With Charlotte Hornets:
David Thompson Makes A
Courageous Comeback
Sports/ Page SB
Local Model Debuts In Fashion Fair *88
Lifestyles/ Page IB
L. Hughes: Book Explores Great Writer
Entertainment/ Page lOA
Clie Cljarlotte Bosit
Vol. 14, No. 19 Thursday, October 13,1988
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
NAACP Called
To Investigate
Piedmont Air
BY JALYNE STRONG
Post Editor
Kelly Alex
ander Jr., state
president of
the NAACP
and executive
secretary of
the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg
Branch, met
with an ad hoc
group of black
Piedmont Air
lines employ-
Alezsnder
ees Tuesday to discuss strategies
the employees may take to com
bat alleged racial discrimina
tion at the Charlotte office of the
airlines.
"The group asked the NAACP
to investigate complaints that
broadly fffil under Title VII —
issues of discrimination In em
ployment," said Alexander fol
lowing the meeting held at
McDonald’s Cafeteria.
"The NAACP will ultimately
make recommendations In
these areas."
The formation of the black
employees group and Its subse
quent complaints were sparked
by a specific Incident of racism
that occurred at the Charlotte
office of Piedmont Airlines last
month. The Incident Involved a
white Piedmont employee who
made a racist remark regarding
a black employee.
According to sources at the air
lines, the supervisor, Joel Gard
ner, described a black employee
as "that token^' nlgger/'j^ ,Up]cn
hearing of the remark black em
ployees sought the assistance of
the NAACP to help bring about
disciplinary action.
On September 10, Alexander
dispatched a letter to Piedmont
Station Manager Watson Furr
setting forth the complaint by
the black employees. September
14, L.R. Welch, Director of Per
sonnel for Piedmont Airlines,
based In Winston-Salem, NC, re
sponded in writing that Gardner
had been demoted and trans
ferred to another area.
Alexander says that is not
enough.
"There Is no Indication that
this man has apologized for his
action," says Alexander.
"Although he has been demoted
and transferred, he Is still work
ing for Piedmont in Charlotte.
There Is nothing balancing
here."
For this reason, Alexander Is
outraged.
"Black people of Charlotte fly
Piedmont and they don't pay
good money to have someone
call them 'nigger.' The black em
ployees and customers of Pied
mont have a right to courteous,
prompt and non-racist treat
ment," contends Alexander.
"I encourage people to call
Piedmont and complain to the
station manager. If the public
let's him know that It will not
tolerate Piedmont Airlines re
taining In Its employ people who
make racist remarks, this par
ticular Issue can be put to rest."
Woodard Vies For Local
NAACP President Post
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
NAACP Vice President Valerie
Woodard announced this week
her candidacy for president of
the local chapter.
Woodard, a member of the or
ganization for eight years. Is the
first candidate to formally an
nounce her intentions.
Currently the NAACP's vice
president, Woodard serves the
same capacity with the Black
Political Caucus.
The election process starts
later this month with nomina
tions and ends in December
■with the election itself.
Among Woodard's goals Is an
Increase In youth participation.
Increased fund raising activity
and monitoring local govern
ment to Insure black participa
tion.
Woodard
Scott: Blacks Must Work
To Improve Education
GREENSBORO (AP) — The new
president of Bennett College
says black Americans must
work to improve education as
, part of a strategy to imlte the na
tion.
'We can only have one nation If
we make the commitment to em
power blacks
and other ml-
norlties," Glo
ria Randle
Scott said
Sunday dur
ing her Inau
guration as
the 11th pres
ident of the
historically
black wom
en's college. Soott
'The notion of education must
be laced with a legacy of plural
ism and Include scholarship
about blacks and women. I say
we must create a new renais
sance of education In America."
Ms. Scott, 50, succeeds Isaac
Miller Jr. and Is only the second
female president In the college's
history. Bennett, founded In
1873, became a women's college
In 1926. Wllla B. Player was
Bennett's first female president
from 1955-1966.
In her 25-mlnute speech, Ms.
Scott urged students to strive to
ward academic excellence.
"People will not grow except
that they are challenged," she
said. 'There Is no growth with
out pain."
'The responsibility to educate
the students begins with us," Ms.
Scott said. "Education ought to
be the diplomatic weapon by
which we Interact with the rest
of the world, rather than mill-
taiy might."
In a symposium held Saturday,
a sociologist said that while the
percentage of black high school
graduates has increased, the
number of those enrolled In col
lege has declined.
'We're In an educational regres
sion," said Gail E. Thomas of
Texas A&M University. 'We've
relaxed. There's been a decline
In the black family Income. An
Increase In poverty, under
employment and unemploy
ment."
Ms. Thomas said few high
school students who can make It
In college are enrolling.
'We need to Instill a sense of ■vi
sion and mission In not only
our young people but the black
community," Ms. Thomas said.
Barbara Hatton, a program of
ficer for the Ford Founda
tion, said, a larger pool of qual
ity students Is needed so recruits
can be pulled for teaching posi
tions. She noted only four per
cent of the nation’s teachers are
black.
f ’■
l«r.
RIBBON CUTTING FOR REVITALIZATION. At the grand opening of
Universal College of Beauty are (comer 1-r) Tessie Thompson (back-
ground). Joneal Williams, Candida Mobley of Radio KJLH, LJL.
Photo/CALViN FERGUSON
John Williams, Cotmcilpersons Charlie Dannelly fmd Ella Scarbo
rough, Rep. Howard Barnhill, Herman Richardson, Commissioner
Bob Walton and Sandra Heartley of Mechanics and Farmers Bank.
Beauty College Boosts Project Catalyst
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Project Catalyst got Its first
new tenant this week with the
opening of the Universal College
of Beauty on West Trade Street.
The Los Angeles-based Insti
tution opened Its first satellite
campus outside of California
Sunday as westslde residents
and dignitaries were on hand for
the ribbon-cutting ceremonies.
The building once housed the
old Adroit Cleaners, which went
out of business after a 1984 fire.
Project Catalyst Is a Joint effort
of local merchants, government
and Johnson C. Smith Universi
ty to turn the northwest section
of Charlotte into a middle-
income community complete
with new businesses and hous
ing to the predominantly black
area.
The proposed development, to
be called Biddle Village, after
JCSU's original benefactor
should include retail stores and
a medical center at the end of
West Trade.
Expected to be completed by
1993, Project Catalyst will cost
around $38 million, developers
say. The project was the brain
child of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Citizens Forum, an
organization which addresses
land-use concerns.
Government, developers and
corporations have donated land,
money and services to the effort.
After a year-long planning
stage completed last year, the
first businesses were developed.
Universal is the first of several
businesses planned to be locat
ed in buildings that are current
ly unused.
In addition to new businesses,
JCSU plans to expand its physi
cal plant with an honors college
building, new dormitories, and a
faculty-alumni club that would
serve as a focal point for the
community.
Garner Asks Blacks To Split The Ticket
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Ed Garner, the Republican
candidate for state auditor, be
lieves this election can be a wa
tershed for black politicians.
"It can be a history-making
year in North Carolina," he said.
Gamer, 45, Is the only black
candidate for state-wide this
year. His opponent, incumbent
Democrat Ed Renfrew, has been
auditor since 1980.
The auditor Is responsible for
maintaining expenditure
records for all state agencies.
The race Is significant In polit
ical and racial terms. Gamer In
a position to become the first
black elected to the N.C. Council
of State and the first Republican
to win a seat since 1896.
"I think the Council of State
should have the representation
of all people," Gamer said. "It's
time that the council reflect the
representation of all people."
Gainer
Being a Republican shouldn't
be a disadvantage. Gamer said.
adding that he expects support
from a cross-section of the elec
torate.
"I'm getting broad spectrum of
support around the state," he
said.
Gamer has made a previous
effort for office, losing a 1984
bid for a state Rep. seat In Ashe
ville by 1,500 votes. He blamed
that loss on a lack of notoriety,
but believes things v/ill be dif
ferent this time.
"I'm getting out there like a guy
who's getting recognition for the
first time," he said.
To beat Renfrew, Garner will
have to sell his vision of inclu
sionary politics to voters who
don't support Republicans of
any color-—black Democrats.
"People are beginning to see
and look at candidates, and vote
for the best candidate, not their
party," Gamer said.
To promote his cause. Gar
ner's campaign encourages
blacks to "split" the ticket on
election day. Ticket-splitting re
quires the voter to omit marking
the ballot for any party and se
lect candidates Individually.
Garner said that contrary to
what skeptics say about black
voting patterns, blacks ■will split
ballots to elect one of Uieir own.
"I think black folk are begin
ning to vote more intelligently. I
really believe ticket-splitting is
catching on," he said. "It's de
meaning for anyone to tell black
people that It's too complicated
to split tickets."
Blacks need to diversify politi
cal muscle by taking active roles
In both parties. Gamer said.
"If blacks have Input In both
parties, we’ll have representa
tion in both parties and we won't
be shut out when one party Is In
power," he said.
See GARNER on page 2A.
Autrey: County Facing Housing Problem
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
Incumbent county commis
sioners' vice chairman Rod Au
trey announced his bid for ree-
lectlon last week by pledging to
help Improve the housing situa
tion In Mecklenburg.
Speaking at a press confer
ence at the Adams Mark'hotel,
Autrey, ■vice chairman of the
commissioners, called housing
one of the more pressing Issues
the county faces.
"That's one thing I learned
about my community tlian any
other," he said.
Mecklenburg should make the
effort to expand housing expen
ditures throughout the county,
preferably with local and private
funding. Autrey, a Republican,
said the county may need to
have a $ 10-15 million bond refe
rendum for housing and was
disappointed one Isn't on the
November ballot.
"It's a community problem and
I think the community Is ready
to deal with It," he said.
Expressing reservations about
the national government's abili
ty to support housing on the lo
cal level, Autrey, a two-term
commissioner, said a home
grown approach Is better.
"Government Is not the answer,
but It should help facilitate" the
Improvement of housing.
Autrey, who is running for one
of the three at-large seats, also
called for further study of merg
ing city and county govern
ments, saying Mecklenburg
agencies could operate more ef
ficiently under one umbrella.
He proposed a task force made
up of officials from county agen
cies and each municipality to
hammer out a plan for consoli
dation. The Issue was last stud
ied In 1984 by a panel that failed
to make a recommendation to
merge governments.
Autrey contends one govern
ment would be more effective by
See AUTREY on page 2A.
Autrey
Inside This Week
Editorials Pg. 6A
Obituaries Pg. 5B
Entertainment Pg. 8A
Sports Pg. 8B
Lifestyles Pg. IB
Classifieds Pg. 14B
Church News Pg. 3B
The Alliance Sec. C
Subscribe to the Charlotte Post, call 376-0496.
Gantt Will Be
On The News
For WBTV
BY M.L. LANEY
Post Staff Writer
WBTV will begin utilizing the
talents of Sonya Gantt to convey
It’s news coverage starting Octo
ber 31st
Miss Gantt Is a 23-year-old
Charlotte native. She Is the
daughter of former Charlotte
Mayor Harvey Gantt.
She attended East Mecklen
burg High School before going
on to the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Miss Gantt received a degree In
Journalism and set out to learn
the news business ■via television.
She presently works at WBTW
In Florence, S.C., where she has
been for the last year.
"I'm really excited about the
move back to Charlotte. I mean
It’s going to nice to be at home
See GANTT on page 2A.