In Remembrance Of:
Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
Special MX. King Section/ID
King’s Family Keeps The Dream
Lifestyles/ Page 6A
New Exhibit Opens At AACC
Entertainment/ Page 2B
Alliance
Triumph For Gaston
College Black Students
Page 1C
Cljarlotte
Vol. 14, No. 30 Thursday, January 12,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
NORTHWEST JUNIOR HIGH
n
mi
Charlotte's
fintiy' vr, j/iartin Luther
King
Celebration
Parade
DAVIDSON ST.
NORTH TRYON ST.
McDowell ST.
LITTLE ROCK AME ZION
City Parade Tops King Holiday
The route for the Monday, January 16. Martin Luther King Jr. cele
bration parade.
Special to The Post
Charlotte's second annual
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebra
tion parade, to be held Monday,
January 16, will feature as one
of its Deputy Marshals a former
Gaston County native who Is
now president of the Detroit Ur
ban League.
N. Charles Anderson, bom In
Gaston county, moved to Char
lotte Just before he entered the
second grade. He graduated
from West Mecklenburg High
School. In 1976, Anderson
moved to Detroit.
After a lifetime of Involvement
with the NAACP, Anderson be
came the Midwest regional di
rector for the NAACP and finally
named head of the Detroit Ur
ban League In 1987.
Anderson will be joined In the
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebra
tion parade by the parade's
Grand Marshal, North Carolina
Senator Jim Richardson, who Is
chairman of the Mecklenburg
County legislative delegation
and the other parade Denuty
Marshal, Jalyne Strong, editor
of the city's only black-owned
newspaper. The Charlotte Post.
The parade will also feature
Junior Marshals: Sharonda
Rep. Dan Blue Avoids House
'Mutiny' To Replace Ramsey
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
State Rep. Dan Blue said he
would like to become speaker of
the N.C. House of Representa
tives. But not at the expense of
current speaker Liston Ramsqr
(D-Madlson), who was up for re-
election this week to the most
powerful job In the House.
Recentty, dissident Democrats
and Republicans upset with
Ramsey's dominance In com
mittee appointments and the
aggressive tactics of his top
lieutenant. Rep. Billy Watkins,
have Joined efforts to replace
him. Joe Mavretlc, a Democrat
from Edgecombe County,
emerged as their choice to un
seat Ramsey.
To become speaker, a majority
of the 120-member House has to
back a candidate.
The speaker determines which
House committees review bills
and appoints committee chair
men, which influences how state
laws are made.
Ramsey, serving hts 14th term
In the House, has been speaker
for eight years, the first repre
sentative to serve more than two
two-year terms as speaker.
In a FYlday telephone Inter
view, Blue, a Democrat finom Ra-
Blue
lelgh, said he has been ap
proached by "several" legislators
about challenging Ramsey.
'Tm not Interested In partici
pating in a mutiny" against the
speaker. Blue said. "Certainly,
I'd have some Interest In becom
ing yjeaker, but not right now."
Although Ramsey faces seri
ous opposition to his post, Blue
believed the speaker's support
ers could thwart the effort. The
dissidents, however, claimed
they had the votes to elect Mav
retlc, known as "Joe Maverick to
many colleagues.
Blue admits that many leglsla-
Lomax Enters Race For Atlanta Mayor
By Shirley Reed-Blash
NNPA Correspondent
Getting a jump on the New
Year, Michael Lomax officially
declared hfs candidacy for
mayor of Atlanta on January 1,
becoming the first to make an
announcement for the post held
by two-term Mayor Andrew
Young, who is prevented, by city
ordinance, from seeking a third
term.
Young, a congregational mini
ster, former congressman and
diplomat, reportedly, has an eye
on the Georgia gubernatorial
race, which a spokesperson said
the mayor would not confirm or
deny when NNPA recently con
tacted his office.
Lomax, a perennial figure in
local politics.
Is chairman of
the Fulton
County Board'
of Commis
sioners. He was
catapulted into
the national
spotlight over
the summer as
a major driving
force behind
the highly suc
cessful Nation- „ —-
al Black Arts
Festival held this past July 30 -
August 7 in Atlanta.
As his wife, Cheiyl, fiiends and
family members stood nearby.
Lomax addressed over 500 sup
porters who attended the Lo-
max-For-Mayor campaign kick
off and rally that Included a
number of speakers.
Lomax, 41, said his aiinounce-
ment was made on the first day
of the New Year to symbolize a
"new beginning for Atlanta."
Stressing the need for new lead
ership for the city, he warned
listeners against falling back on
the past. "This year's coming will
bring new challenges, new op
portunities, and difficult prob
lems. Nostalgia will not be
enough to meet them. And, while
some may say we need someone
from before to come back and do
things differently, I believe we
need someone different to do a
better job. I believe It's time for a
change," asserted Lomax. In ref
erence to former mayor May
nard Jackson, who has publicly
said he will make an official an
nouncement to seek reelectlon
In Februaiy.
Lomax has already labeled
himself an "underdog' In antici
pation of Jackson entering the
race. Observers speculate If
Jackson does run, the months
prior to the October 3 election
could lead to one of the most
heated contests in the city's hls-
toiy. Both Democrats, Lomax
and Jackson are black.
Jackson, who Is currently
managing partner of the Atlanta
office of the law firm Chapman
and Cutler, gained national at
tention In 1974 when he became
Atlanta's first black mayor. He
left office In 1982 after serving
two terms.
See LOMAX On Page 2A
Report On
Black America
Due Jan. 24
John E. Jacob, president and
chief executive officer of the Na
tional Urban League, will lead a
panel of distinguished black
scholars in an analysis of key
Issues confronting Black Amer
ica during the release of THE
STATE OF BLACK AMERICA
1989 at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Janu
ary 24, at the Nation^ Press
Club in Washington, D.C.
THE STATE OF BLACK
AMERICA addresses some of
the disparities existing In the
country and Is the most autho
ritative annual document exam
ining the current status and
conditions of blacks In Ameri
ca. The 1989 report Is the four
teenth annual edition.
The report also gives insight
into issues that need to be ad
dressed and the work that must
be done towards making a just
and equitable soclety-to
achieve the goal of parity by the
year 2000.
The book has articles pre
pared by experts In civil rights,
education, economics, govern
ment, social welfare and other
fields.
0*'
Anderson
McClure, a 5th grade student
from Eastover Elementary
School, representing elemen
tary school students; Sean
Young, an eighth grade student
from Albemarle Road Junior
High, representing junior high
school students: and Margie
Glover, a senior at Harding
Evening School, representing
high school students.
The marching bands of West
Charlotte, Myers Park and Hard
ing High Schools will also par
ticipate in the parade.
This year's parade Is spon
sored by WestFest, Inc., the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg NAACP,
the Afro-American Cultural
Center, and The Charlotte Post.
It will begin on Charlotte's
westslde, at Northwest Junior
High School on Beatties Ford
Rd., at 11 a.m. Proceeding down
Trade through downtown, the
parade will end at Little Rock
AME Zion Church where a rally
will begin at 2 p.m..
With the assistance of addi
tional sponsors, such as the
North Carolina Humanities En
dowment, KISS 102, WPEG FM
98, Food Lion, Coca-Cola and
Pepsi, WestFest Inc. has addi
tional events scheduled for the
weekend celebration of Martin
Luther King's birthday.
"Reflection on The Dream
(Where is the Dream — 1989'?")
is the title of a public forum to
be held Saturday, January 14, 2 -
4 p.m. at the Afro-American Cul
tural Center.
Headlining the forum will be
^ .
White
historian Clark White, Acting
Director for Black Culture and
History, Temple University,
Philadelphia. He will be joined
by Iris Carlton-LaNey, an As-
See KING On Page 2A
tors are upset with Ramsey, for
one reason or another.
"It's not just a few. There's a
hell of a lot of them," he said.
Ramsey has done a good Job as
speaker and has worked well
With the 13 black representa
tives In the House, Blue main
tained.
"Quite frankly, he has been fair
as speaker. I Uiink you can ask
any of the black representatives
and they will tell you the ssune
thing," he said.
The House of Representatives'
split over Ramsey's future is for
different reasons. Blue said, ad
ding that his relationship with
black legislators could also be a
part of the scenario. Ramsey ap
pointed blacks to lead nine of 13
committees in the last session
of the legislature. Blue said
"It cuts both ways. People
could be mad at him for all kinds
of reasons, like appointing
blacks to chair committees," he
said. 'The speaker has been
pretty fair to the black members
and maybe some of (Ramsey's
opponents) don't like that."
Partisan politics has been a
factor In the debate over the
speaker's debate. Blue charged.
See N.C. On Vogt 2A
Phate/CALVM FERGUSON
Local officials and involved citizens affiliated
with The BiddleviUe-Five Points Area Revitaliza
tion and the Second Mortgage Equity Participa
tion Loan Program in Charlotte were the recip
ients of 1988 Certificates of National Recognition
in the U.8. Department of Housing and Uiban De
velopment's National Recognition Program for Ur
ban Development Excellence. The awards were pre
sented during this week's City Council meeting.
Larry J. Parker, Manager of the North Carolina Of
fice of the U.S. Department of Houring and Urban
Devriopment preaented the awards.
Libby Koontz Dies At Home
SAUSBURY, N.C. (AP) — Eliza
beth "Libby" Duncan Koontz, the
former head of
the women's
bureau under
President Nix
on and a for
mer assistant
state school
superintendent,
died Friday of a
heart attack.
She was 69.
Ld
« Koontz
Ms. Koontz was named the first
black president of the National
Education Association In 1968.
She resigned the post a year lat
er to take the position under
Nixon, whom she served until
1973.
From 1973-75, she was the co
ordinator for the nutrition pro
grams In the North CcUoUna De
partment of Human Resources.
In 1975, she was named the as
sistant state school superinten
dent, a post she held until she re
tired to 1982.
Ms. Koontz was named the
United States' delegate to the
United Nations Commission on
the Status of Women in 1975.
She also had more than two doz
en honorary doctorate degrees
from schools such as Duke,
North Carolina, Michigan State,
Northwestern and Ohio State.
She began her career as a
teacher of mentally handi
capped students to the Salisbury
schools to the mid-1940s.
Ms. Koontz Is survived by one
brother, John B. Duncan of
Alexandria, Va. The funeral will
be held Monday at 2 p.m. at St.
Luke's Episcopal Church to Sa
lisbury.
Closings For King Holiday
County government offices
and agencies will be closed
Monday, January 16, to obser
vance of the birthday of Martin
Luther King Jr. This closing in
cludes all divisions of the De
partment of Social Services and
the Health Department, the Tax
Offices, all branches of the Pub
lic Library, and the Register of
Deeds Office.
The Board of County Commis
sioners, which normally meets
the third Monday of the month,
will meet on Tuesday, January
17, Instead. The meeting will be
gin at 8 a.m., to the Meeting
Chamber of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Government
Center, 600 East Foirrth Street.
The Harrisburg Road Landfill
and Recycling Area will close at
4 p.m. Monday, January 16.
Inside This Week
Editorials Pg. 4A
Entertainment Pg. 1B
Lifestyles Pg. 6A
Sports Pg. 6B
Church News Pg. 8A
Classifieds Pg. 10B
Obituaries Pg. 9A
The Alliance Sec. C
Queen City News
Murder Suspect
Apprehended
Charlotte police arrested a
Richmond man Monday, Janu
ary 9 and charged him with the'
1986 shooting death of a John
son C. Smith University student.
Another person was wounded
to the Incident, which occurred
Oct 26, 1986.
Arrested was James William
"Dunnle" Jeffries, 24. Jeffries
was arrested to Richmond and
transported by Charlotte police
officios to Charlotte. He was
served with warrants on both
murder and assault charges. He
Is being held without tend in
Mecklenburg County Jail.
Jeffries Is charged In the
death of Anthony Scott
McClam. McClam's body was
found Oct. 29, 1986 near Char
lotte's Hidden Valley neighbor
hood. Autopsy reports showed
that he had been shot four
times. McClam's roommate,
Leon Daryl Surglner of Colum
bia, South Carolina, was found
wounded and bleeding sevei'al
blocks away from where police
found McClam. Surglner was
treated at a local hospital for
gunshot woimds.
McClam was a computer^
science major and was popular
with fellow students on campus. -;
He often served as disc jockey.
at dances at the University.
JCSU officials would not com- ’
ment on the case and arrest at
this Ume.