Oprah To Benefit
United Way
With Chariotte Visit
LIFESTVtES/ PAGE 8A
JazzCharlotte Leaves On A High Note
ENTERTAINMENT/ PAGE IB
Koontz Hands Over JCSU Sports Mike
SPORTS/ PAGE SB
Charlotte
Vol. 14, No. 16 Thursday, September 15,1988
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
Photo/CALVIN FERGUSON
AL OVERTON, ofScial spokesperson for a group of black
Piedmont Airlines employees, told the media the group will
not comment, as yet, on any plans of action concerning al
legations of discrimination at the airlines.
Black Employees
Air Grievances
Against Piedmont
BY JALYNE STRONG
Post Editor
Approximately 30 black employees of Piedmont Airlines In
Charlotte met at McDonald's Cafeteria Monday. In a closed meet
ing, the group discussed possible actions to be taken to bring about
results concerning complaints of discriminatory practices at the
airlines office.
A1 Overton, named official spokesman for the group, would not
comment as to what direction the group would take as of Monday.
"We're unhappy about some of the things going on at Piedmont," he
said. "It's a litUe premature to make any further comment."
Tonya Sanders, initial coordinator of the group, pointed out
some specific grievances. It was alleged that a white supervisor had
made disparaging remarks about blacks at the airlines. The em
ployees have asked for that supervisor's resignation with no re
sults. There were also reports of "tokenism" taking place at the air
lines.
Watson Furr, station manager at the Piedmont office, was una
vailable for comment at press time.
Thompson
Walker
President Ronald Reagan has
designated October 2-5 as Minor
ity Enterprise Development
Week (MED Week). The U.S. De
partment of Commerce's Minor
ity Business Development Agen
cy, the Small Business
Administration, and other par
ticipating agencies and compa
nies planned activities for the
Charlotte area for the week of
September 26-October 2..
On Monday, September 26, Mi
nority Business Exchange, Pro
curement/Purchasing, will be
held at FDY Services, 1-77 Cor
porate Park. Tuesday, Septem
ber 27, there will be a senior citi
zens bus tour spotlighting
minority businesses.
The Minority Small Business
Persons of the Year Award will
be presented on Wednesday, Sep
tember 28, during the Awards
Luncheon to be held at McDo
Blacks Must Go To Polls
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Black voters hold the key to
improving the quality of life
throughout Mecklenburg Coun
ty if they do one thing: vote.
At a Sunday "town meeting" at
Faith CME Church, about 45
people met Mecklenburg's black
political leaders, who sounded
the call for more Involvement in
the political process.
"1 get more calls from white
folks than blacks," said state
Sen. Jim Richardson. 'The only
way we know what you want is
to tell us."
Richardson said the perceived
lack of voter participation goes
beyond the black community.
"1 don't think it's Just apathy in
the (low) black turnout...," he
said. "It's estimated that there's
30,000 black voters not regis
tered and then less than half of
the registered voters turn out."
To get more blacks to vote, of
ficials urged constituents to
register and go to the polls be
fore the county board of elec
tions purges names from the
rolls.
If registered voters fail to par
ticipate in an election within a
four-year period, they
are sent letters to reaffirm theli
Bob Walton (standing) and other black elected Faith CME Church,
officials spoke Sunday at a town meeting at
PholoAONY WHITE
registration. Voters who don't
respond are automatically tak
en off the eligibility list and
must re-register.
Maria Macon, a representa
tives of the Mecklenburg Voter
Registration Committee, said
the group plans to Increase the
number of black voters.
"Operation ’88", the orgalnza-
tion's project, is targeting 30
black precincts and eight pre-
' dominantly black areas in white
precincts for registration drives
and election-day voting efforts.
Approximately 54,000, or 21
percent of all eligible voters in
Mecklenburg are black. Another
30,000 aren't registered and that
See BLACK VOTES On Page 2A
N.J. Principal Speaks
To NAACP Saturday
By Jalyne Strong
FoshEditor
Joe Clark, tlie high school
printipal characterized in the
media as the man who disci
plines students with a bullhorn
and a bat, will be the featured
speaker for the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Branch NAACP
Freedom Fund Committee Din
ner to be held Saturday, Septem
ber 17, 7 p.m., at McDonald's
Best Western Inn, 2812 Beatties
Ford Rd.
Clark, who has been featured
on "60 Minutes" and "Nightline"
and written about in Time and
Newsweek, is the Principal of
Eastside High School in Patter
son, New Jersey.
"When order and pride are
firmly in place, then and only
then, can the student and the
school grow and flourish," said
Clark who took the helm of
Eastside High in 1982. He says
he was able to change a
"blackboard Jungle" into a insti
tution of learning by establish
ing order, instilling pride and
pursuing academic achieve-
menl. i
A former Army drill instruc
tor, Clark expelled 300 students
during his first week as princi
pal. He said he was making it
abundantly clear that he would
not tolerate fighting, vandal
ism, drug possession, assaulting
a teacher or profanity directed
at teachers. He made ^1 such in-,
cidents grounds for automatic
suspension.
Clark's tough methods have
been both applauded and criti
cized. President Reagan has
commended Clark as an exam
ple of the tough leadership need
ed in urban schools. However,
the school board has charged
Clark with insubordination and
has threatened him with dismis
sal for what they deem as too
harsh disciplinary methods.
Clark lives up to the title of
"the maverick educator."
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Clark
NAACP Invite you to "come meet
the man who dares to be differ
ent." For ticket Information,
call Denise Mcllwaln at 334-
1060, or the NAACP office at
333-1167.
Cabbies Steamed Over Rules
Minority Business Awards
Banquet Lauds Enterprise
nald's Cafeteria, 1-85 and Beat-
ties Ford Rd.
The award will be presented to
Contractors and Mechanical As
sociates, Inc. of Charlotte. Sull-
man El-Amln and Charles L.
Brewlngton began this heating
and cooling Installation busi
ness in 1976. The firm has been
selected as North Carolina Mi
nority Small Business Persons
of the Year and Southeast Re
gional winner. The Regional
award will be presented to the
principals during the National
Minority Enterprise Develop
ment Week October 2-8, in Wash
ington, D.C.
Master of Ceremonies of the
luncheon will be Beatrice
Thompson, News Reporter for
W1>CQ-TV. Thompson is a Char
lotte native and attended UNC-
See MED WEEK On Page 2A
By M.L.LaNey
Post staff Writer
Charlotte's Independent cab
owners are up in arms over what
they see as an old problem.
In a disclosure of grievances,
local officials of the Indepen
dent Taxicab Owners/Operators
Association (ITOOA) were not
optimistic about the outcome of
a proposed plan to affect airport
taxi service.
The concerns center on a study
of ground transportation at
Charlotte's Douglas Interna
tional Airport.
According to ITOOA president
Rubin Howard, the plan would
give exclusive rights to five local
taxicab companies and
"effectively put Independent
drivers out of business."
The problem dates back to
Charlotte's old airport and the
difficulties that had been en
countered policing independent
drivers.
Howard admits to some prob-
'lems in the past but insists that,
"We've cleaned up our act and
taken stock of ourselves. We
wanted to work with Airport
management. But it soon be
came apparent that we were Just
being Ignored."
The plan is to be presented to
city council in a meeting sched
uled for Wednseday, September
21.
Details of the plan would pro
vide that five taxicab companies
have a total of 100 slots for cabs
at the airport. Each slot would
require a certification with a
$1,000 price tag.
Rubin Howard: "Independents are being left out."
Pholo/LsNEY
Howard feels that indepen
dents are being left out. 'We sim
ply can't afford this extra bur
den. We pay high Insurance
rates, we pay franchise fees, the
cost of maintenance is skyrock-
See CAB RULES On Page 2A
Inside This Week
Editorials Pg. 6A
Entertainment Pg. IB
Lifestyles Pg. 8A
Sports Pg. 8B
Church News Pg. 10A
Classifieds Pg. 14B
Obituaries Pg. 14A
The Alliance Sec. C
Subscribe to the Charlotte Post, call 376-0496.
Queen City tievys
Charlotte Voter
Registration
Deadlines
The Board of Elections re
minds residents of Charlotte
and Mecklenburg County that
for the November 8th Presiden
tial Election, the following dead
lines apply:
DEADLINE FOR VOTER REG
ISTRATION/CHANGE OF AD
DRESS: Monday, October 10 at
9:00 P.M. in the Election Office
or 9:00 P.M. in all Public Librar
ies (except Belmont Center
which closes at 5:00 P.M.) Begin
ning 9/10/88 the Election Ofilce
will be open 10-4 on Saturdays.
Regular hours are 8-5 Monday
through Friday.
ABSENTEE BALLOTS will be
available from the Election Of
fice only. In-person absentee
ballots may be voted beginning
Tuesday, October 11. Deadline
for in-person absentees is Fri
day, November 4 at 5:00 P.M.
Mail in absentee deadline is
Tuesday, November 1st.
For more information, visit or
call the Election Office located
at 741 Kenilworth Avenue. The
telephone number is 336-2133.
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