Page2A - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Thursday. September 15, 1988
Camp Greene Officer Charges Discrimination, Harassment
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
A suspended officer at a Char
lotte correctional facility says
the unit discriminates against
blacks, often refusing them jobs
In favor of whites with Inferior
credentials.
Warren Smith, an employee at
Camp Greene for five years and
seven other officers filed a com
plaint with the state in January
contending that officials pass
over blacks In favor of whites
despite their qualifications.
Smith contends that since
Baxter Bridges was appointed
superintendent In 1986, quali
fied blacks have been passed
over In favor of whites with few
er credentials.
Statistics obtained by The
Charlotte Post show that one
month before Bridges got to
Camp Greene, 14 of the unit's 20
officers were black. As of last
month, 11 of 30 were black.
A receptionist at Camp
Greene Monday said Bridges
was on vacation and couldn't be
reached for comment.
Smith, who said he was sus
pended and recommended for
firing last month for sleeping.
Is scheduled to meet with the
Office of Administrative Hear
ings.
A narcoleptic. Smith, 41, has
trouble staying awake at night,
but requested a night shift in
hopes of avoiding the politics
and harassment he encoun
tered during the day. After real
izing he couldn't stay awake
throughout the night. Smith re-
Cab Rules
Continued from page lA-
eting. The addition of this re
quirement Is just too much."
Howard Is certain that this
move would provide city-wide
control to those few who can af
ford the fees, the big cab compa
nies.
'With 98 per cent of the drivers
being black, there is just a pat
tern of abuse with this propo
sal," says co-vlce president, \flc-
tor Nwanguma.
He says he wants to rely on the
good judgement of council mem
bers like Ella Scarborough, who
are aware of the situation.
Scarborough commented that
she was aware of the upcoming
meeting regarding this matter.
But when asked for a statement,
she deferred until after she had
looked at the council's response
to the study.
She did say, however, "I'm not
in favor of giving exclusive
rights to any one group. That
just doesn't seem right to me."
Howard says, "We are deter
mined to light this thing. We get
the Ramesses thing and the new
Coliseum, a NBA franchise and
now they want us to go run and
hide. There's a bonanza In all
this and we want our fare share
of the action.
Nathaniel Moore, a co-vlce
president agreed with Howard.
He says, 'We've done our part
and now they want to hand us
this bill. Well, we just don't
want It and If there's anything to
be said about It, we're not going
to take it."
Black Votes
Continued from page lA.
number will grow if eligible vot
ers stay home in November.
City councilman Charlie Dan-
nelly said blacks may feel their
votes don't count, but not par
ticipating is worse.
"Even a second-grader knows
that zero plus zero plus zero Is
zero but he also knows that one
plus one plus one equals three,"
he said. "If you don't vote you
don't count because zero doesn't
count"
In addition to Richardson and
Dannelly, other officials gath
ered Included councilwoman
Ella Scarborough, Reps. Howard
Barnhill and Pete Cunningham
and school board member Ar
thur Griffin. They outlined recent
achievements and concerns In
addition to answering voters'
concerns during a question and
answer session. Confidence in
officials, especially over past be
havior, was a topic seemingly
aimed at the recent commis
sioners' race between Bob Wal
ton and Nastf Majeed.
Walton, who served a two-week
sentence last year for misde
meanor assault, said justice was
served and the voters had
enough confidence In him to jus
tify his win over Majeed.
"One of the great things about
this country Is that we live under
a nation of laws," he said. "As
long as people live within the
law, then that's the Important
thing we have to keep In mind."
Charlotte's proposed $183 mil
lion bond referendum was a top
ic of debate, with Dannelly voic
ing concern that taxes would
likely be raised for future bonds
if the referendum passes.
Some westslde leaders, who
are considering open opposition
to the referendum, feel the bonds
don't address the needs of their
area while about $77 million
would go to road Improvements
In the southeast.
quested reassignment to an ear
lier shift. Bridges refused and
suspended him when he was
found asleep Aug. 15.
"I told them In May about my
condition, but they wouldn't lis
ten," Smith said. A white officer
was caught napping as well, but
he received only a reprimand.
Smith said.
The charges of discrimination
started long before last month.
Smith applied for three posi
tions during Bridges's tenure
and was passed over each time
for dubious reasons.
At one point. Smith was told
by corrections officials that he
failed a test that was necessary
for a position he wanted.
Records of the results show that
Smith passed, but a white who
scored seven points lower got
the job.
It's common. Smith charges,
for blacks with more education
and custody experience to be de
nied positions.
"It's like to get ahead, you have
to be twice as good and twice as
smart," he said.
Smith claims the suspension
Is a result of Bridges's campaign
to reduce the number of black
personnel.
"He had a white agenda" he
said. "His agenda is not only to
get rid of blacks, but anyone who
came In under (former superin
tendent Robert) Reese."
■While Reese, a black, headed
the unit, Camp Greene had high
morale and the officers and su
perintendent worked as a group.
Smith contends. That has
changed now, with workers fear
ful of losing their jobs.
"Morale is next to nothing," he
said. "The white guys see what's
going on with us and they see
they might be next."
Of the eight officers named as
plaintiffs in the January com
plaint, four have resigned or
been fired. Smith said. Those
who haven't left are constantly
followed at work, which Smith
said led to his suspension.
"It's not just one Incident. It's a
lot of little Incidents," he said.
Leroy Foster, a former officer,
declined to say much about his
experience at the camp.
"I'm not saying It was the best
work situation, but I'm trying to
distance myself from it," he said.
Smith questioned Bridges's
qualifications to be superinten
dent, charging that he doesn't
have the experience to run the
unit.
"The man has no degree, no
custody experience and no su
pervisory experience, yet he gets
a job over guys who have college
degrees and custody experi
ence," he said.
Although some have accused
him of being a troublemaker.
Smith said it's Important that
someone stand up.
"Our complaint's legit," he said.
"Keeping quiet doesn't change
anything."
Smith said his main concern Is
to avoid being part of a system
that discriminates against
blacks who work hard but re-.
ceive little compensation.
"My parents worked for the
state, my father worked 33 years
and my mother worked for 30
and they never got a promotion,"
he said. "That's 63 years without
a promotion and I'll be damned
If it'll happen to me."
MED Week Lauds Minority Businesses
Continued from page lA.
Chapel Hill majoring In Radio,
Television, and Motion Pictures.
Her career path led her to 'WPCQ
in April, 1988.
Keynote speaker for the lun
cheon will be Dr. Solomon W.
Walker II, Chief Executive Office
of Pilgrim Health and Life Insu
rance Company In Atlanta, Ga.
Dr. Walker is a graduate of
Morehouse College In Atlanta
and also a graduate of the Na
tional Insurance Association
School In Life Insurance Man
agement and was awarded a fel
lowship to Stanford University's
Executive Program.
Beginning as a Sales Agent in
1958, Dr. Walker was promoted
to Sales Manager, Vice Presi
dent, Accountant, Vice Presl-
People On The Move
lege in ENanston.
He has ■written articles on or
ganizing mental health services
In the black community and on
pastoral counseling and black
cultural values.
He Is married to the former Joy
R. Powell and they have two
sons.
for Sears In 1969.
Dyer has a bachelor's degree
from the University of Arktin-
sas at Pine Bluff. He and his
wife, Mae, have two children.
Lattimore Is
Health Ctr. Dir.
Dr. Vergel L. Lattimore has
been appointed Director of Reha
bilitation Services at the S5Ta-
cuse Community Health Center,
Inc. In this position, he wUl be
responsible for directing the
Outpatient Alcoholism Services
and Individual and Family Ser
vices units of the Healjh Center.
A native of Charlottfe, Dr. Lat-
timore received his bachelors
degree in Social Welfare form
Livingstone College, Salisbury,
NC and was awarded a Masters
of Divinity from Duke Universi
ty Divinity School. He holds a
Ph.D. in Pastoral Psychology
from Northwestern University,
Evanston, Illinois.
Dr. Lattimore has previously
worked as a Core Staff Pastoral
Counselor/Area Coordinator,
for the Onondaga Pastoral Coun
seling Center. He was Assistant
Dean, Office of Minority Affairs,
at Duke University and served as
Resident Director and Minority
Student Advisor at Kendall Col-
Black Caucus
Bond Vote
The Black Political Caucus
will meet on Sunday, September
18, 8 p.m., at First Baptist
Church-West, Oaklawn Ave.
A discussion will be held on
the bond referendum.
For further Information, con
tact Bob Davis, chairman, at
568-4981, or Anna Hood, public
ity chair at 333-4685.
Dyer Is New
Mngr. At Sears
VoUie E. Dyer is the new man
ager of Sears tfcharlotte-
Eastland store. The announce
ment was made by Bennie Na-
mle, general manager of Sears
Greensboro Region stores.
Dyer comes to Charlotte from
Sears Burlington, NC, store,
where he had been manager
since 1980. He was store manag
er of the company's Shelby store
from 1978 to 1980.
A native of Little Rock, Ark.,
Dyer pre'vlously held various
management positions in Sears
stores in North Carolina, South
Carolina, Tennessee, Mississip
pi and Arkansas, as well as In
the company's Greensboro re
gional offices. He began working
Baker Holds
State Position
Lattie Baker Jr. works as the
assistant secretary for sub
stance abuse programs for the
North Carolina Department of
Correction, coordinating drug
abuse programs throughout the
department.
Baker, who has served under
three governors, was the assist
ant secretary for programs and
development In the Correction
Department from March 1984 to
August 1987. Two years earlier,
he was the manager of the youth
command for the Division of
Prisons in Raleigh.
Baker received a bachelor de
gree In history and social stud
ies from St. Augustine's College,
Raleigh, in 1965. He took gradu
ate courses In counseling at N.C.
State University.
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dent, Secretary-Treasurer, Exec
utive Vice President, Finance,
and finally In November 1980,
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He was appointed by Georgia
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Activities for the remainder of
the week Include the Carolina
Minority Supplier Development
Council's Business Expo, Thurs
day, September 29, at the Char
lotte Convention Center: a MED
Week reception on Friday, Sep
tember 30; and the Minority
Business Reaffirmation, Involv
ing 103 churches throughout the
area on Sunday, October 2.
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