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' ’’ ^
Cljarlottr
The Voice Of The Block Community'
Voliune 13, Number 42
THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday, March 17, 1988
Price: 50 Cents
Top N.C. Democrats Cost
Jackson Victory Last Week
Romare Beaxden 1912-1988
RALEIGH (AP) — Sen. Terry
Sanford and former Gov. Jim
Hunt endorsed Sen. A1 Gore for
the Democratic presidential
nomination, and black Demo
cratic leaders In the state say
their support deprived the Rev.
Jesse Jackson of a first place
finish.
" A lot of people were very an
gry about that," state Rep. H.M.
"Mickey" Mlchaux Jr., D-
Diirham, a Jackson supporter,
said. "They felt they had been
betrayed because of loyalty they
put behind Hunt and Sanford.
Hopefully, It Is one of those
things that will be smoothed
over down the line."
Hunt downplayed any friction
caused by his endorsement of
Gore.
" 1 respect people supporting
the candidates they think are
best," he told The News and Ob
server of Raleigh. "1 respect peo
ple who supported Jesse Jackson
for that reason. 1 expect them to
respect me In the same way. I
think most of them do."
According to complete unoffi
cial returns. Gore received
235,345 votes or 35 percent,
Jackson received 223,207 or 33
percent, and Massachusetts Gov.
Michael S. Dukakis received
137,483 or 20 percent. Trailing
were Rep. Richard A. Gephardt,
D-Mo., with 37,483 votes or 6
percent, former Sen. Gary W.
Hart with 16,450 votes or 2 per
cent, and Sen. Paul Simon, D-
111., with 8,072 votes or 1 per
cent.
In the delegate sweepstakes.
Gore picked up 34 delegates,
Jackson received 31, and Duka
kis captured 17. No other Demo
crat won a delegate In the state.
Sanford and Hunt, the state's
two most Influential Democratic
leaders, endorsed Gore In Janu
ary and helped tie him Into the
state's white Democratic estab
lishment.
The Gore candidacy had broad
backing among Southern white
elected officials. Many who ral
lied behind Gore were concerned
that a Jackson victory would
send an unsettling signal to
moderate and conservative
Democratic voters who had been
voting in Increasing numbers
for Republican presidential can
didates.
But, across the South, the black
community has become a key
Ingredient of the Democratic
Party's coalition. Hunt won the
governorship and Sanford the
Senate seat with substantial
majorities among black voters.
Samuel H. Poole, a Sanford po
litical aide and a consultant to
the Gore campaign, said Sanford
and Hunt had made a judgment
that Gore was the most electable
Democrat in the fall.
" I'm sure Reverend Jackson ...
understands there was no obli
gation for Sanford and Hunt to
See N.C.'s Top On Page 2A
*
A black man bom in Charlotte. One of the world's greatest artists. Through his work he lives
forever.
See stories on pages SA, 6Aand lOB.
A ^
Supporters of James Baldwin for County Commission In District 2
held a voter registration drive on the comer of Parkwood Ave. and
Pegram St. last Saturday. Baldwin says his slogan is Voter Educa
tion Plus Voter Registration Equals Political Determination In
District 2. At Saturday's event, registrar GUda Stitt ^hoto, left) reg
istered 41 people who had never voted before. Candidate Baldwin
also picked up a few campaign donations. Ray Grier (right photo)
presented Baldwin (r) with a check for his campaign. Baldwin, who
opened campaign headquarters at 1014 South Tiyon St„ says this
is the first of several voter registration drives he has planned fo
cusing on low-income areas of District 2, to show that his cam
paign has a grass roots basis.
Local Candidates
Gear Up Campaigns
Blacks Trail Whites In School Test Scores
RALEIGH (AP) — For more
than 20 years, black and white
students have shared the same
schools, but the academic
achievement of black students
as shown In test scores and class
placement -— still lags far be
hind, educators say.
Some black educators, leaders
and parents suggest the dispari
ties are the fault of the school
systems, which they say have
failed to educate and challenge
black students.
But others argue that problems
contributing to the performance
of black students obviously ex
tend beyond schools. Including
low family Income and a host of
other social Ills. They say fami
lies, communities and school of
ficials must share responsibili
ty for both the problems and the
solutions.
"It Is easy to blame somebody
else," Gladys Graves, president
of the North Carolina Associa
tion of Eklucators, told the News
and Observer of Raleigh. " But
all of us rightfully have to accept
some of the responsibility."
Mrs. Graves and other educa
tors, civic leaders and govern
ment officials met today In Ra
leigh to discuss the education of
black children In North Caroli
na and plan a statewide confer
ence this fall to set specific
goads.
Test scores and class statistics
show large gaps between black
students and their white class
mates. For example:
— In Chapel HlU-Carrboro, on
average, black second-graders
taking the California Achieve
ment Test In 1987 were In the
42nd percentile nationally.
while their white classmates
were In the 93rd percentile.
— Durham City schools, which
are predominantly black, report
that black sixth-graders, on av
erage, performed at a level that
would be expected of students
who are eight months Into the
fifth grade, according to 1987
CAT scores. The white sixth-
graders, on the other hand, were
performing at a level that would
be expected of children who are
four months Into the seventh
See Black On Page 2A
Westside Discusses Recreation Center
By Jalyne Strong
Post Elditor
The residents of west Charlotte
communities Northwood
Estates. University Park North,
Firestone and Garden Park are
being Invited to Invest In their
community.
On Saturday, March 19. 11
a.m,, at Friendship Baptist
Church, these citizens will learn
more about the opportunity to
own. develop and share In the
pleasures of having a clubhouse-
recreation center located In the
Beatties Ford Rd. area commu
nity of Northwood Estates.
February 24,
William "Pete"
Cunningham,
a N.C. House
Representative
and owner of
the Excelsior
Club on Beat-
ties Ford Rd.,
sent a letter to
residents of
the Northwood
Estates com-
munlty ex- Cunningham
plaining that he had acquired
the option to purchase the old
"Northwood Clubhouse" located
By Heib White
Post Staff Writer
Now that Super Tuesday Is
over, the election process shifts
to the local level where several
blacks are nmnlng for office.
Blacks candidates are running
for all types of office, from Reg
ister of Deeds to N.C. State Rep
resentative.
Undoubtedly, the hottest race
going Is the Democratic District
2 Mecklenburg Commissioners
contest between Incumbent Bob
Walton and challengers Naslf
Majeed and James Baldwin.
The three have faced off once
In a forum earlier this month,
and there Is hope for more ex
changes.
The Democratic winner faces
Republican Roosevelt Gardner,
who Is unopposed In the Repub
lican race.
Cedric Jones, a retired Garlng-
er High English teacher Is run
ning for ona of three at-large
commissioners seats. Jones, 70,
ran an unsuccessful race for the
same seat In 1986, losing In the
Democratic primary.
With the recent debate over
school curriculum and busing,
the Mecklenburg school board
race could turn out to be a vola
tile race.
Maggie Nicholson, an 81-year-
old Republican, Is trying to win
a seat. She has run, without suc
cess, In every school board elec
tion since 1974. Don Brown, an
outspoken critic of perceived In
equities In Harding High's cur
riculum, Is running to join
George Battle and Sar^ Steven
son on the board.
Arthur Griffin, a former board
member and proponent of mid
point schools between black and
white neighborhoods to ease
busing. Is back for another shot
at office.
at the end of NorthcUff Dr.
Some years ago, the Ervin
Company had begun to develop
this property to accommodate a
swimming pool tennis courts
and other recreation facilities.
However, those plans were never
completed.
After talking with a few com
munity representatives, Cun-
See Westside On Page 2A
Inside This Week
A FOCUS on Black
Leadership...
....2A
Editorials
...6A
Win, Jesse, Win? —
He already has!
Lifestyles
.10A
Church News
..11A
Mayfield celebrates
19th anniversary
Entertainment
....IB
Sports
..10B
Tr iple County Baseball
Batters Up
Classifieds
..18B
Kelly Alexander Jr., the head
of the North Carolina NAACP, is
the first black to file for Regis
ter of Deeds. Although the office
doesn't have the high profile of
other posts, Alexander has said
It affords blacks a chance to en
ter politics at the local level.
On the state level. Democratic
Sen. Jim Richardson Is running
to keep his seat In District 33.
Richardson, who first won the
seat In 1986 after serving as a
state representative. Is best
known for supporting a law to
give the county the right to fis-
sess a real estate transfer tax.
Pete Cunningham Is running
for reelectlon to the N.C. House
from District 59. His most mem
orable legislation, passed last
summer, allows victims of ra
cial harassment to file civil
suits In local courts Instead of In
federal court.
Howard Barnhill Is up for ree-
See Local On Page 2A
Company Signs
Consent Decree
In Race Case
CHARLOTTE, NC - The U.S.
Equal Emplo5ment Opportunity
Commission and Devoe & Ray-
nolds Company, a division of
Grow Group, Inc. (Devoe & Ray-
nolds), have settled an existing
suit by entering Into a consent
decree In Federal District Court
In Charlotte. In a suit filed last
year, the EEOC charged that the
Charlotte facility of Devoe &
Raynolds had engaged In unlaw
ful practices In violation of 'Htle
VII of the Civil Rights Act of
1964. The unlawful practices al
leged In the EEOC complaint In
cluded subjecting a black em
ployee to unequal and racially
discriminatory terms and condi
tions of employment and dis
charge.
The consent decree, a mutual
agreement between the parties
with Court approval, requires
Devoe & Raynolds to maintain a
racially neutral equal employ
ment policy. As part of the con
sent decree, the company
agreed to compensate the for
mer employee for his period of
unemployment after his dis
charge.
Devoe & Ra5molds has denied
and continues to deny that it vi
olated any law or discriminated
In any respect against the for
mer employee.
The Equal Employment Op
portunity Commission Is a fed
eral agency charged with the ad
ministration, Interpretation and
enforcement of Title VII of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, as
eimended.color, religion, sex or
national origin.