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“The Voice Of The Mack ('<Humanity*
' _ , _
'_- THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, March 10, 1983
r ----—_______ Price: 40 Cents
President Reagan’s Order
Bans Minority Charities
ATTRACTIVE RENEE HARRIS
~~Manages basketball team
Paulette “Renee” Harris
• V. ' 7%' ^2<.**'• ' ’ *• ’ *
Is auty Of The Week
By Teresa Simmons
Post Managing Editor
Out beauty, Paulette
“Renee" Harris, took the
advice of her mother a
couple of years ago and
became involved. She has
found out that being in
volved in many aspects of
life often enhances one’s
view of the world.
While Miss Harris’
mother realized this awhile
ago fnd through experi
ences, she wanted to share
the excitement with her
daughter. Today Miss
Harris play volleyball,
or M«r- Basketball
team.
At Rockwell AME Zion
Church where Rev. J. W.
Thompson is pastor, our
beauty ushers, sings
soprano on the Youth
Choir and is active in the
church's Junior Depart
ment.
Miss Harris, an eighth
grader at Ranson Junior
High School is fond of her
mother. “Whenever I’m in
trouble I can always come
to her and talk to her about
anything.’* She always
helps me out."
Willie Mae Johnson is our
beauty’s mother. She also
?***%
WoAienV
Day Cdehra"' i Planned
"Women in the Labor
Movement: Their Quest for
Jobs, Peace and Equality”
is the theme for this year’s
Charlotte celebration of In
ternational Women’s Day,
to be held March 11-12.
Highlights of the cele
bration wiQ include a cul
tural evening, a conference
on working women in the
South and Internationally,
and keynote speaker Mrs.
Evelyn Lowery, head of the
Southern Christian Lead
ership 'Conference
women’s organization. The
program is dedicated to the
late Sadie C. Grigg.
All activities will take
place at the Client Council
Center, ISM West Blvd. (in
the Whatever Shopping
Center at Remount Rd).
The weekend celebration
begins Friday, March 11, at
8 p.m. with a cultural pro
gram, "Celebrate Wo
men,” featuring music,
poetry, drama and story
telling by' local women
artists.
Marilyn Price, president
of the Charlotte Folklore
Society, will perform early
country music, some over
200 years old She plays the
hammer dulcimer and gui
tar. Manualynn Lewis will
sing bsUjujTby Ella May
Wiggins, a union activist in
Gastonia in tha i*20s
spring Ul one of nature's
(treats* Shows; you can
enjoy gw next few months
immensely if you take time
to observe what is all
around you_ .
Macon, actress Eileen
Neely as “Sojourner
Truth,” and Lori Winfree
doing Indian legends. Win
ners of the poster, essay
and poetry contest will be
announced.
Saturday's conference
will begin at 9:30 a.m. Two
panels are scheduled - one
on women organizing for
jobs, peace and equality in
the South, the other on
women organizing interna
tionally.
Resource persons in
clude Jennifer Henderson
of the N.C. Hunger Coali
tion ; Barbara Sharpe, head
of Women’s Affairs in
North Carolina for the
Communication Workers of
America; Brenda Best of
the American Federation
at Teachers; and Jean
Davis of the Georgia AFL
do Minority Affairs De
partment.
The international panel
will feature Belinda Adrt
ano of the Philippines, who
recently returned from a
tour through several Asian
countries; Malsha Abdul
Rdqeeb, a Pan Africanist
and women’s organizer;
and Rosa Winfree, coordin
ator for the Indian Edu
cation Project of the Char
lotte-Mecklenburg Schools.
Saturday's conference
will also highlight two
North Carolina labor
leaders, portrayed by local
artists: Ella May Wiggins,
who organised textile
workers in Gastonia in the
id Theodosia Simp
organised tobacco
in Winston-Salem
in the 1940s.
Mrs. Evelyn Lowery,
Convenor of the 9CLC
WOMEN, will keynote the
Saturday evening pro
gram, beginning at 8 p.m
Ms. Lowery recently lad
the SCLC-sponsored pil
grimage from Alabama to
I Washington, D C. to secure
the Voting Rights Act and
in defenae of two Mack
women from Alabama,
Maggie Boaeman end Julia
Wilder, who were Impri
soned last year for ragis
tering senior citizen* to
vote.
Dancing, traveling,
meeting people and singing
on her church choir are a
few activities enjoyed by
Miss Harris. Stevie Wonder
is her favorite musician.
“There’s something about
the music of Stevie Won
der,” Miss Harris stated.
“His music is not too hard
and not real slow, but it’s a
pretty sounding music.”
Ambitions for our beauty
include attending cosme
tology school and becoming
a beautician.
“I'll probably go to Inde
pendence or West Charlotte
High School first because
WtiSt&iiMi
vealed. Becoming a cosme
tologist has been her long
time dream. "I like to work
in people’s hair. I like to fix
hair and make people’s
faces up.”
She also enjoys various
subjects she is now taking
in school. “I especially en
joy math and problem
solving and I like learning
language so that I can
speak properly.” Miss Har
ris is conscious about how
well she communicates
with others. In the future
this will no doubt aid her in
her desired profession as
well as other walks of life.
Her favorite instructors
at Ranson are Ms. Robin
ette and Mr. White.
Even though the world is
an exciting domain that
Miss Harris had decided to
take a positive part in, she
still notices events and oc
currences which displease
her. ‘Td like crime in the
world to stop and I’d like
for the world to be a safer
place to live in.”
Dorris Archie Has Found Niche
. 'I ... » ' ; • ^ '{f/ ■" -
In Cabarrus County Judicial System
By Andrew McCorkle
Poet Staff Writer
..As the first black ap
pointed aa a magistrate in
Cabarrus County, Dorris
Archie has found her niche
in the county Judicial
system.
Ms. Archie, of Concord,
applied for the position of
magistrate because of the
urging of a friend. Her
friend heard that a seat
would be vacated and sug
gested that she apply for it.
Ms. Archie has worked
as s librarian, elementary
school teacher and , ac
countant. She said that she
finds her Job as s Judge
rewarding.
"It’s always something
different to learn,” she
explained. "It’s quite a
challenge. I really like it."
Aa a Cabarrus County
magistrate, Ms. Archie ad
ministers oaths, Issues
arrest and search warrants
and civil summons, per
forms marriages, issues
widow allowances and
makes involuntary com
mitments of parsons to
mental hospitals She also
Ms. Foster
To Budget
Commission
Raleigh - Representative
Jo Graham Foster of Meck
lenburg County has been
appointed to the North
Carolina Advisory Budget
Commission by House
Speaker Liston B. Ram
sey. She replaces the late
Representative Sam Bundy
of Pitt County.
The Advisory Budget
Comission and the Govern
or prepare and submit to
the General Assembly a
recommended budget for
operating the State govern
ment. “I feel sure Mrs.
Foster’s experience and
ability will make her a
valuable member of this
important commission,"
Speaker Ramsey said.
A retired public school
administrator from Char
lotte, Mrs. Foster is serv
ing her sixth term in the
House. In length at service,
she is the senior female
Member of the House.
w Representative Foster is
serving her second term as
Chairman of the House
Committee on Education.
She also serves as Vice
Chairman of the Base and
Expansion Budget Com
mittees on Education.
Visits White House
Geraldine Brisbane and
Angie Brown, both of UNC
Charlotte along with Ben
jamin Gallman and Darryl
Broome of Johnson C.
Smith University, are visit
ing White House officials at
a Youth for Energy Inde
pendence (YEI) confer
ence.
The four students and
other students across the
nation will meet with mem
bers of the Department of
Energy and other commit
tees related to environmen
tal protection to discuss
improvements. The stu
dents from Charlotte are
representing the Youth Di
vision of the NAACP.
has the authority to set
bonds and release persons
who are arrested, until
their court date.
“Anytime a person is ar
rested he has to come
before a magistrate," she
said, "but everytime a per
son is arrested, he does not
have to go to jail."
Ms. Archie is aware of
her power as a judge. She
believes the most impor
tant part of her job is
remaining objective and
impartial.
“I think that’s why they
hired me," she began, "not
because I’m black, but be
cause they wanted an im
partial person for the job.'*
Ms. Archie said that she
thinks her appointment is
indicative of more progres
siva attitudes in Cabarrus
County government and
that more blacks should
apply for positions.
’ ‘I would like to see more
black people in the judicial
system," shesaid. "Even if
they don’t have any experi
ence in city government,
they should apply.".
She said the job has re
Chuck Erexson addresses a group of
disgruntled merchants faced with neigh
borhood harassments. (Photo by
Bernard Reeves)
Angry Merchants Organize
To Protect Their Property
By Andrew McCorkle
Post StafT Writer
Despite disagreeing
about the severity of the
problem, merchants who
do business in the Camden
Rd. and Park Avenue sec
tion of Charlotte say that
something has to be done to
curtail neighborhood
prime.
Chuck Erexson, owner of
Duke Photo Company, 121
W. Park Ave., has occu
pied the same location for
10 years. He has had two
break-ins. The most recent,
about two weeks ago.
Erexson is spearheading
a community effort for
merchants to organize to
better protect their pro
perty. His total loss from
the break-ins was about
$3,500, he said.
“You work your whole
life for something and then
somebody comes in and
rips your stuff off,” he said.
“I don’t want to quit but I
don’t want to go through
that either.”
Erexson thinks that
neighborhood business
men and women should
communicate with each
other more. ‘‘We don't
know each other, we need
to do something to pull us
closer together,” he said.
Although Erexson
doesn’t consider the
district a “high risk”
area, he thinks it should
have better police protec
tion.
“I have no reason to
think that we are getting
any police protection what
soever now,” he explained.
J.R. Snider, owner of
Park Avenue Barber Shop,
123 E. Park Ave., said
although there have not
been a rash of break-ins
recently, burglaries have
occurred consistently in
the community for 60
years.
“It happens more often
now, but I don’t think it’s
been a rash,” he said.
“What we need is a night
patrolman to patrol on foot
from about 10 p.m. to 4
kindled an interest in law
that she has had her entire
life. Ms. Archie plans to
attend law school and
someday become a crimin
al lawyer.
“I’m going to law
school,’’ she stated empha
tically. “In fact, if there
was a law school in the
area, I’d be taking courses
right now.’’
She thinks being a magis
trate is a great way to
start.
Formerly married to a
husband who served in the
U.S. Army, Ms Archie has
traveled over Europe. She
I—.-. -
has worked and visited in
countries such as Spain,
Italy, Austria, Germany,
Prance and Switzerland.
‘‘I love to travel,” she
stated. "I still travel be
cause I like for my kids to
be exposed.”
Ms Archie has two boys:
Augustin, five, and Adrian,
two.
"It (traveling) gives
them firsthand experience
with life," she explained.
"You can read a lot of
things in books, but seeing
them firsthand is far
better.”
1
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a.m.,” he stated.
His shop has been busted
1 into about three times for a
lost of about $300.
Ann Medearis who, along
with her husband, operates
Claydes Furniture and
Jewelry Store at 127 E.
Park Avenue agreed.
“The police work with us,
but I think we need more
coverage," she said. “We
need a foot-patrolman like
we had about 20 years
ago."
Mrs. Medearis and her
husband have operated the
store in the location for 37
years. “We have not es
caped a year without a
break-in,” she pointed out
Mrs. Medearis estimated
the loss at $600, although
many of the burglaries
were thwarted because of a
good alarm system.
Although they have been
plagued with consistent
crime problems, Mrs.
Medearis said that they
would not consider moving
out of the area
She said the problems
are no worse in the Dil
worth community than
they are any place else in
Charlotte. “I don’t think
that the neighborhood is
that bad We have good
customers and we’re cen
trally located,” she stated,
"we have a lot to offer
here.”
“I feel safe here or l
wouldn't be here, but I
would like more protec
tion,” she added
Mary Davis, an assistant
manager at Dilworth Food
Center, 100 E Park Ave.,
disagreed. She said that
she has witnessed purse
snatchings in the area
Some customers have
come into the store after
they have been beaten and
robbed, she said.
The store has been van
dalized and burglarized re
peatedly, she stated.
“They mostly steal meat,
wine, cigarettes, stuff like
that,” she explained “You
can’t have anything in this
neighborhood that you
can’t nail down or lock up
Republican Party
The Mecklenburg Re
publican Party will hold
their County Convention on
March 14, at the Holiday
Inn on Woodlawn Rd. at
7:90 p.m. in accordance
with the party Plan of
Organization.
Hack Groups
Could Lose
^Millions
Many charities run by
minorities will be ousted
from the federal govern
ment’s $100 million on-the
job fundraising drive by an
executive order signed re
cently by President Rea
gan.
The executive order says
that any charity that tries
to change public policy
through advocacy or litiga
tion will not be eligible to
receive gifts from federal
employees through the
Combined Federal Cam
paign.
Among the dozens of
groups that could lose
millions of dollars are the
NAACP Legal Defense
Fund, the National Black
United Fund and the Mar
tin Luther King Center for
Nonviolent Social Change.
Critics of the Reagan
action say it directly con
tradicts his many state
ments about the need for
charities to rely more on
private gifts.
“Because federal em
ployees could give to many
of these charities for the
first time last fall, overall
giving shot up 7.5 percent,”
explained Robert Bothwell
of the National Committee
for Responsive Philanthro
py. “This was the first time
since 1977 that the increase
in giving exceeded infla
tion. Apparently this ad
ministration’s commit
ment to increase giving
does not extend to charities
concerned about civil
rights.”
The administration con
tends that the elimination
of advocacy groups was
needed so that the cam
paign would be “aimed
directly at the needs of the
poor, the infirmed, the hun
gry and the truly needy.”
Pluria Marshall of the
National Black Media Coa
lition disagrees. “It's ab
surd and hypocritical to
say the purpose of this
change is to help the truly
needy.' Many of the ac
tivities funded by the
United Way, which gets 70
percent of the money, are
benefiting middle class
people, not the poor The
purpose of this change is,
pure and simple, to elim
inate charities the admin
istration doesn’t like. ”
Marshall says that all of
the groups that would be
eliminated by the execu
tive order help the truly
needy.,
The problem is that
these groups realize that it
takes more than handouts
to help poor people,” he
pointed out. “They realize
that people are poor be
cause of discrimination,
because public education is
poor, because there aren’t
any jobs.”
“These groups want to
change these realities, not
just give people a turkey
dinner at Thanksgiving.
It’s not right for Reagan to
tell government employees
that they can’t choose to
use their money to support
these groups.”
The change in the Com
bined Federal Campaign
came after the United Way
asked the President in
September to eliminate
many competir* charities.