!elebrating "The Dream"
The Charlotte Post's
Martin Luther King^
Edition
i^pecial Section C
Earth, Wind & Fire: The Elements Reunite
Entertainment/ Page IB
N.C. Democratic Leaders Nix Jesse Jackson
Politics/Pa^ 2A
CjjarJlotte
"The Voice Of The Black Community
Walton Close To Decision
Announcement Jan. 24
By Heib White
Post Staff Writer
Incumbent Mecklenburg Coun
ty Commissioner Bob Walton
announced Wednesday he Is
leaning toward running for an
other term on the board.
In a telephone Interview, Wal
ton said he Is "99 percent sure"
that he will seek another term
as the District 2 representative
on the board, although there are
a few details to sort out.
"I am very, very close to mak
ing a decision," he said.
Walton plans to make an offi
cial announcement at 3:30 p.m.
Jan. 24 at University Park Bap
tist Church on Keller Ave.
If Walton, the lone Democrat
and only black on the commis
sion does nm, he will face busi
nessman Naslf Majeed In the
May primary.
Walton, who has served five
terms as a commissioner, said
he looks forward to campaign
ing against Majeed.
"I don't have any problem with
a competitor In any race I've
been In," he said. "Competition
Is healthy and the bottom line Is
that It's good for the black com
munity."
Walton said he plans to discuss
the Issues, which Includes main
taining the county's "fiscal In
tegrity," to keep Its AAA bond
rating, additional funding for
schools and Implementation of
a solid waste management plan.
He said he will run on his
record, but won't back away
from possible questions regard
ing his 1986 assault conviction.
Walton said he expects the Is
sue to come up during a cam
paign, especially from the media
but he plans to run a positive
campaign linked to his past ac
complishments and Issues that
face District 2 and the county.
Majeed has said he doesn't
plan to make Walton's past a
campaign Issue, preferring to
make a point of his leadership
Walton
ability.
"I will be speaking to the Is
sues." Walton said. "fThe convic
tion) will be part of the record,
and I will discuss It because It Is,
but I won't be going Into any p>ar-
tlculars. That should not be the
major Issue."
Walton said results from sur
veys he sent to constituents last
month were an Important factor
In his expected bid. The ques
tionnaires were seen by observ
ers as a measuring stick of sup
port for Walton regarding a
possslble reelection campaign.
"It was a veiy, veiy Instrumen
tal part in that decision," he
said. "The resp>onse was over
whelmingly good. This was a
real Important survey because of
the incident that occurred."
The December mailing wasn't
the first tfme Walton used a sur
vey to guage public sentiment.
He said it Is a useful tool in fig
uring the mood of voters and Is a
good method of staying In touch
with constituents.
"As you know. It's not the first
time I've done ft," he said.
Dignitaries, Bands Make Parade
By Heib White
Post Staff Writer
f.x>cal and state dignitaries
plan to Join with plain folk In
observing Martin Luther King's
birthday Monday during a pa
rade on Charlotte's west side.
WestF>st Inc. and The Char
lotte Post are sponsoring the
first King Day parade, which
will start at 11 a.m. at Irwin Av
enue Optional School.
The parade route will nm from
Irwin Ave. to West TYade St. to
Beatties Ford Road before con
cluding at University Park
Shopping Center.
Mayor Sue Mjndck Is the pa
rade's grand marshal and Is
scheduled to lead a procession of
cars and people along the route
to underscore the contributions
King made to the struggle to Im-
Albemarle,
Local NAACP
Agree To Plan
CHARLOTTE (AP) —The Albe
marle City Council and the
Stanly County NAACP have
reached agreement In a dispute
over district representation, city
officials announced.
The settlement calls for coun
cil members to be elected from
four districts, with three council
members elected at large. The
agreement will have to be ap
proved by U.S. District Court In
Greensboro.
ITie plan Is designed to answer
NAACP complaints about lack
of black representatives on the
council. Albemarle has never
had a black councU member.
The NAACP says district repre
sentation gives blacks the best
chance of gaining office. At-
large voting. It says, dilutes
black voting strength.
The NAACP sued seven N.C. cit
ies and counties over the Issue
last year, and many cities, in
cluding Greensboro, Fayette
ville, Lexington and High Point,
have adopted some form of dis
trict voting.
If the court approves the agree
ment, the court is expected to di
rect that district representation
be Implemented as soon as pos
sible, a city council news release
said.
"We are essentially pleased
with the agreement," NAACP at
torney Romallus Murphy said
from his Greensboro office
Thursday. "There Is still some
fine-tuning to be done concern
ing polling places before we
present the agreement to the fed
eral Judge for approval."
The council has scheduled a
special meeting Monday to dis
cuss details of the district-
representation agreement.
prove life for all Ametlcatis.
Kelly Alexander, an organizer
of the event, said anyone can
Join the procession, which will
be made up of people who will
walk the length of the route or
will ride along with friends or
family.
'The Idea behind It Is to have
citizens march to show their
support of Dr. King's Ideology,"
he said. 'We're encouraging peo
ple to walk or ride cars In the pa
rade. We only ask that If you
ride, bring someone with you.
You can march a block or you
can march the entire length If
you want to."
Parades mean bands, and the
King Day celebration will have
some, with West Charlotte High
and the House Of Prayer expect
ed to participate.
In addition to Myrlck's ap
pearance, other dignitaries are
expected. Including N.C. Attor
ney Gen. Lacy Thornburg, Alex
ander said.
"That's a coup," he said.
There's very few counc il of state
members who are committed to
an event of this type."
Marchers should be ready to
line up for the event by 10 a.m.
In front of Irwin Avenue Option
al, Alexander said. There Is no
way of estimating how many
people will show up for the pro
cession, but It doesn't really
matter.
'We'll be happy with whoever
shows up," he said. "It's a labor
of love."
Photo By Cah-in Fergnaon
The city's snow storm caused many to be snow bound
week. Some felt a trip to a warm and sunny place was in or-
der, like this snowman found on 7th St.
National Urban League's 1988
Report Details State Of Blacks
Supremacists Threaten
California King Parade
John E. Jacob, President and
Chief Executive Officer of the
national Urban League will lead
a panel of distinguished black
scholars In an analysis of key
issues confronting black Ameri
ca during the release of The
Stote Of Black America 1988 at
10 a.m. Thursday, January 14,
at the National Press Club In
Washington, D.C.
The State Of Black America
1988 will be telecast via the Ho
ward University Black College
Satellite Telecommunications
Network In cooperation with the
league's office of External Af
fairs and Its affiliate network,
to more than a million people
across the nation.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Urban League. In conjunction
with the Johnson C. Smith Uni
versity Communication Depart
ment and Cablevlslon of Char
lotte, will present the live na
tional Urban League conference
to local media, various commu
nity and political leaders and
the general public In the up
stairs lounge of the Grimes Stu
dent Union on JCSU campus.
The program will be telecast
over Channel 41.
A news conference presented
by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Urban League will precede the
live airing of The State Of Black
America.
This year's edition of The Stote
Of Black America 1988 will con
tain eleven papers prepared by
some of the nation's leading au
thorities in the fields of eco-
Jacob
nomlcs, politics, criminal Jus
tice, education and sociology,
also Included will be an Intro
duction by Jacob and a chronol
ogy of events Important to
blacks In 1987.
Topics covered in the papers
are: "Black Enrollment In High
er Education: The Unfulfilled
Promise of Equality,"
'Tomorrow's Teacher: Who Will
They Be. What Will They Know,"
"Civil Rights and the Future of
the American Presidency,"
"Critical Perspectives on the
Psychology of Race," 'The Black
Family: Striving Toward Free
dom," "Black Youth At Risk,"
"Crime In the Black Communi
ty." "Blacks In the Military: The
Victory and the Challenge."
"Economic Status of Blacks
1987," "Black Wealth: Facts and
Fiction," "Crime Is Not a Part of
Our Black Heritage."
The Stote Of Black America Is
a widely recognized reference
book that examines the living
conditions of black citizens
compared to whites In the na
tion. The report also gives In
sight Into issues that need to be
addressed and the work that
must be done towards making a
Just and equitable society. The
1988 report Is the 13th annual
edition.
Madine Hester Falls, President
and Chief Executive Officer of
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Ur
ban League, says the annu^ na
tional report Is a necessary ba
rometer for measuring and
tracking on a regular basis the
status of blacks In America. She
notes, however, that there Is a
need for a similar publication at
the local level.
"It Is my hope," she sa}rs, "that
we are able to assemble appro
priate authors and gamer the
necessary financial resources to
produce such a document at the
local level. It could be a valuable
tool In constructing various pol
icies and charting courses aimed
at Improving not onty the condi
tions of poor and disadvantaged
blacks, but the conditions of our
community as a whole."
The 8tote Of Black America
America 1988 will be available
to the general public through the
National Urban League for $18.
Group Plans To Breed Black Leaders
It took two year's to hatch but
the principals Involved In Focus
on Leadership feel they now are
ready to begin a breeding ground
for black leaders In the Char
lotte community.
Kevin Patterson, President of
Focus on Leadership, along with
Ron Leeper, the organization's
founder, and Robert Albright,
President of Johnson C. Smith
University, will make an ofll-
clal announcement concerning
the start-up of Focus on Leader
ship on Friday, January 15,
11:30 a.m. In the Seabrook Edu
cation Building on the JCSU
campus.
"This organization has a direct
mission," states Patterson. "It is
to develop leadership skills pri
marily among black citizens In
the Charlotte community."
FONTANA. Calif. (AP) — A
threat by a white supremacist
group to cause disturbances at a
Jan. 17 celebration honoring Dr.
Martin Luther King Jr. forced
the slain civil rights leader's son
to cancel a parade appearance
here.
The Rev. David B. Rodriguez,
pastor of the First Presbyterian
Church of Fontana and chair
man of the Fontana Ministerial
Association, which Is sponsor
ing the rally honoring King's
birth, told reporters security
concerns caused Martin Luther
King III to
dropout.
However, a
spokewoman
for King's son
said schedul
ing problems
caused him to
cancel the pa
rade appear
ance but he
still plans to
address an In-
terfalth ser
vice at Fonta- Kingm
na's Performing Arts Center fol
lowing the parade.
Rodriguez said he and others
were alarmed by a recent record
ed telephone message from a
white supremacist group In San
Diego County urging a counter
demonstration In Fontana the
day of the parade.
The December message on the
"Aryan Update" Information
line service run by former Cali
fornia Knights of the Ku Klux
Klan leader Tom Metzger said
that "white workers of Fonta
na" will demonstrate If Martin
Luther King III marched In the
parade honoring his father.
James Farrands, the so-called
Imperial Wizard, or national
head of the KKK, confirmed Wed
nesday that he will be In Fonta
na to protest the King celebra
tion.
"1 will be there with my body
guards." Farrands said from his
Shelton. Conn., home.
%
Metzger, meanwhile, said he
planned to attend a similar pro
test In Raleigh, N.C.
King's spokeswoman, Sheila
Pierce, said, 'The decision for
him not to participate In the pa
rade came prior to our aware
ness of the tape."
She added, "Since we became!
aware of it, of course, we are con
cerned ... but not enough to can
cel Ills appearance."
She said King, a Fulton County,
Ga., commissioner, couldn't get a
flight from Atlanta to Southern
California in time to make the
parade.
Local authorities Indicated
they would keep a close watch on
tlie event
"We will certainly do everyth
ing we can to provide the best
protection we Ccui on this," said
police Lt. Alan Fowlkes.
As recently as 1981, members
of the white supremacist group
burned crosses, held rallys and
conducted public membership
drives, but police reported no ev
idence of recent Klan activity In
Fontana.
Inside This Week
Editorial
Terry Sanford, Jim Hunt
endorse Gore. What Does
that mean for black Dem
ocrats? pg. 6A
Lifestyles
COTettomid'^E^fogetoer*
Through It All pg. 9A
Church News
Rev. Ralph White speaks at
Mt. Carmel Baptist....pg. lOA
Sports
Charlotte Coliseum will hold
U.S. & Cuba Volleyball
Pre-Olympic gan\e....pg. 9B
Classifieds....12B