Mr. Hill
COURTNEY JOHNSON
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As you can see, Courtney is a
hard-working young lady but she’s
also quite vivacious and friendly
For fun, Courtney confesses, "1 talk
on the phone all the time." Ac
cording to her mother aad grand
mother, she talks on the phone
"too much.’’ “But I don't think so,”
this week's beauty denies.
r Courtney also likes to go out with
her girlfriends and have a good
time.
She describes herself as
“bright. I like being around people
laughing," she notea. Courtney's
grandmother, who accompanied her
to this interview, just had to Inter
ject at this time, “Courtney has a
dynamic personality!" "Oh,
grandma," Courtney blushed.
But the feeling is mutual here.
This young lady says her grandma
Mentzie, who was with her, and her
grandma Thompson and her great
grandmother, Ninny, are about the
best people in the world. “All of
them raised me in a way,” says
Courtney. “I learned a little of
everything from all of them.”
More people she admires, accord
ing to Courtney, are her mother,
Joan, and Patti LaBelle.
About her mother, Courtney
relates, “She does things that make
your eyes get big." What? “I mean
she talks and makes you under
stand things easily.”
“Patti LaBelle makes black
women look real good,” points out
Courtney. “I love the way she sings
and talks."
Courtney has one sister, Vanessa,
18, who attends AAT State Univer
sity. “We’re very close,” she says.
See BEAUTY On Page «A
Fmds Campaign
Interesting, Challenging And Frightening
HI* previous.MMkt wtth
United Way strengthens his posi
tion. He has bean involved with the
gSBrjaaffg 2
was the deputy city manager si ft.
ttsae. it oeeftrad to '
Stager to find out exactly what the
United Way deductions taken from
Ms checks wars all about He called
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We could use your help In the
campaign ’* Stager nerved as vice
praaident of the Board of Director*
of United Way in Florida for throe
ye»r*
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In 1979, he relocated to Charlotte
and found the City employees were
"very involved” in the United Way
campaign By 1981, Steger chaired
the division of United Way for public
employees In 1983, he became vice
chairman of Mecklenburg-Union
counties' United Way campaign
Steger's nomination, by the top
corporate leadership of the
Charlotte community, to lead the
campaign this year came as a sur
prise to him. ft la a large responsi
bility. however Steger comments, "I
consider it an honor. It’s the first
time anyone except a businessman
has been nominated and alao the
first time a black person has been
asked.
"I think that says somethin
positive shout our community sod
bucks' role in the community.’’ be
adds.
then again, Steger’s rsMhra to
work with United Way U cemented
by the many aspects of tbs organi
sation he respects. First, the
Mecklenburg Union County United r]
Way helps support SI different
agencies To name a few: the Urban
league, the Speech and Hr*ring
Clinic and ConUct Counseling i
Service. "What I like about United
• DON On Page HA
Charlotte Post And
Neighborhood Groups
To Form Partnership
By Jalyne Strong
Post Staff Writer
“I think it’s a wonderful idea.
People will see the good happening
in black neighborhoods, especially
the things they helped to make
happen. And the information will
motivate people to do more.'’
This statement elicited from
Betty Sanders, president of the
Washington Heights neighborhood
organization, is an analysis of a
proposed concerted effort of the 54
organized predominantly black
neighborhood groups in Charlotte,
with the Charlotte Post newspaper
and certain key people including
— rlotte Organ
'dtfttpttrW
The idea 1ft for th* Charlotte Post
an<f the neighborhood organizations
to join in a mutually beneficial
alliance. On Thursday, February 13,
7 p m., at McDonald's Cafeteria,
Beatties Ford Rd., members and
presidents of the 54 neighborhood
organizations will meet with
publisher Bill Johnson and staff
members of the Charlotte Post to
work out the specifics.
However, the initial plans for the
pact is for the Charlotte Post to work
closely with the neighborhood
groups in covering their com
munities’ news. In exchange,
members of the organizations will
be involved in selling Charlotte Post
subscriptions. Moreover, the
community organizations will
receive a percentage of the sales to
go towards their community im
provement actions
"We’re excited about the oppor
tunity to meet with community
leaders and we’re looking forward to
the development of a partnership
that would be most beneficial to both
the Charlotte Post and the 54
organized, predominantly black
neighborhoods,” states Charlotte
Post publisher Bill Johnson
"We’re also looking forward to
Melvin Whitley
.CHOP director
working with the groups to improve
community news coverage The
meeting will focus on ways to better
serve each neighborhood by going
public with their weekly activities in
the Charlotte Post Newspaper,” he
adds. Melvin Whitley, who has sub
stantial experience working with
community groups through CHOP,
was instrumental in the first stages
of the alliance Johnson comments,
“His input is invaluable in helping us
to get the message to neighborhood
groups.” Johnson also gives credit
to Elizabeth Neal for her assistance
in getting things off the ground
Now that the ball is rolling,
interest is peaking and the neigh
borhood groups are responding in a
positive manner It's intimated that
the idea has put a spark into the
dynamics of the neighborhood
groups.
“The news media gets the
message across," notes Sanders.
“Once people begin to see in the
newspaper what communities are
doing, they’ll in turn know ways they
can help improve their neigh
borhoods."
For example, the Washington
Heights area already has informa
tion to share, such as. ways to get
home improvement loans and
soliciting the skilled talents of
retired residents to help in
i
selling Charlotte Post subscriptions
"We ve talked about fund raising
but hadn’t quite gotten into it,”
Sanders says of her neighborhood
organization. “But I see the money
going towards such things as fixing
curbs and walkways in the
neighborhood and one of our first
goals: a miniature park for small
children.
The meeting will be the oppor
tunity for people of different com
munities to put their heads together
I really can’t speak for everyone
else but anything that helps create
new ideas and improves where we
live is fantastic,” concludes
Sanders.
‘The initial response is great and
we expect a great attendance of the
majority of neighborhood groups."
projects Johnson Everyone
interested is welcome to attend
Congressional Clearinghouse
ftpes To Pave Way For Future
Special To The Post
Illiteracy and the rapid increase of
senior citizens are just two of the
problems facing 21st century
America, according to a feature in
the February issue of Black
Enterprise, black America's guide
book for success
Congress is attempting to ad
dress these and other issues through
a unique bipartisan group of about
100 congressmen and senators who
form the Congressional Clearing
house on the Future
“Our job is to identify new issues
and emerging trends and match
them with new opportunities," Rob
McCord, the eight-year Clearing
house executive director, told Black
Enterprise.
According to a I9B1 U.S Depart
ment of Education estimate. 27
million adults are illiterate and that
number increases by 2,250.000
annually Representatives Richard •
Durbin ID-Ill > and Tom Tauke
' R lowai believe this could cause a
shortage of industrial, blue collar
workers in the future
in anticipation of this crisis, the
Clearinghouse suggests the . s
establishment of a volunteer corps
for literacy instruction, the develop
ment of programs to teach prison * I
inmates basic literacy and Job
skills, and increased funding of adult
and continuing education programs.
The “senior boom" is seen by
many members as the most pressing
problem.
"In i960,16.S million people in the
U S do percent of thd population}
were over 65," says Mct'ord.
"With the aging o4 the bebjr^
boomers, 67 million <10 percent
the population) will be over « by
middle ef neat century "
The February issue of
Enterprise is available on
stands or by sending 9191 plus