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ttej^j^IRLOTTE POST - Thursday, December 13, 1984_ _ Price: 40 Cents
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| Sciolists
[ About What Makes
I Biological Clock Tick
See Page 5A
Mrs. Gray |
By Cathy Macek
Duke Medical Center
Durham - Duke University
Medical Center is initiating a heart
transplant program, it was
announced by medical center
officials recently. The program is
the first in North Carolina.
“We are pleased to expand the
range of treatment at Duke in this
important area,” said Dr. William
Q. Anlyan, chancellor for health
affair*. "The medical center staff is
to be congratulated for the hard
work required to put a heart trans
plant program into place."
According to Dr. Andrew Wallace,
f" am represents a
> health care for North
Wallace is vice
for health affairs and
chief executive officer of Duke
University Hospital.
“We expect this to be welcome
news for those people who had
formerly faced the prospect of
having tn go out of state -
sometimes a very considhP&BIC
The transplants will be performed
by Dr. Andrew S. Wechsler, pro
fessor of surgery, according to
Department of Surgery chairman
Dr. bavid C. Sa vis ton, Jr. “We have •
the utmost confidence in Dr.
Wechsler and those who will assist
him,” Sabiston said. “Their training
and dedication should provide the
basi« for an outstanding program.”
According to Wechsler, Duke
decided to establish a heart
transplant program primarily
because of a new anti-rejection
drug, cyclosporine.
cyclosporine has the ability to
suppress rejection of the heart and
other transplanted organs without
completely destroying the patient’s
ability to fight off infection,”
Muller said. J , Wr
“Additionally, heart transplanta
tion has become more readily
accepted as a therapeutic rather
i uni ihi - * '.»p
dates have a
i as cardiomyopathy, a
ive degeneration of heart
that often does not respond
to medical treatment. “Only those
patients with severe cardio
myopathy who physicians estimate
have lees than 10 percent chance of
surviving six months without a
Jf be considered for the
ichsler noted.
, potential recipients
i that SB years old, ‘
tot be an insulin-dependent
, have no other major organ
i touch as kidney disease)
be obese.
losporine has helped raise one
survival rates among heart
recipients to about 80
up from 98-40 percent a
ago. Heart transplant
its at Duke also will receive
Isosl anti-rejection
, Wechaler added,
jreat improvement in
rates, there still are many
iplications, Wechaler pointed
“There are always risks
involved with major surgery of any
kind In addition, rejection and in
I
k M*ve • h*»y U*H»nw - do
^*yVworfct^.y./ __
fection are our two greatest
concerns following transplanta
tion.”
Wechsler predicted that
eventually as many as 25 heart
transplants could be performed at
Duke each year. “As is the case with
all other transplant programs, our
biggest limitation will be the
shortage of donor hearts.”
Duke is part of the Southeastern
Organ Procurement Foundation
(SEOPF) which coordinates organ
donation for the 42 transplant
centers on the east coast. Because
donor hearts can remain outside the
body only for a maximum of four
hours, the search for donor hearts is
limited to a range of 600-800 miles.
Governor Hunt
Proclaims DUI
Awareness Week
‘ ""mWIB -liUmiKil JauiU D. Hunt
jr<> coordinating. with a national
> proclamation passed by Congress,
has declared the week of December
9-15 as Drunk and Drugged Driving
Awareness Week in North Carolina.
Citing the Christmas-New Year’s
holiday period as a particularly
dangerous time on the nation's
highways, he reminded North
Carolinians that between 45 and 55
percent of fatally injured drivers
have alcohol concentrations in their
blood above the legal limit. “In
creased public knowledge about the
gravity of the problem of drunk and
drugged driving may convince
alcohol and drug users to refrain
from driving while Impaired,” he
stated in his proclamation.
Governor Hunt also reminded citi
zens that safety belts and child
safety seats “are our best defense
against all the hazards of the road.”
Jobs Program
An on-the-job training project,
sponsored by the Association of
Retarded Citizens, will provide
partial reimbursement to em
ployers who hire able mentally
handicapped workers. Occupational
areas where retarded persons are
ready to work include: food ser
vice, maintenance-housekeeping,
assembly, packaging, janitorial
service, warehousing stock clerk,
laundry worker and printing press
operator. For more information, call
Sabrena Johnson, project coordin
ator, at 372-5434.
Big Sisters Seek Volunteers
k?J >:'3hl*V'
By Term Simmons
Post Managing Editor
If you promised yourself a while
back that you would help someooe
and you never did - remember. it is
never too late to make your word
good.
Even if you’ve never thought of
submitting your time, and more
importantly yourself, to an unselfish
cause, this may be the opportunity
lor you.
The organization is Big Brothers
Big Sisters, a division of United
Family Services with executive
director Edward Nadelman and
Division Director Robert Woodall.
The service ofgantoed a Task Force
several mouths ago asking members
to aid in enhancing community
knowledge about the Big Brother*
Big Sisters’ objectives
Last week The Pest featured three
young gentlemen ranging in ages
from sight to 12. TMs week wo
feature two others who have also
been waiting approximately one
year for Big Brothers /
Perhaps your church will be one of
several that received literature
concerning the need, especially for
Mack Big Brothers or Asters Sixty
* 0' Ski
Black On Black
Homicide Is
Mounting PlroUem
Loretta Leary
.CMS consultant
“Character—
And Steadfast Determination
By Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
Loretta Leary’s delicate and
pretty features enhance this woman
who is of strong character and
steadfast determination.
Leary is an accomplished young
woman, possessing a B.S. in nursing
from Winston-Salem State Univer
sity and a master’s in community
education from Appalachian State
University. She’s been honored as an
"Outstanding Young Woman of
America” in 1982-83. She is certified
in CPR and First Aid and is cur
rently employed as a public health
nurse in the school program of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Health De
partment.
Her job, Leary explains, is a
highly responsible position. She is
accountable for the health and wel
fare of the many children who attend
the eight schools assigned to her
within the school system.
“I am a coordinator and con
sultant for school health programs
in grades K-12," relates Leary. But
this simple statement does not come
close to describing the magnitude of
her job. As Leary talks on she lists in
more detail the extent of the posi
tion which involves re-screening of
all school children in her jurisdic
tion for dental, blood pressure,
vision and curvature of the spine
plus making referrals for audiolo
gists and speech therapists. She also
maintains accurate, up-to-date files
of all the children's immuniza
tion records; she counsels and
teaches children and teachers on
health matters and she must stay on
top of any special health problems
any individual child may have,
determining that the teacher and
principal involved are aware of the
child’s needs and are informed of
what procedure to follow in case of a
health emergency.
Judging from Leary’s enthusiasm
when she speaks of one aspect of her
job, one can tell this is an area she is
particularly concerned about. It is
the responsibility of obtaining for
disadvantaged children needed
health care.
“I’ll make sure they get the help
they need,” assures Leary speaking
of children whose parent(s) may not
be able to afford health services
such as vision care and dental, but
who are eligible for assistance
through school and community
programs. Working within the
school system, along with the child
and their parent, Leary identifies
the resources open to them.
It is a taxing job with strict and
high standards, involving volumes
of paper work. Yet Leary declares.
See LEARY On Page 10A
By Jalyne Strong
Host Staff Writer
The city of Charlotte at one time
led the South in the number of
murders committed per 100,000 peo
ple The year was 1970, with 105
homicides perpetuated in the city,
Charlotte earned the title of “Mur
der Capital of the South." The area
newspapers analyzed the murders
that happened that year and came
up with these facts: "Statistics show
that most murders occurred in the
city’s poorer, mostly black neigh
borhoods. And it’s usually black
people being murdered by other
black people."
Since 1970, homicides in Charlotte
have decreased, In 1974, 54 Char
lotteans were murdered. By 1979,
the rate had gradually dropped to 49.
In 1983, reports show 48 recorded
homicides occurred in Charlotte and
the number of murders recorded up
until September of 1984 reveal that
38 slayings have taken place in the
city. The tide of murders in Char
lotte has subsided, the Queen City is
'""I " ' ’ 1 i npitnl" hut
. one fact still rings true: Of the fatal
crimes still happening in this city,
it’s usually black people being mur
dered by other black people.
According to the UCR reports of
the Law Enforcement Center of
Charlotte, the 48 homicides com
mitted in 1983 involved 31 black
victims and 38 known black offend
ers. The 38 homicides that occurred
up until September of 1984 involved
30 black victims and 23 known black
offenders.
The majority of these murders
were what has been termed as, "the
typical murder in Charlotte " Ty
pical being: A black male shoots
another black male with a cheap
handgun following an argument
This “typical" murder, however,
is not peculiar just to Charlotte. It is
in fact happening with unnerving
regularity across the nation. The
result being what some experts are
defining as, “A National Epidemic -
the leading cause of death among
young black males - Black On Black
Homicide.”
Nationally, outraged black citi
zens are confronting alarming
statistics such as recorded in the
"Encyclopedia of Crime and Jus
tice” which says, “Homicide has al
ways been more common among
blacks and males ” And they're
reading such facts in EBONY maga
zine (August '83) which claims. "In
1980 42 percent of all homicide
victims were black and 48 percent of
the offenders were black " Also -
f • • tarry Daniel ■ ~
years oM
seven percent of these children are
biadk and M are boys.
-L Michael and LaiTy Daniel are
brothers The sons of Dorothy Daniel
are seven and 11, respectively
Michael loves baseball and plays
the game rather well. “1 enjoy
playing football,’' Michael began, “I
also enjoy movies - my favorite one
is “Raiders of the Lost Ark.' When I
MkkiH BnM
. .Seven years old
go to the movies I also enjoy eating
popcorn and drinking soda. •
aTd like a Big Brother who will
teach me how to read some of the
words in my books,” Michael con
tinued. "I’d also like to play with my
Big Brother * Michael plans on
becoming a professional baseball
playar.
Larry, Michael's older brother, is
11. Both young men attend Wilson
Heights Church of God Larry parti
cipates in sports and makes B’s and
C’s on his report card. “I’d like a Big
Brother who is smart and can teach
me about sports, expecially soccer
and basketball ” Larry is also active
playing sports and enjoys studying
as well.
All it takes is a little of your time —
from three to six hours per week to
share with a young gentleman or
young lady between the ages of
seven and 15. Activities such as
.teaching, playing sports, biking,
taking a drive or just talking
doesrt’t cost a thing but perhaps your
capacity to love. It is also Important
that this commitment is made for
at least a year. The children
involved are all from one-parent
homes and need a friend they can
count on.
Also If yours is a one-parent
family with children between the
ages of seven and IS years of age,
perhaps Big Brothers- Big Sisters
can ba of help to you. The staff would
be happy to hear from you.
For more information about Big
Brothers Big Sisters call 377-3MS or
stop by tha office at 901 S. Brevard
St.
Koger Thompson
.CPU’s ballistics expert
h irst in series
divulged in this issue of EBONY.
"According to the FBI, the overall
homicide rate of black males is 60
per 100.000, a rate higher than white
males, white females and black
females combined."’ And the Na
tional Center for Health Statis
tics reports. “In 1979 there were
9,000 blacks killed by blacks com
pared to 11,000 whites murdered, an
alarming statistic since black re
present only 11 percent of the I S.
population ’’
Unfortunately, Charlotte's black
citizens are beginning to recognize
that they are in the thick of this
mounting problem. Charlotte's long
history of violent crimes shows that
continuous blaek-on-black homicide
is accounting for 60 percent or more
of the murders committed in this
city (Blacks make up on-third of
Charlotte's population.) As early as
1971, Charlotte newspapers report
ed, “Police say most of the (mur
der) victims were Negro and knew
their assailant." And as late as 1982,
the newspapers disclosed, "Officers
have long maintained that most
crimes are committed by blacks
against blacks, reflecting na
tional trends."
Does that mean that black-on
black homicide in Charlotte is an
epidemic9
An epidemic is defined as some
thing that is spreading rapidly
among many individuals in an area
It is further defined as something
affecting or tending to affect many
individuals within a population
A 19-year-old black college coed
stated she knew the boy who had
been charged with the murder of a
convenience store clerk killed re
cently in Charlotte. The boy had
been a classmate of her's, she main
tained Two middle aged black
women discussed how a young man,
who had frequented their neigh
borhood, had just been found to have
brutally killed his mother, a Char
loUe school teacher Two young
black men stood Gil a corner “He
didn't have to shoot the brother,”
one exclaimed. They were speaking
of a friend who had been gunned
down in a night club parking lot.
These are all true accounts. All of
these individuals, although they are
not victims, and they weren't par
ticularly close to the victim, were
affected by the homicide Many
blacks in Charlotte have similarly
been affected by a murder that has
occurred in this city. The point ia,
black-on-black murder in this city
has touched each black citizen in
some way. It had definitely reached
epidemic proportions.
"The killing has got to atop,”
declares black citizens on the nation
al level. Persons such as Dr. Jamas
Ralph, a black psychiatrist and chief
of the National Institute of Mental
Health’s Center of Minority Group
See BLACK On Page 5A