Black Hair:
The Full Circle
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Ovens Heats Up With "The Diary..."
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Hornets' Have The Key To Success
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Alliance
Cards With A Personal
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Page 13S
Cliarlotte
Vol. 14, No. 35 Thursday, Februaiy 23,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
Black Vendor Ousted From Spiingfest
By JALYNE STRONG
Post Editor
For the last four years, Caroljfn Mason, owner of Balloon-A-Grams,
has generated additional revenue for her business through her par
ticipation as a vendor at Sprlngfest, Charlotte's annual downtown
street festival.
This year, Balloon-A-Grams will miss that Income.
Due to a policy change and the selection process of Sprlngfest Inc.,
Mason's company was not Invited to participate as a vendor for the
upcoming Sprlngfest '89.
Mason says It's not fair, especially In light of her long association
with the festival combined with the fact that she is one of very few
blacks who've had the opportunity to participate as a vendor at
Sprlngfest.
To her knowledge. Mason remembers only one or two other blacks
who have been vendors at Sprlngfest since she began participating
four years ago. Last year, she believes she was the only one. Without
her participation In 1989, Mason believes there may be no black ven
dors Involved.
She has expressed her concerns to the officials of Sprlngfest, Inc.
But, to date. Mason says she is not satisfied with their response.
In December 1988, Mason was forwarded a letter from Sprlngfest,
Inc. that stated there would be a new policy for ballon vendors. It said
that for 1989, only one balloon vendor would be allowed to partici
pate In the festival. This was the same policy Sprlngfest held for Its
souvenir vendors. It was a change from the previous years when. Ma
son says, there were at least three to four balloon vendors participat
ing.
Inclosed with the letter was the terms of participation for balloon
vendors and a proposal application. Mason agreed to the terms and
completed her application. She submitted the information.
Mason's application was followed by a letter, dated January 10,
from her attorney, Wayne Alexander, who expressed concern over
the new policy of one balloon vendor and also pointed out that Ma
son was one of "perhaps three (3) minority vendors that has been al
lowed to participate as Sprlngfest vendors."
'We hope that the net result...is not the elimination of one of the few
minority vendors at Sprlngfest," wrote Alexander.
"Sprlngfest Is a festlvcil celebrating the vitality and the people of
Charlotte. It receives the support of the public and recleves public
funds. We trust that all segments of the community, including minor
ity vendors, will be allowed to participate In this celebration. We re
fuse to accept the proposition that all the Afro-American community
can and will be allowed to do is to spend Its money at Sprlngfest and
sing and dance on stage."
On January 18, Patti Tracey, vice president of Sprlngfest, respond-
C srolyo Masoit
ed to Alexander's letter stating in part that the new policy on balloon
vendors came about as a way to facilitate administrative duties in
volved with vendors and that the selection of vendor participants is a
fair policy.
On January 19, Mason was informed by letter that she was not se
lected as the balloon vendor for Sprlngfest '89.
In a telephone Interview, Tracey stated, "I don't understand what
See MASON on p^2A.
Sprlngfest, Inc: No Blacks
By JALYNE STRONG
Post Editor
In their
search for in
formation on
black Involve-
ment in
Sprlngfest,
Inc., Carolyn
Mason, owner
of Balloon-A-
Grams and
former vendor
at Sprlngfest.
and her law
yer, Wayne Al
exander, Nivens
sought out the blacks participat
ing on Sprlngfest, Inc’s various
boards.
They came across the name of
■Vivian Nivens, a black female
who Is the Public Relations Di
rector for YWCA, listed as a
member of Sprlngfest's Adviso
ry Board on the Sprlngfest sta
tionary.
When they contacted Nivens by
letter, Nivens, via letter also, in
formed Mason and Alexander
that she had resigned from the
advisory board several years
ago.
Nivens wrote In her letter, dat
ed February 6, "My resignation
from the Sprlngfest Board was a
direct result of my expressed
frustration regarding what I per
ceived as their lack of Interest In
Involving an equitable number
of African-American artists, ex
hibitors, musicians and vendors
In this community-wide event."
Nivens expressed concern as to
why she was still listed as a
member of the Sprlngfest Advi
sory Board and also Interest In
whether any other blacks have
served on the board of Sprlng
fest, Inc.
"We’ve usually had a promi
see SFRINGFEST On I^e 2A.
PAato/CALVIN FENOUSON
Mason wants blacks to have the opportunity to benefit &om
the economic advantages of Spiingfest.
Will N.C. Black Leadership Stress Bipartisanship With New Pres ?
By HERB WHITE
Post Staff Writer
The N.C. Black Leadership
Caucus has not lived up to Its
pledge of bipartisanship and ec
onomic self help, says the or
ganization's former president,
who decided not to seek another
term.
But the man who replaced him
says nothing could be further
fix>m the truth.
Peter Grear, a Wilmington law
yer, decided three weelw ago he
wouldn't run for reelecUon be
cause of a busy schedule and
opposition to his stance on
black self-help and expanding
the role of bipartisanship.
"1 probably could've gotten
elected, but 1 probably would
have had trouble getting the
consensus of a lot of folk," he
said. "I was not going to get the
kind of cooperation 1 needed."
Elijah "Pete" Peterson of Rock
ingham, who was elected to
head the 1,200-member organi
zation two weeks ago, said the
caucus' role is to culttvate politi
cal savvy regardless of party af
filiation.
/
Peterson
"Our Interest is the develop
ment of black leaders. We focus
on providing a base or network
for developing that leadership,"
he said.
Charges of partisanship aren't
legitimate, Peterson said, adding
the group Is under no obligation
to endorse candidates.
"Many members are active In
Grear
their respective political par
ties," he said. "The caucus
doesn't take a stand. The pur
pose is not to back candidates."
Charlotte's Bob Davis, the cau
cus' Western Vice Chairman,
backed that claim, adding that
Republicans are welcome to
participate.
'The organization Itself Is bi
partisan, but It's made up of pri
marily Democrats," he said.
'There Just aren't that many
black Republicans nowhere."
Two of them, former state au
ditor candidate Edward Gamer
of Asheville, and Dianna Cotton
of Winston-Salem, serve on the
eight-member executive board.
A principal at Cordova Ele
mentary School In Rockingham,
Peterson admitted having limit
ed knowledge of the caucus'
work over the last two jrears. Yet
members sought him to mn for
the group's top position.
"My election was somewhat the
efforts of a lot of people who
asked me to run," Peterson said.
"I won't be recapturing some of
the things that may have hap
pened over the past two years."
Grear, who has served as a del
egate for former Democratic
presidential candidate Jesse
Jackson, also blasted some of
the membership for allegedly fa
voring federal economic assis
tance over black self-help.
"We think going to the govern
ment Is the answer, when you
would think your basic thmst Is
to go with economic self-help
and then go to federal pro
grams," he said. "But our leaders
still are begging the government
for money when they won't even
spend their money within the
black community. It's not just a
North Carolina phenomenon,
it's national."
Noting that black Americans
as a group have considerable
spending power, Grear said
spending within the community
could eliminate unemployment
and increase productivity.
'We can't ignore the money we
have," he said. "We have over
$250 billion in spiendlng power,
but we don't spend it with each
other."
Recent immigrants, such as
Cubans, Jamaicans and Vietna
mese are doing a better job than
blacks In finding economic in
dependence, Grear said. ENen in
areas with little Immigration,
blacks fare poorly, often de
pending of government assis-
See LEADERSHIP On Page 2A.
Noted Author To Speak
Racist Violence Of Skinheads Crosses The Nation
Racial violence rose and the
white supremacist movement
was revltiized In 1988, largely
because of the spread of violent
racist Skinhead gangs around
the country. In a special report
on hate crime In 1988, the Feb
ruary Issue of the Klanwatch In
telligence Report notes that
Skinheads were linked to four
murders and two-thirds of the
racial assaults documented by
Klanwatch last year. (Since no
national data collection system
exists, all statistics on hate
crimes are Incomplete.)
While hate crime by other or
ganized white supremacists and
bigoted Indlvidu^s continues to
be a problem. Skinheads
"represent a unique and frigh
tening phenomenon In the his
tory of the white supremacism
In America," according to Klan
watch report. Begun as sponta
neous teen gangs, they re now
being organized Into a national
network by older, white suprem
acists, such as Tom Metzger of
the White Aryan Resistance and
Richard Butler of the Aryan Na
tions.
Skinheads are valued by older,
white supremacists because of
their tendency toward violence,
according to Klanwatch. "Not
since the height of Klan activity
Skinheads marched with Klan members In Pulaski, Term.
during the civil rights era has
there been a white supremacist
group so obsessed with violence
or so reckless In Its disregard
for the law."
Noting that victims of Skin
head violence Included Aslans,
Indians, Hlspanlcs and gays as
well as blacks and Jews, the re
port lists a "representative sam
ple" of hate crimes during 1988
which Includes 193 incidents in
35 states. For example:
• Black men In Reno, Nevada,
and Portland, Oregon, were mur
dered by Skinheads who appar
ently picked their victims at
random.
• A black church In a white
neighborhood in Rock Fork, Illi
nois, was set on fire in April, re
built by the community, and
then burned to the ground in Oc
tober. A Skinhead was arrested.
“ Youths in Brooklyn destroyed
the Inside of a temple and set
fire to the Torahs In September.
• A Hmong refugee and his
family were the targets of re
peated cross burnings In Eure
ka, California, In Februaiy.
Recognizing the Increasing
threat of Skinhead crime, legis
lators and prosecutors are em
ploying special laws directed at
hate crime to penalize violent
racists;
• In Santa Ana. California, in
December, three Skinheads
were convicted of state civil
rights violations in the brutal
beating of a man they believed
to be gay.
• In Spokane, a Skinhead was
convicted of malicious harass
ment as well as attempted mur
der In the knife attack on a
black man last July.
• In Dallas, a Skinhead was giv
en the maximum prison term, 10
years, for the October 1988 van
dalism of a temple, and pleaded
guilty to three other charges of
racial and ethnic intimidation.
The lack of complete data has
tended to disguise the threat of
hate violence in the past, ac
cording to Klanwatch Director
Pat Clark, "but the tremendous
rise In Skinhead crime, as well
as the evidence from states who
See SKINHEAD On Page 2A.
Juan Williams, noted journal
ist and author, will be the key
note speaker for the annual
NAACP LegaJ Defense Fund Din
ner on April 1 at McDonald’s
Cafeteria and Banquet Facility.
The reception will be at 5 p.m.
and the dinner at 6 p.m.
Williams, an award winning re
porter for the Washington Post
magazine, wrote "Eyes on the
Prize: America's Civil Rights
Years, 1954-65," a companion to
the highly acclaimed PBS televi
sion series by the same title.
The 33-year-old journalist has
served as a White House corre
spondent, national correspon
dent covering political and so
cial Issues, editorial writer and
education reporter.
He has covered presidential
campaigns, written numerous
television documentaries and
magazine articles and served as
a news commentator on the
Black Entertainment television
network.
The North Carolina Fundrais
ing Committee of the LDF is
headed by Esther Hargrave, Sa
rah Stevenson and Franklin
McCain.
Former Charlotte lawyer, Juli
us Chambers, serves as director
counsel of the national organi
zation which provides represen
tation for individuals and
groups In cases that seek to re-
Willlams
move the effects of enforced ra
cial segregation and contempo
rary forms of racism and
Injustice.
The annual dinner is the only
organized fund raiser or the or
ganization In North Carolina.
Reservations for the dinner are
now being taken. Tickets are
$35 each and tables for eight,
$300. There are special dona
tion categories for Benefactors
and Sponsors. Persons who
wish to make reservations may
contact one of the chairpersons
or call 399-8897.
Inside T
lis Week
Editorials Pg. 6A
Black History Pg. 4B
Entertainment.. Pg. 8A
Sports Pg. 10B
Lifestyles Pg. 1B
Classifieds.... Pg. 12B
Church News... Pg. 2B
Alliance Pg. 13B
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