* ■ .
® YOUR BEST
W • ^F ADVERTISING MEDIA
I A IN THE LUCRATIVE
JL JL AA BLACK MARKET
CALL 376-0496
“The Voter Of The lilttek Community”
“ J ‘ ?>, • ’;» v'a v
^ , ,_____
VW—99S.N—>T4> v r__ Volume 8. Number 46 THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, April 21, 1983 Price: 40 Cent* Price: 40 Cent*
77 * r ^ ~ ^*"**■ 1 111 —* * "■■■ • . . ___
KELLI FLETCHER
^Enthralled with life
Kelli Fletcher’s Blooming
Into Young Lady Of Charm
By Teresa Simmons
Poet Managing Editor
April blossoms of delight
include our beauty, Kelli
Fletcher, who is now
btooandng into a young lady
oi,
Miss Fletcher is enthraUed
with various aspects of life.
She sees beauty in small
joys, in the small entities
one can touch, and even the
love songs sung by Diana
Ross. "I also like to sing
love songs,” commented
Miss Fletcher.
Singing is among her
most favorite hobbies. She
also enjoys swimming and
playing freeze tag with her
friends.
Other delights of Miss
Fletcher include watching
television and reading. “I
enjoy ‘Good Times’ be
cause of JJ, Penny and
Wilona. I also like to read
EBONY and The Charlotte
Post n*«paper” she com
mernea
The daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. W. B. Fletcher, our
beauty has one brother,
Darryl. She is a member of
Friendship Baptist Church
where she attends Sunday
School and is a Girl Scout.
Rev. Dr. Clifford A. Jones
Sr. is her pastor.
Her favorite teachers at
Paw Creek are Ms. Green
and Ms. Has to “I enjoy
gym, music and play time
in school.” But there is also
Concord Arrest Makes
Mathis Breathe Easier
By Andrew McCorkle
Poet Staff Writer
The arrest of a Concord
man, In connection with a
cross burning, has made
the town’s only black city
Alderman breathe a little
Kenneth Ray Burris, 28,
of 95 Reed St., was ar
rested Monday afternoon
by Concord police and
charged with burning a
cross to intimidate when he
allegedly burned a cross in
the yard of the residence of
Chery Mitchell - a Barber -
Scotia student - and Clar
ence Hardiman of 97 Reed
Street.
Shots were also fired into
the bouse, but Burris has
not been linked with the
shooting. There were no
injuries, although Mitchell,
who ran from the house
while neighbors watched
and jeered, was badly
shakdn.
Neither Mitchell nor Har
dlman is still living in the
house
Alderman Robert Mathis
said that Concord police
i IkKRPttft*
_ *
Good example* have
twice the value at good
advice.
and SBI agents involved in
the probe should be com
mended for swift action.
"I think people fed a lot
better now,” explained
Mathis. “In fact, I think the
police should be commend
ed for quick action and not
dragging this thing out.”
H>ere was a deep con
cern in the community
Mathis explained, “and a
lot of people wanted to see
some action taken.”
He said that although the
cross burning and shoot
ing were the result of
Klanpmen, the incident
conjured up bad memories
for many black residents.
He explained that al
though the memories are
bad, black citixens are not
frightened by Klan terror
ist acts, and that violence
may be met with retalia
tory violence.
"This generation of
young blacks is not as
fearful as those of my
generation,” stated the 49
year-old Mathis.
Moore said that police
still don’t know what pro
voked the attack, but hoped
to make more arrests. He
declined to say how many
more arrests, or when to
expect them.
Moore stated that the
arrest proved the incident
was not the result of Ku
fOux Klan activity, but a
njrfghhortjnnH dispute,' SS
many Concord officials had
puHMy said earlier.
"This ia the first time In
15 years that something
like this has happened, sc it
Is not a frequent occur
rence,” explained Moore.
Moore stated that two
other cross burnings in
Cabarrus County last
weekend are the result of
"copy cats,” not a reeur
a certain seriousness pos
sessed by Miss Fletcher. In
her other courses, such as
psychology, art and work
ing in the library, she has
learned the importance of
school from her parents,
both of whom are teachers.
“I most admire my
mother and father. Both
are teachers and they help
me with my school work.
They know what’s right on
wrong and when I do some
thing wrong they teach me
the right thing."
Others who have had a
positive influence on our
beauty’s life have been
Lucille Fletcher, her uncle
Robert Richardson, her
Aunt Shelly Fletcher, San
dra, Keisha, Sam and
Faye and a host of other
relatives and friends too
numerous to mention.
Miss Fletcher is one who
has many concerns includ
ing the pollution that is now
facing our world and the
poor. “I wish poor people
could all have homes and
enough food," she began.
“I think that we should
always treat people nice
because they may treat you
nice, too."
There is something spe
cial about Kelli Fletcher, a
dainty flower who seems to
brighten each room she
enters...a gift from God
wrapped and enveloped in
kindness towards others.
Report Says:
Reagan’s Budget Would
Break Black Families?
New Attack
Launched
On Carthan
Special To the Post
According to Frank
Chapman, Associate Direc
tor of the National Al
liance Against Racist and
Political Repression
(NAARPR), “The Reagan
Administration is prepar
ing to launch a new attack
on Mayor Eddie James
Carthan. It was first an
nounced by the U.S. At
torney’s office that they
expected to bring Carthan
to trial on May 1, 1983 on
charges they refused to
specify over the telephone.
Later, the U.S. Attorney in
Jackson, Miss., George
Philips, stated that the trial
had been indefinitely post
poned.
^President Reagan must
be made to feel the sting of
mass pressure now at this
crucial juncture in Mayor
Eddie Carthan’s fight for
justice. The fact that
charges spring spuriously
from the Mississippi and
the Federal prpsecutor’s
offices whenever Carthan
becomes eligible for bail
indicates that their true in
terest is not bringing jus
tice to light, but rather
keeping Carthan in jail.”
NAARPR organized de
legations, led by NAARPR
Executive Director Char
lene Mitchell and repre
senting scores of organ
izations and thousands of
individuals, have request
ed appointments with Pre
sident Reagan and Missis
sippi Governor William
Winter. The delegations
will present Reagan and
Winter with resolutions and
petitions demanding
Mayor Carthan’s complete
exoneration and freedom.
Among the organizations
and individuals supporting
these demands are the Na
tional Conference of Black
Mayors.
THEBAUD JEFFERS
\
_Competent politician
ayor
Is Marvelous Experience
By Karen Parker
Post Staff Writer
A recent interview with
Mayor Thebaud Jeffers of
Gastonia, NC revealed he
has no complaints about his
political experiences.
He has sat at the throne
of this city of 47,000 since
1976 when he was voted by
city council members to
fulfill an incomplete term
after the death of former
Mayor Roland Bradley. Be
fore that, Mayor Jeffers
was a city councilman. He
joined that governing body
in May, 1963.
A few months as interim
mayor was enough for
Gastonians to determine
Mayor Jeffers, often known
as “T” Jeffers, a compe
tent politician. They fol
lowed in the footsteps of
their council people, and in
the 1977 mayoral election
voted him as their city
leader.
“Being mayor is a mar
velous experience. The
people of Gastonia are kind
and generous,” he spoke of
his constituents. Mayor
Jeffers noted citizens in
Gastonia treat him as a
person, and he has never
been troubled with racism.
Already certain he will
seek reelection for 1984,
Mayor Jeffers has been the
backbone to maintaining
a balanced budget for
Gastonia, as well as hold
ing a low tax rate. The
graduate of Johnson C.
Smith University and the
University of Southern
California has mounting
concern for the youth of
Gastonia. Supporting the
community centers in the
city is a prime concern for
Mayor Jeffers. “After all,”
he pointed out, “it was
Gastonia’s community
centers where professional
basketball players, (Eric)
‘Sleepy’ Floyd and James
Worthy learned the sport."
tor May 13-15
NAAKPR Schedules Conference
Poet Staff Writer
Members of the National
Alliance Against Racist
and Political Repression
(NAARPR) are staging
their 19th anniversary con
ference for May 13-15 in
Chicago.
The national defense or
ganization will examine is
sues such as "racist vio
lence, racist attacks on
organizations and indivi
duals, repressive legisla
tion, the Voting Rights Act,
undocumented workers,
labor’s frights, the death
penalty and inhuman pri
son conditions," according
to an agenda circulated by
the organization. It claims
the approach will be baaed
on the formula, "Unity +
Struggle + Organization
equals Victories."
During its 10 years of
existence. NAARPR has
been affiliated with famous
court cases such as Rev.
Ben Chavis and the Wil
mington 10, Mayor Eddie
Carthan, Joann Little, San
Quentin Six and the J. P.
Stevens Bovcon. Coordin
Bn Charts
.Right* activist
a ton emphasized they are
calling the conference “at
a time of growing struggle
and resistance to the Rea
gan blitzkrieg. Every
where the people are fight
ing back. A half-million
workers marched on Soli
darity Day under the lead
--—-1
ci ui nr Lrv/iw, uicjr
stated.
They also noted, “Hun
dreds of thousands of work
ers, students, clergy and
professionals of every color
and creed across the coun
try are hitting the streets
demanding an end to cor
porate piracy, racism and
warmongering.
Angela Davis, co-chair
person of NAARPR will
render the keynote address
at the rally, May 13, 7 p.m.
at Chicago’s McCormick
Inn. Officer and members
Invite elected officials,
neighborhood organiza
tions, labor and church
bodies and other interested
persons to join with them in
building a mass defense
organization capable of
mobilizing and organizing
millions to defend and ex
tend democratic rights and
end racist terror.
Registration at McCor
mick Inn is $48 for a single
room, $52 double, $87
triple and $64 quadruple.
All rates are per day. The
registration fee is $10. Na
tional organizations are en
uueu iu »ia vuiing ucur
gates; regional organiz
ations, three delegates;
local organizations, two de
legates; and each branch
of the NAARPR is entitled
to six delegates plus one
delegate for every 20 mem
bers per branch.
Officers of the NAARPR
are Rev. Ben Chavis, An
gela Davis, Rev. David
Garcia, Anne Braden,
Judge Margaret Burnham,
Attorney Lennox Hinds,
David Truong O. Stephen
Paganuzzi Jr , Charlene
Mitchell and Frank Chap
man.
The NAARPR was found
ed by nearly 800 people who
came together to "mount a
fight against the wave of
repression that swept the
country during the night
marish days of (Richard)
Nixon,” according to in
formation released by the
NAARPR
Next Week: Hie Post will
take a leek at the NAARPR
and the Impact It has had
on the Charlotte commas
Ity.
To honor the mayor, Gas
tonia City Council renamed
the Northwest Community
Center, T. Jeffers Com
munity Center, in recogni
tion of his contributions to
the city.
Those contributions are
numerous. Many of the out
standing deeds achieved by
Mayor Jeffers occurred
before he was an elected
official. Probably the most
noteworthy is his organ
ization of the Citizens
Committee for Voter Re
gistration. “The job of this
committee was to visit
house-to-house and urge
people to become regis
tered voters,” Mayor Jef
fers explained. As a result,
more than 1,000 voters
were added to the roll in
1953, when the move was
initiated.
In 1950, Jeffers estab
lished the Highland Even
ing Adult School The
school provided courses for
people who had terminated
their education before
graduating from high
school. Becuase he realized
the value of an education,
Mayor Jeffers was always
willing to assist students
wnu iicowu nnanciai as
sistanee--whether it was
lunch funds, clothing or
payment for classes.
Besides being a positive
role model in education,
Mayor Jeffers also has con
tributed to Gastonia’s busi
ness concerns. In 1942 he
helped to organize the Ex
celsior Credit Union. The
black-owned and operated
company’s assets In
creased from 99,000 to
9510,000 during my 12-year
service as president, he
noted.
He also serves on boards
at Gaston Boys Club,
Gaston Heart Association,
Boy Scouts Council, and
Governor’s Blue Ribbon
Commission on Public
Transportation and Finan
cing.
Thodgh he is always busy
with projects such as city
transportation, public
housing and new construe
tion sites, Mayor T. Jeffen
remains wilting to accept
one more challenge if it ii
in the best Interest of tin
city he serves.
Economic
Criss Worse
For Hacks
..Washington, D.C. -
Black families face the
worst economic crisis since
the Great Depression if the
Administration’s 1984 bud
get proposal is enacted,
according to a new study
released by the National
Black Child Development
Institute (NBCDI).
“Budget Cuts and Black
Children: A Response to
the President’s Budget for
FY 1984” examines pro
posed funding levels in 12
specific areas - from Head
Start to Vocational Edu
cation - and concludes that
the Reagan budget consti
tutes “an unprecedented
attack on both the poor and
the working poor black
family.”
“This Administration
has transformed the War
on Poverty into a War on
the Poor,” charges Evelyn
K. Moore, executive direc
tor of the National Black
Child Development Insti
tute, a national nonprofit
advocacy organization
seeking to improve the
quality of life for black
children.
“The supply-side, trickle
turned into a cruel hoax for
the 42 percent of all black
children who live in po
verty," Moore observes in
her introduction to the re
port.
If Reagan s budget pro
posals for 1984 are enact
ed, the National Black
Child Development Insti
tute foresees that Black
families will be pressed on
the breaking point Accord
ing to the report:
-Further reductions in
Aid to Families with De
pendent Children (AFDC)
are being called for under
the guise of reducing the fe
deral deficit, with the re
sult that $.7 billion may be
cut in FY ’84 with more
severe reductions to follow
each year through 1986
-A freeze in funding for
Women, Infants and Child
ren (WIC) and the Com
modity Supplemental Food
Program (CSFP) will seri
ously erode the purchasing
power of programs which
maintain the health of 2.25
million low-income preg
nant and nursing mothers
and their children.
-Keeping families toge
ther and black children out
of foster homes may be
come even more difficult,
as the President’s budget
delays implementation of
the Adoption Assistance
Program which proves
states with federal match
ing funds for subsidizing fa
milies which adopt AFDC
eligible children-while in
creasing funds for foster
care.
“Once again, the budget
will be balanced at the ex
pense of those without pu
blic voices - the child
ren of the poor, especially
black children,” Moore
predicts.
Spring Concert
The Johnson C. Smith
Choir will present its an
nual Spring Concert May l
at 5 p m. in the University
Church. '