THF mill 11ITTP Di lov
ubot " vJllxlJ ,U FI XXt Jrl JO 1 TlSSEr"'
-/■/«• » ,«, ,• Of Tl,r Hindi Community
Volume ^Number 11 t\ l ^ ^ THE CHARLOTTE POST. Thursday, August 25. 1983 3!^° Tryonltreet -—
r____. . .. onituTY " - -1 Charlotte. iNC 23ZU2 Price: 40 Cents
t-. .'Jv . j—■» ■ j ---
c*—
WiMXMlW . Q ifcAlAli
!!3flBU
. .-.. wwwaw^MilHlWiM 111 I* 1 Hi
LATONYA WILLIAMS
.JMicro computers major
Our Beauty Of The Week
Learning Is An Important
Facet In Williams’ Life
By Teresa Simmons
Post Managing Editor
It’s not every day that
one becomes a part of the
^SfccfdtE yet enjoyable en
vironment of higher learn
ing. But' for LaTonya
Williams learning has al
ways been an important
facet in her life.
She graduated from
5pyers Park High School
this year and has enrolled
at Central Piedmont Com
munity College for the fall.
“I am going to study micro
computers. I feel that I can
accomplish something by
going into this field.”
The daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Tommy Williams, our
beauty has several older
siblings, all of whom have
taught her a great deal
about life.
“I’ve matured pretty
fast. I have always had
someone to turn to and talk
to about any problem.”
Timothy Junious, Robert
Junious, Robin Junious,
and Cleavadious Johnson
were always there when
ever their little sister
GHIO Sponsors Homecoming
Grier Heights Improve
ment Organization will
sponsor a Parade and
Homecoming on Monday,
September 5.
At 9:30 a m. dedication
services to the Thomas
Reid Park will be held on
the comer of Drennan and
Alpha Streets.
At 10:30 a.m. the parade
will begin at the comer of
Fannie Circle and Orange
SUfeet end will precede to
Billingfville Elementary
School J
A dis*o, crowning of Miss
Grier Heights, and mes
sages given by Harvey
/Wantt, Eddie Knox and
Pam Patterson will take
place during the 10:30-10:30
p.m. event.
The public is invited to
attend this free event and
call Mrs. Mary Moore,
wntt'fN*
_ *
Learning makes a good
man better and an ill man
worse.
needed an important ques
tion answered.
Ms. Williams has also
been positively influenced
by "her mother, Edna Will
iams, and her two grand
mothers, Margaret Will
iams and Ollie Elder.
One of the most import
ant lessons in life for Ms.
Williams include know
ledge and continued recog
nition of God. "My faith in
God has always allowed me
to accomplish much in a
Christian fashion. Knowing
God will always allow you
to understand a great deal
in life,” she commented At
Simpson-Gillespie United
Methodist Church Ms. Will
iams served as secretary of
the UMYF for three years.
She also served on the
Junior Usher Board. She
served on the Conference
Council Youth Ministries
as chaplain for one year
and attended all of (he
senior high assembly con
ferences and all the youth
rallies of the church.
At Myers Park High
School Ms. Williams was a
373-0099, for more informa
tion.
Mrs. Peacock Has Acquired Savvy
Which Makes Politicians Effective
By Karen Parker
Post Staff Writer
Last Week The Post be
gan a series of stories to
examine the various roles
of Charlotte’s mayoral
candidate*’ wives. Today
we present an Interview
with Mrs. Gall Thomas
Peacock. She Is married to
mayoral candidate Ed
Peacock.
Ten years ago Gail Pea
cock was surprised when
her husband, then an IBM
advisory marketing repre
sentative, announced to her
he had decided to seek
election to the Board of
County Commissioners.
Now, the former county
commissioner is complet
ing a one-term tenure with
the city council and is
seeking to be Charlotte’s
next mayor. "I was sur
prised 10 years ago, but
now there are no surpris
es,” Mrs. Peacock insisted.
"Ed and I are caught up in
politics, and like a basket
ball game we want to win,”
the art enthusiast stated
triumphantly.
Though Mrs Peacock
member of the NAACP,
the service group Vogue;
served as Vogue's parlia
mentarian in the 12th
grade; and also worked as
a teacher's aid.
Ms. Williams enjoys
dancing, singing, listening
to Gospel music, especially
the songs of the Greater
Charlotte Community Cho
rale and the music of Mi
chael Jackson. “1 like en
tertaining others,” Ms.
Williams began I enjoy
singing and dancing.’’ She
has also sung in the
school’s chorus and in the
eighth grade she received
the “Most Outstanding
Alto” honor.
Main concerns of our
Cancer beauty is the self
esteem of the black race
and the problems unem
ployment affords many
“Nationally I would change
the unemployment that is
so prevalent. More people
need to get involved with
the problems of our society
...like Rev. Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. We need to
let people take charge of
their own lives...tell them
that they are just as im
portant as the next per
son.”
Mrs. Gail Thomas Peacock
.Caught up in politics
isn’t the politician she has
undoubtedly acquired the
savvy which makes a poli
tician effective. "Some
times in campaign work,
Giarlotteans Involved In
March On Washington
Blacks
i. - ----SeS.-3.
Divided On
Jackson
National black leader
ship continues to be divided
on the issue of a black
running for President al
though Jesse Jackson,
Chicago's controversial
preacher-social activist,
continues to attract head
lines with his projection of
the concept.
During the recent con
vention of Operation
PUSH in Atlanta, the or
ganization which Jackson
heads, Jackson for Presi
dent buttons appeared.
But when questioned he
con'inutd to hedge on whe
ther he will officially de
clare his candidacy
Monday, in Chicago,
Jackson announced that he
was going to form a na
tional advisory committee
to study delegate selection
processes, identify fund
raising capabilities and
assess response to his
candidacy.
During an interview,
Jackson identified
Detroit’s Coleman A.
Young as the type of
politician who was capable
of being a candidate.
Young, who has publicly
announced his support of
former Vice President
Mondale, has repeated his
contention that he does not
feel that the American
voter is ready to support a
black candidate regardless
of his qualifications.
Another outspoken op
ponent of the' Jackspn
concept of a “Black for
President" is Benjamin
Hooks, executive director
of the NAACP
In The Early Years
Kelly Alexander Sr. Knew
“Something Was Wrong”
By Teresa Simmons
Post .Managing Editor
Even as a child Kelly
Alexander Sr. knew that
something was wrong. For
him the Sunday School pic
tures seemed unrealistic.
In his young mind ques
tions formed. ‘‘Why
aren’t there any black
angels on these pictures?”
In school he was presented
with the same situation...
the elimination of black
faces in learning mate
rials.
Perhaps these incidents
sparked a rage of pity. A
KELLY ALEXANDER
„J>ost's *( it izen of the Year"
rage Because ot tne so
called “separate but
equal" laws "The laws
were separate but definite
ly not equal,” Alexander
Sr grimaced A pity be
cause his race haa been
cruelly separated since en
slavement. “Unlike many
immigrants we came to
America against our will...
our family complexes were
separated , reasons why
we have had a difficult
time of unifying.”
Ultimately his love for
people and desire to see
the abolishment of racial
there aren’t always enough
people to overlook every
job that needs to be per
formed,’’ Mrs. Peacock
pointed out. That's one rea
son why she takes some
major projects upon her
self. The June benefit for
Ed Peacock held at Queens
.College is an example.
“I did the overall plan
ning for the benefit as well
as all the decorations,''
Mrs. Peacock affirmed
Then proudly she men
tioned the benefit ended
with a tone of success.
While planning and
executing large efforts
such as benefits and
luncheons are demanding
In time and creativity, Mrs
Peacock will seldom pass
up the opportunity to take
on one more responsibility
-the decorating.
A former art instructor
in the Charlotte-Mecklen
burg School System, Mrs.
Peacock snatches every
opportunity to create
through papier mache,
stitching, printmaking,
drawing, painting, etc Be
ing an artist is what Mrs
Peacock refers to as “her
own stroke .”
"I’m interested in my
own identity and my art is
one way of expressing that
concern," explained the
Nashville, TN native
While teaching in public
school, Mrs. Peacock was
instrumental in creating a
richer art program for
children
"I grew in many ways
while helping with the art
program," stated Mrs
Peacock. “I learned many
art techniques that I didn’t
have the time or maybe the
opportunity to discover
while I was in college. One
of the new art forms which
she specifically spoke of
was making silver jewelry
Because Mrs. Peacock
wants to continue an
awareness in art in Char
lotte, she is always de
signing original creations,
and presenting them at art
shows sponsored by organ
izations such as the Char
lotte Nature Museum and
the American Society of
Interior Decorators
(ASID). There are times
when Mrs. Peacock is pre
pared to present as many
as 50-75 pieces of her work
at one show.
A member of Friends of
the Arts, Mrs Peacock is
See PEACOCK Page 4
discrimination, segrega
tion and the denial of black
first class citizenship
spiraled Alexander Sr to a
fighting position His wea
pons however became
Christianity and the non
violent, well planned
tactics of the National
Association for the
Advancement of Colored
People (NAACP >
With much respect the
Charlotte Post newspaper
has chosen Kelly Miller
Alexander Sr as “Citizen
of the Year.”
ASSESSMENT
BEFORE ACTION
In order to attack a pro
blem one must know what
it is Barriers for blacks
often stemmed from illegal
and unconstitutional acts
Laws barring blacks from
voting “There was the
registrar law' where a
voter had to satisfy a re
gistrar before he could
vote Even if a black per
son had obtained a Ph D.
and happened to be left
handed the registrar could
say. I'm not registering
left handed people today "
This is just one example,
explained Alexander, of
road blocking the ad
vancement of blacks
While the power to vote
(in turn electing sympathe
tic leaders) was being
denied to blacks, so was the
luxury of learning what
Alexander calls 'capitalis
tic fields of education '
“Stock markets, bookkeep
ing, finance, accounting,
law and medicine These
fields were denied to
blacks In essence blacks
could go to school, usually
a Christian college to be
come a teacher or a
preacher professions de
pendent on the capitalistic
society and professionals
dependent on people to
live “
Even though blacks paid
the same taxes as the
dominate group, Alexander
fer KELLY Page II
Five Loaded
Buses To
Leave F riday
By Karen Parker
Post Staff V\ riter
The 26 year-old Southern
Christian Leadership Con
ference founded by l)r
Martin Luther King Jr will
host a national conven
tion preced.ng the March
On Washington. Saturday
Delegates from Charlotte
will represent the chapter
at the convention which
began Wednesday and end'
August 26. according to
local president. Dr Her
man Thomas
Because S< .A was
founded ty L» K.ng and
because he serve 1 js pro :
-dent ' of the >„ti< nal or
gamzatie i tint.! hi1- death,
member- o; t! • non-p: •••(
SCLC chapters through..u-t
the nat on are i xpoeiej to
be present for the weekend
March :n Washington D ('
XJr Tnoma- was uncer
tain of the number o' peo
ple signed up for the four
maybe five buses which
will leave from Westover
Shopping Center Friday at
Hi pm "I don't know
exactly how many people
are riding the buses to
Washington, but according
to Carrie Graves om of the
coordinators, they were
fill ng fast, when I -poke
with her yesterday." Dr.
Henna: revealed
The buses will arrive it
Capitol City Saturday
morning in time for Char
lotteans to prepare for the
March to Lincoln Memo
rial It was io years ago
when Dr King delivered
the world-moving speech
"I Have A XJr> am
The theme ‘or l tK3's
March On Washington is
"Jobs. Peace ami Free
dom Many ,-»t the issues
which will 1h* addressed at
the March are 'he same
issues which.D King in
stilled into SCL1 '.ears ago.
The organizatiw claims a
nonviolent direct action to
end discrimination, and ad
vocates human rights in
the United States and
abroad
Ac cording to members of
SCIX the tone in Washing
ton this weekend will be
"inspirational and infor
mative." Post reporters
Lon Grier and Karen
Parker will highlight
events of the 20th Anni
versary March next week
Participants of the SCLC
convention as well as the
Anniversary March will in-,
elude national figures
Coretta Scott King.
Mayor Andrew Young.
Congressman Parren Mit
chell. Joseph and Evelyn
Lowery, Ralph Abernathy.
Dick Gregory, Martin
Luther King III and many
others
Festival Scheduled
Fur September
The sixth annual Greek
festival "Yiasou '83" is
scheduled for September
8-10 at the Greek Com
munity Center. 600 East
Blvd.