
ity, and to enforce a cen
tury of unwritten laws that
a Black man can't buck the
white power structure and
get away with it.”
The sentences are on
appeal. Recently the FBI
brought two new charges
against Mayor Carthan
"This is another case of
political assassination,"
according to Quant who is
active in forming the
Tchula 7 Defense Commit
tee. "It is not an isolated
incident, but part of a right
wing move to disfranchise
Ploplrc in lltn
James Robert White
...City's "Best Waiter"
is prime service. "My
team and I offer our
customers a real unique
experience in dining that
they just don't get any
where else, explained
White, "When people
leave, they leave happy
because of my team and
myself," and according to
White that is the ultimate
pleasure in his work.
The service White per
sonally delivers goes be
yond taking an order and
delivering food. "I'm al
ways myself,” remarked
White. "And I always try to
anticipate the customer’s
m
needs and what mood he’s
in," added White. "Once I
know these things I take
the mood from there and
adapt the service to fit it,”
continued White.
For one who is so per
ceptive to his customers'
needs it is not difficult to
understand why White re
ceives so much pleasure
from his work. “I am able
to show love and apprecia
tion in an environment
~where It tg acceptable: in
return 1 get stroked,1 com
mented White.
But these strokes aren't
the only thing White gets
back; the people also come
back "People do return,”
spoke White. One couple
who celebrated their 53rd
anniversary dining at Re
flections were so im
pressed with White, they
made special plans to cele
brate their 54th annivers
ary at Reflections and
made certain that White
would be their waiter.
White started his work in
the restaurant business pri
marily to earn extra in
come for his family Be
ginning as a dishwasher,
within a year White had
excelled to the position of
waiter at the Epicurean
Restaurant. He left there
and went to the Reflections
Restaurant where he is
presently employed.
Although at night, White
functions as a waiter,
during the day he is em
ployed by the Charlotte
Mecklenburg School Sys
tem as an elementary guid
ance counselor. In addition
to these two demanding
positions, White is em
ployed part-tuna by „ihe
-Carolina i railways Uuseo.
as a driver.
Where does one find time
and the stamina to be a
father, husband and hold
three jobs and do them all
well? White says the
*n*wer U “mind over
body '* "Mentally, I have
developed a management
system. I set goals and try
to reach them because I
firmly believe God helps
those who help them
selves," stated White.
A 1971 graduate of
Livingstone College, White
holds a B A Degree in Hi
story. In 1973 White earned
his M.A. degree in Guid
ance and Counseling from
UNC-Charlotte White also
holds a North Carolina
Principal's Certificate
Above all his achievements
White is especially proud of
a dental and nutritional
program he developed so
parents could teach their
children proper health
habits He is married to
the former Gloria Mile, an
elementary school teacher
They are the parents of two
sons. James Robert White
II, age 10 and William
Rodney White, age 8
The son of Rev and Mrs
—HeirfKogg White Sr , White
is a native of scheneflfllly, ■
New York He has four
brothers-Rev William
White, pastor of Little Rock
AME Zion Church, Rev.
Reid White Jr , Rev Ed
ward White, John Henry
White, a famous photogra
pher for the CHICAGO
SUN TIMES (newspaper),
and one sister, Ada Mae
White Taylor, a high school
curriculum coordinator
and Black History instruc
tor in Brockport. N Y.
CamivalH Set
The Charlotte Parlts and
Recreation Department
will sponsor Halloween
Carnivals at all recreation
center locations from 3-S
p m on October 31.
School
Children’s
Fate At Stake
Congresswoman Shirley
Chisholm <D-.\ Y.) Mon
day chaired a meeting of
the Congressional Black
Caucus Legislative Brain
trust on Education.
As part of a day-long
schedule of workshops con
ducted on the first day of
this year's Congressional
Black Caucus Dinner
Weekend, the Education
Braintrust meeting
wrought together over 350
alack educators, commun
ity activists and elected
afficials from across the
nation for a . discussion of
aducation issues important
to black Americans.
In a statement to the
Braintrust, Representative
Chisholm called on the par
ticipants to get educated,
get organized and get ac
tive on these issues. No
thing less than the fate of
today’s and tomorrow's
school children is at
stake "
The three-hour session
featured presentations by
two panels of experts The
first, composed of Ms.
Alice Baum - Executive
Director of the National
Advisory Council on Edu
cation of Disadvantaged
Children, and Mr. William
A. Blakey - Director ot the
House Subcommittee on
Post-Secondary Education,
*was cBHCBI'lUJU With drasthr
cuts in federal education
programs. Details were
provided on reductions in
government programs
aimed at disadvantaged
and handicapped public
school students, as well as
on the hardship black col
leges and college students
will suffer because of Pre
sident Reagan's economic
plan
The second panel dealt
with government support
for private schools Panel
ists included Dr James
Comer - Director of the
Yale Child Study Center,
Ms. Laura .Murphy - Le
gislative Representative
for the American Civil
Liberties Union, and Dr.
Willie Kimmons Wayne
Community College in
Detroit.
Dr. Comer, author of the
book "School Power,” ar
gued that tuition tax cre
dits or vouchers would
create a "two-tier school
system that would institu
tionalize hopelessness.” He
suggested that we not write
off public schools, and he
said that "Rather than
make an untested ap
proach into national policy,
we should fully exploit our
knowledge about schools
that are serving children
well, and apply it to all
schools '
Tnint inducing the stioinl
panel, Representative
Chisholm was also critical
of the tax credit proposal
"A tuition tax credit sut*
sidy for private schools
would create a massive
dollar drain from govern
ment income. I believe it is
incongruous to propose a
loss of $4 billion in federal
revenue at a time w hen the
Administration is faced
with fulfilling its campaign
promises to cut federal pro
grams, increase defense
spending, and balance the
budget - all to be ac
complished during a period
of high interest rates, mas
sive unemployment and
hard economic times ”