Newspapers / The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, … / Nov. 3, 1983, edition 1 / Page 4
Part of The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Lockhart Is CityV first Black Female Firefighter By Lori Grier Post Staff Writer "I never do a job alone. It’s always with someone U’s not a man's job alone They won’t let a woman strain herself. What a man can't handle, ‘like crawling through a small hole,’ a woman can,” declare Mrs Linda Lockhart, 25, who stands 5' and weighs 116 pounds. She is the only _black, female firefighter in the Charlotte Fire Depart^ ment. Lockhart, a firefighter since September 7, 1982 noted that she has been to the scen§ of only three fires since that time. Most have been for medical calls. She, •like the-firemen,-works, on the four-day rotation shift at Station 20. The former Dietician Aid of one year quit her job at —Presbytei ian lloapitafr-be^ cause she considered it “boring. 1 sat in the of fice and made sure every one got their right diet foods," she admitted. Her career pain took a different direction in April, 1972. "I was watching Forum, and a lady said that minorities were want ed in the Fire Department. I never considered being a _ firefighter before, but this would be a challenge to see if I could make it,"*ex plained Lockhart. Her training consisted of instruction from a Medical Linda Lockhart . .Former dietician aid Second in series. Emergency Technician (taught her how to handle medical calls and know medical terms); Hands On Components (learned how to pick up people and roll them over, put splints on .them and check for vital signs; and a written test. “I passed the Hands On Com ponents training the first time, but I had to take the Miss North Carolina Teen USA Pageant Set The 1964 Miss North Carol ina Teen USA Pageant will be held December 17-18 at the Hilton Inn in Winston Salem. The reigning Miss North Carolina Teen USA, Janet Freeman, will crown her successor, who will go on to compete in the nationally televised 1964 Miss Teen USA. The search is on fot young women to compete for the prestige, glamour and prizes of Miss North Carolina Teen USA 1964. Single young women be tween the ages of 15-17 may qualify. No performing talent is required. Due to the limitations of time, ap plications will be accepted immediately and candi dates will be accepted up to the date of the pageant. For those young women who watched the CBS special of the 1983 Miss Teen USA Pageant in Au gust -- this is the chance to compete for the title of Miss North Carolina Teen USA and then appear on national television in January representing your state. For free entry informa tion, send a postcard with your name, address, phone number and bi^thdate to: Miss North Carolina Teen USA National Headquart ers, Tel-Air Interests, Inc., 1755 NE 149 Street, Miami, FL 33181 or call 305 944-3268. & way... By Joe Black For the past three decades Black people have been shouting and inferring that we gained increased pride in our heritage and culture. But is that fact? Or is It just talk for show? You see. way back when a college education was almost an impossibility for Black people, they gained hope when Cheyney opened Its doors in 1839. And Lincoln University offered educational opportunities'!?! IB547TTT T865TtTl1 iliuu)ies recognized the need for ex-slaves to learn readin'. ritlng. and ciphering and with the help of The Freedmen's Bureau, they founded Howard University. Fisk University. Tbuga loo College. St. Augustine College, and Mor gan College, to name a few Institutions of higher learning. It's a fact! When Black folks needed them, the Black colleges welcomed them and gave us many of our great doctors, scientists, lawyers, and educators. But as the saying goes... how soon we forget. Today, when —lilac k schools need the suddon ol Blac k Americ ans we are giving them'Tlp service rather than the financial support that they need. My friends, many of these Black Institutions of higher learning are facing ' extinction. Black America is not a welfare sfafe: we have annual gross spendable -— Income in excess of 8130 billion dollars. That Is a definite Indication that we can and must help our own community and Its centers of education and culture. But too many of us are busy doing our own thing: young Blacks have accepted the fallacious belief that you can t learn anything In a Black college exc ept how to party or play baU'wTiileintddtr and uppertneomr class — Black families seem to have adopted the attitude of “I got mine, shame on them if they don't have theirs." We have arrived at the time when we must replace rhetoric with money. Each graduate from a Black college or universi ty should mall a minimum of twenty-five dollars (825.00) to their alma mater each year. You know, the sc hool that we save may be your own. *Joe~E?hck Vice President - The Greyhound Corporation written test twice (maxi mum of three attempts). I liked the training in the gym where we did push ups, sit-ups and had to run IV2 miles in 12 minutes.” Lockhart told that the fact she’s the only black, female firefighter has never crossed her mind. ‘‘Older white men have asked me what I'm doing at the Fire Department. I told them the same reason they’re there. I do about as good as they do. If I get one bad report from a man, all of them think the same 'way, Men are worse than women in spreading gos sip. She has had no major problems with the firemen, but “J don’t trust being around men in general,” she added. More respect is given to her from the fire men than their wives. “Some of the firemen’s wives feel we (firefighters) should be at home.” There are only five fire fighters (four white women and one black woman). Ac cording, to Lockhart, all of them like what they’re doing. Her most exciting experi ence occurred in March, 1983. “1 helped a black woman deliver a baby girl. We were alone in the bath room where the baby was born. I felt like it was mine, and I kept holding it. You’re supposed to help the baby breathe, and the best way to do that is to keep it crying. The baby only cried when I held it,” she beamed. She’ll never forget the disappointment which also happened in March, 1983. "I went on a medical call for a black man who had a heart attack before we ar rived. I gave him CPR, and the air came back into my mouth. I felt death run through my body. It was a cold feeling," she—re-— counted. Lockhart entourages other women to become firefighters. “Most people think it’s hard work and long hours. You get used to it like you do every other job. It’s not as dangerous as police work. We don’t have as many fires as we have medical calls,” she informed. She gets support from her husband, Grady, who is a porter at MeriWial Hospital in the Emergency Room and her seven-year old son, Savalas. “My husband is proud of me, but he didn't think I’d get as far as I have.” “I want everyone to know that I sleep in a separate room from the firemen. The room has one bed and four lockers. All bathrooms and showers' have locks on them,” she concluded. Mrs. Linda Lockhart is a 1978 graduate of Olympic High School. She attends Good Shepherd Baptist Church and Central Pied- - mont Community College for a course in Fire Sci ence. ---_ Call your local John Hancock agent for: • Life Insurance Plans • Health Plans • Group Insurance Plans • Estate Planning • Business Life Insurance Plans • Mutual Funds* • Variable Life** /jc£nJ&itux>c£ ff companies VS Demetrius Carr Billy J. Stanfill, CLU And Associates 4530 Park Rd., Suite 441 (704) 525-8957 VWe can hdp you here and now Not just hereafter. !•*>" l Martwl I 4r ItrnHiM • I •«i|i4n« * V4wt I !«••> .* k I Huf4«trtt «* It* ll««w**k V«tuN< I *r InuKinrl •«|<4tiv mj «tlalui« J • .ipox. *M .4 K»t.*n Mj>» ku«ti(> O.’ll? Grade “A” Bridge Tournament Set From November 11-13 the Charlotte Grade “A” Bridge Tournament will be held at the Holiday Inn, Woodlawn and Charlotte. Sponsored by the Metro lina Duplicate Bridge Cliih. Vipta N«-al chairman of the board and Bill Hay good, Tournament chair men, the object of the tournament is to stimulate a greater interest in dupli cate bridge and its attend ant consists and creates an enthusiasm which by rea son of example will serve to awaken a spirit of emula tion and aspiration to the same and throughout the communities. George Johnson of Char lotte is president elect of the American Bridge As-. sociation. „ ... • Approximately 750 peo ple are expected. Indivi duals from the East, in cluding Washington, DC, New York, Virginia and other states will be present during the tournament. Prizes will consist of trophies or green stamps. Singles cost is $40 and doubles cost is also $40. For more tournament informa tion, call Bill Haygood at 704-535-1681. The most recent Metro lina Duplicate Bridge Club game was held at the Greenville Community Center with the following winners: North-South, first place: Julian and Rose Pyles; second, W.W. Twit ty and Johnny Gray; third. Vieta Neal and John Cutliff; and fourth, Charles Bast and William r----— Hay good. East-West competition landed thusly: first,‘Do rothy and George Johnson; 'Daisy and Gerson Stroud came in second; Sudie Goins and Samella Twitty took third; while Joseph Scott and Edward High and Walter Byers and Louis Huges tied for fourth. “"SSS* [ MARKIT • "The Best DressetLEisb In Town” SPECIALS *3” Lb. Uvt Crabs Mon.-Wed. MUCH, MUCH MORE 328 East Blvd. — 333-1089 -OF**: yviaqonq 1531 East Blvd. • •' MTH 10* FA Sat 10-6 332-7559 - 25th Anniversary To thank you, we offer the largest savings in our history from Brides and Modern Brides magazines 50%off discontinued and in-stock bridal gowns, veils, debutante gowns and formats Orderable bridal gowns, bridesmaid, debutante and formals, also all ac cessories! Brides register with purchase for our weekly drawing of a weekend at the * new Marriott Executive Park Hotel. Watch our Sunday ads for winners. Clicz±JHarjoi ic JlXA. - 15J1 Ent Blvd. ' P.-Sat. io-4 M-Th. 10-0 _ mint SAVE *10 on Soft genuine leather handbags R«fl.l26 1 59eL Carry them everywhere! Versatile, easy-to-organize bags of smooth baseball glove leather. Tote styles In rich tones and neutral colors. Eastland Mall 568-9100 South park Mall 364-7750 Concord Mall - Concord 786-6111 Get setJor tUe , |, U olid Ays * SAVE M3 Misses eleganl polyester and i wool dresses Polyester end wool knit or jersey knil dresses that are good looking and easy tc care for. Long sleeves, piping or tucked ac cents set off these dresses In jewel tones 01 neutral colors. Misses and petite sizes. In our Dress Department ( CREDIT CARD^i | ««*»* no—UCK AMP CO r 0 00000 00000 0 MARY LEWIS 0000 APPLY TODAY Yw Can Apab fat an Aaom by Kma Col ToN Free 1-400-323-2780 A*k for Operator 10. 0*«d Nationwide - Me Annual Pm
The Charlotte Post (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Nov. 3, 1983, edition 1
4
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75