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Charlotte
Vol. 15, No. 24 Thursday, November 9,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY"
50 Cents
Broome: Blacks Cost Me Victory
First Black GOP Candidate Feels Lack Of Support Among African-Americans Was A Factor In Race
By WINFRED B. CROSS
Post Sta£F Writer
Republican Darryl Broome
said Wednesday that a lack of
support from the African-
American community cost him
a seat on the city council.
"It's obvious they voted a
straight ticket and those who
didn't vote a straight ticket
didn't vote for me," Broome said
In a telephone Interview. "There
were a lot of blacks In the estab
lishment who were pushing the
white Democrats. Voters voted
for who they were told to vote
for."
Bill Culp, election board super-
vlsor for Charlotte-
Mecklenburg, said Broome got
less support In black precincts
than white.
"Ke received only a little more
black support than fellow Re
publican Richard Vlnroot and
neither, of course, received any
thing close to what the lowest
white Democrat received," he
said. "It was clearly understood
there has not been any success
on the part of black Republicans
in getting black support In Char
lotte Mecklenburg."
In most of the predominately
black districts, Broome was out
polled by Democrats Ann Ham
mond and C)mdee Patterson by a
significant margin. Those dis
tricts are heavily Democratic
but Broome said he still should
have done better.
"If we continue not to elect
black leaders where do we go?"
Broome asked. "Of the things
that affect the black community
-- drugs and crime— who ad
dressed any of those issues of
who they elected?"
Broome was the first African-
American to be nominated by
the Republican party in Char
lotte. His nomination came
largely by default. There were
four nominations open with
seven candidates running, four
of which were black. A black
candidate had to win.
Still, Broome, the youngest of
the group and the one with the
least name recognition, got the
nomination. His steering com
mittee read like a who's who In
Charlotte's ultra-conservative
circles. It Included the Rev. Joe
Chambers, Sharon B5mum and
Pastor Robin Gool from Victory
Christian Center. And he was
seen with Mayor Sue M}nrlck in
her television commercials and
Just about whenever she was on
camera. Broome said his conser
vative ties didn't have anything
to do with his loss.
"I guess It could have, but I
don't know that. I’m not a politi
cal analyst," Broome said. "I
don't think conservative means
See BROOME On Page 2A
!
\
\'1ETNAM
VEjliR.'^S
S I
‘MM.'-. i :
Pholo/LaNEY
Kater Cornwell, a disabled Vietnam veteran, Vietnam memorial in Charlotte,
looks forward to Saturday's dedication of the
City’s Vietnam Memorial
Stirring Deep Emotions
By M.L.LaNey B
Post Correspondent
For many the Vietnamese War
Is a far-removed journalistic tale
of horror that happened a long
time ago.
For the veterans of that ill-
remembered war, like Kater
Cornwell of Charlotte, the recol
lections are as vivid as yester
day. Saturday Charlotte and
Mecklenburg will make this Vet
erans Day an occasion to recall
the sacrifices of native sons.
The names of 105 fallen sol
diers will be listed on the war
memorial's wall. But for thou
sands of others, wounded and
otherwise afflicted, this Is also a
tribute to their ongoing pain.
Cornwell Is an example.
Presently he serves as a direc
tor of the Georgla-Carollna Par
alyzed Veterans Association,
Inc, This after a military career
with the marines that spanned
seven years, two while stationed
In Vietnam. Cornwell was se
verely wounded when a mortar
round nearly tore his right arm
off.
He survived and recovered the
full use of his arm only to be ex
posed to Agent Orange some
time later. Subsequently he de
veloped a neurological problem
that has resulted In his becom
ing a paraplegic.
To Cornwell, the memorial Is a
fitting and proper farewell to his
comrades-ln-arms.
"The people who gave their
lives In Vietnam will be proud of
what we are doing to honor and
recognize them In what they did
while serving their countiy. It's
also to honor us as well. In this
world of give and take there
aren’t enough people willing to
give what It takes.
"But these 105 soldiers whose
names are engraved on the wall
gave their all and all.... their
lives. So that young girls and
boys and men and women could
be free from communism," said
Cornwell as he choked the urge
to sob.
There are no exact figures on
the number of disabled veterans
In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
area. But estimates go Into the
thousands, according to Henry
Jennings, director of the Meck
lenburg County Veterans Ser
vice Ofilce.
His assessment of the memo
rial reflects his own experiences
In both the Korean and Vietnam
Wars.
"It's a beautiful monument
which all veterans, especially
the Viet vets, will be extremely
proud of."
Metrollna Vet Center adminis
trative assistant Sue Armstrong
has been intimately Involved In
the planning of the memorial for
more than two years. She says
that she Is veiy pleased because
there were so many fine sup
porters.
"I'm very pleased with the way
the community has supported
this project"
Originally priced at $350,000,
Armstrong says no one was sure
where the money was going to
come from.
"I was on the county's commit
tee and countless other commit
tees to get this off the ground.
After the dedication at 3 p.m.,
there will be a candlelight ser
vice of remembrance for P.O.W.s
and M.I.As. at the memorial site
at 6:30 p.m. according to Arm
strong.
The memorial Is Intended to be
a historical asset that educates
as well as heals. It Is a gauge
that points to the answers that
were blowing In the wind' (a pro
test song by Bob Dylan that was
popularized by Stevie Wonder
and Peter, Paul and Marj^.
ivv-
- -'V-.-'A "''w
-'w-
Ph«Mt ALVIN IPIKjUSUN
Danyl Broome watches city council election re
turns Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Cen
ter. He finished seventh in a field of eight.
Get Parents In Education Mood
Schools
Need
Input
By MILLICENT LINK
Post Stafif Writer
Black Charlotte-Mecklenburg
school principals believe they
know how to Improve the educa
tion of students: get parents In
volved and keep them Involved.
The 74,000-student district,
the largest In the Carollnas, has
come under Intense scrutiny In
the way It prepares students aca
demically. As the s3Tstem grows,
so have concerns about how it
operates.
Spaugh Middle School princi
pal Bob Davis says parents--ln
addition to students and educa-
tors--can Improve students' aca
demic performance. It would
also create an atmosphere of
cooperation In Improving disci
pline, a growing concern.
"Our school system is doing a
decent job of teaching young
sters and our curriculum seems
to be up to par," he said.
"However, there still seems to
be a problem with drugs, guns,
and a disrespect for authority.
These things stem from a lack of
good home training."
Davis sa5Ts disruptive students
often create a negative learning
environment, making It diffi
cult for teachers to control
classes.
"Those that want to learn are
sometimes shortchanged," said
Davis.
Charlie Dannelly, principal of
Starmount Elementary, says
more parental Involvement and
classroom time can Improve the
school system.
'The schools can't do It all,"
said Dannelly. "Parental in
volvement gives children moti
vation when they know that
their parents are Involved."
Dannelly believes that a rich
cultural environmental experi
ence Is essential to the learning
process of all students. He says
that students may benefit from
visits to the Afro-American Cul
tural Center, Spirit Square, and
Discovery Place can help stu
dents learn more about their
world while Improving their
grades.
But to make sure that's hap
pening, Dannelly says It Is up to
parents to find out how their
only when others are made
aware, Dannelly said. He en
courages parents to call teachers
or administrators when they
run Into a problem. "Parents
should also urge their children
to ask for help," he added.
Davis
Dannelly
youngsters are progressing In
school.
'We as parents need to talk to
our children and ask questions,"
said Dannelly.
Mike Turner, principal of
North Mecklenburg High
School, says, 'We have to find a
better way of reaching our kids
academically."
Turner suggests that some
schools may need to act Inde
pendently and flexible toward
the educational environment.
Because students differ, curricu
lum should be tailored to fit
those needs.
"We need to become less uni
form and more individualized,"
he said.
The difference between educa
tion In the U.S. and foreign
countries Is the amount of time
foreign countries spend In the
classroom, Dannelly said.
American students spend too
little time In class, while other
nations have stricter standards
on Instruction time.
'There Is just too much time
allotted from teacher Instruc
tion in the American school sys
tem," said Dannelly.
Recognizing problems can help
Treatment
For Sickle
Cell Disease
By CHARLES BLACKBURN
Special To The Poet
DURHAM. NC -- Doctors at
Duke University Medical Center
are optimistic that hydroxyu
rea, a drug useful In the treat
ment of some cancers, also may
prevent episodes of severe, dis
abling pain associated with
sickle cell anemia.
Following lengthy prelimi
nary tests Involving 25 patients
at Duke, the University of North
Carolina and elsewhere, hy
droxyurea appears to be the first
drug that, when properly pre
scribed has potential to prevent
painful sickle cell crises without
causing unacceptable side ef
fects. according to Duke hema
tologist George Phillips Jr., M.
D.
"The results have been veiy en
couraging In a small group of pa
tients," Phillips said, noting
that the drug needs further study
before definite conclusions can
be drawn.
But he added, "One sickle cell
patient In the study used to
spend three weeks a month In
the hospital and doesn't need to
be hospitalized at all a year and
a half Into treatment. It makes
me think we could be on to
something."
He said the results of the study
will be presented In Atlanta in
December at the annual meeting
of the American Society of Hem
atology.
Phillips Is assistant professor
of medicine and director of the
adult clinic at the Duke Univer
sity Comprehensive Sickle Cell
Center, one of 10 federally-
supported centers of Its kind In
the country.
A genetic disorder of the red
blood cells, sickle cell disease is
carried by about one of every 10
blacks In the . U. S., and one of
every 500 black Americans has
the disease. The gene responsi
ble is thought to have originated
In Africa thousands of years ago
as a defense against malaria,
Phillips said.
Group Ui^es Action For The Elderly
WASHINGTON - The Na
tional Caucus and Center of
BlackAged, Inc. (NCBAJ Is urg
ing House and Senate Omnibus
Reconciliation Act (OBRA) con
ferees to approve the House-
passed Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) package which in
cludes a modest Increase In
benefits. A joint congressional
committee of members of the
House of Representatives and
the Senate Is considering the
legislation.
The OBRA as passed by the
House, would boost Supplemen
tal Security Income benefits by
$2 a month above the regular
cost-of-llvlng adjustment
(COLA) for qualifying Individuals
and $3 a month above the COLA
for eligible couples, effective
January 1990. SSI builds a fed
eral floor under the Incomes of
aged, blind or disabled persons-
-currently $368 a month for
qualifying single persons and
$553 a month for eligible
couples.
See PUSH On Page 2A
Inside This Week
Editorials Pg. 4A
EntertaInmenI Pg. 1B
Lifestyles Pg. 7A
Sports Pg. 7B
Church News.. Pg. 9A
Car Page Pg. 10B
WORD! Pg. 12A
Classifieds.... Pg. 11B
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