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Clje Cfjarlotte
Vol. 15, No. 30 Thursday, December 28,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY’
50 Cents
Lawyer Dies At 39
By AC. TURNER
Post Staff Writer
Wayne C. Alexander, a Char
lotte attorney, died Wednesday
momtng in his home as a result
of a suspected self Inflicted gun
shot wound to the head accord
ing to Cmdr. Bruce Treadway of
the Charlotte Pohce.
Medics responded to a call
from his residence but were im-
successful in thetr attempts to
revive him.
Mr. Alexander, 39, was a prac- •
tlclng attorney at law with 15
years experience. He was a law
school graduate of the Universi
ty of North Carolina at Chapel
Hill.
Formerly he was the assistant
to the city attorney of Charlotte
and former assistant to the U.S.
attorney of the North Carolina
Western District.
The areas of law that he spe-
M:".
I
Alexander
clallzed In were personal injury,
criminal law, auto accident,
wrongful death, and criminal de
fense.
Earlier this year Mr. Alexander
represented the family of Jake
King In an alledged wrongful
death case. King, a resident of
the Cherry community, was shot
and killed by a white police offi
cer even though he was un
armed.
Last summer Mr. Alexander
represented ,Carolyn Mason,
owner of Balloon-a-Grams,
when she was excluded from the
list of Sprlngfest vendors.
Mason was the only black ven
dor with the annual spring festi
val and felt her exclusion from
the list was raclEilly motivated.
Mr. Alexander helped her re
trieve her spot as a vendor.
Mr. Alexander was married to
VI Alexander, Charlotte's budget
director. They have a son,
Kwame, 10, and a seven-year-
old daughter, Alsha.
Mr. Alexander's wake will be
held today at Gethsemane Bap
tist Church. The funeral will
take place Friday at 12:30 p.m.
at the same location.
Students Feed Needy
By MILUCENT LINK
Po«t Staff Writer
The teen outreach class of
Northwest Middle School knows
the true meaning of Christmas.
The class was responsible for
raising over 1,000 cans of non-
perlsha±)le food >1 terns.
The food raised by the 30 stu
dents will benefit residents of
the homeless shelter of Char
lotte.
The kick-off for the drive be
gan December 8 with WPEG-FM
98 morning personality. Skip
Murphy.
Murphy presented the students
of Noilhwest with a motivation
al speech on helping less unfor
tunate people.
Toney Smith, facilitator of
the teen outreach program said,
"Our main focus Is to give back
to the commimlty. There are so
many less fortunate people out
there that need our help."
The class has been Involved In
a number of volunteer projects.
These projects Include volun
teering at the public library,
Howell Mental Retarded Center,
and Loaves and Fishes.
Smith said the teen outreach
president has been Instrumental
In encouraging the students to
participate In volunteer activi
ties.
"Amber Jackson motivated the
students to get Involved with the
food drive," said Smith.
Jackson, an eighth grader,
read stories of underprlvUedged
families to the group.
"I am very elated about the re
sults of the food drive," said
Smith. The teachers have also
been very supportive In helping
with the drive."
The drive turned Into a compe
tition between classes. The win
ner of the contest won a pizza
parly.
The sixth grade class of Eliza
beth Pickens was victorious In
raising 382 nonperishable food
Items.
Teen Outreach Is an umbrella
organization of the Cities and
Schools program.
Cities and Schools Is geared to
ward helping at-risk students.
This program Is designed to
help students develop self-
confidence and Improve their
self-esteem.
"Life skills Is what the class Is
all about," said Smith.
Smith, who has been employed
at Northwest for three years, en
joys working with these special
students. "1 love working with
Uiis class. You tend to get emo
tionally Involved," said Smith.
Not only do the students par
ticipate in volunteer activities
but they are provided with men
tors from the business commu
nity as well. Emploj^es of First
Union National Bank have com
mitted to spending time with
students of teen outreach.
Photo/Ernest
Students and teachers at Northwestern Junior High collected canned goods for the needy.
(left to right) decorate potholders at the Char
lotte Family Outreach Adult Care Center. The
to interact with each other.
Center Keeps Elderly Active
By GWENDOLYN DANIELS
Post Staff Writer
Charlotte's Family Outreach
Adult Care Center tries to make
sure that growing older doesn't
mean growing lonely.
The center, which opened In
1984, Is a place where adults
can come during the day to fel
lowship with others, make crea
tive art, exercise and share past
and present experiences. Al
though many of the center's
participants are older adults,
any adult over the age 18 is eli
gible to join,
Lydia Johnlkln, the program
director, said the center helps
adults socialize and gives them
a chance to be active.
"This gives them a since of
self-worth and they have some
thing to share with their fami
lies at the end of the day," Johnl
kln said.
Johnlkln said the center also
provides a sense of security for
family members or caregivers
who have to work and aren't
able to be home with adults who
may have physical or mental
handicaps. Some of the partici
pants simply need a place
where they can feel productive.
"Many people are caught In the
sandwich generation, which .
means they are raising chil
dren and caring for adults.
There Is a need for child care as
well as adult care," she said.
Before a participant Is accept
ed, the family Is Interviewed in
order to make an assessment of
their needs. A medical examina
tion form and release forms for
field trips are required. Partici
pants spend from two to five
days a week other adults who
share common experiences and
interests.
The center helps to rehabili
tate older adults who are 111,
lonely or Isolated. It also pro
vides a therapeutic program
which helps to maintain or Im
prove the physical and mental
functioning of participants.
One unique aspect of the pro
gram Is Bible study. The stall
and participants join In togeth
er for study time and prayer
Johnlkln said some adults
aren't able to attend church on
Sundays, so the study Is an lin
portant part of the program.
"Often times this Is their stim
ulation for the week that they
wouldn't get otherwise." she
said.
Activities director Pearl Ma»
son said her love for older
adults makes It easier for her to
relate to participants. Mason
said \she uses different ap
proacnes to making them fed
comfortable with her.
"The more pimple I can be the
better they pircelve me," Masf>n
said..
Getting personal With the par
ticipants and encouraging them
to talk openly Is what Mason
does best.
"1 keep them laughing and we
talk about their home situation,
the situation at the center. I let
See rr» On Page 2A
Abernathy Will Attend
March, Welcome Or Not
SELMA, Ala. (AP) _ The Rev.
Ralph David Abernathy said
he'll attend the 25th anniver
sary of the Selma-to-
Montgomery voting rights
march, even though he may not
be Invited because of his contro
versial book about Martin Lu
ther King Jr.
"I'm going to go even If I'm not
on any program they may come
up. with," Abernathy said.
The Atlanta minister's claims
tn his book of sexual Improprie
ties by King angered many civil
rights leaders.
Abernathy said during a tele
phone Interview this week with
The Montgomery Advertiser
that he considered Selma to
have been "the second most Im
portant event In the history of
the civil rights movement." He
said demonstrations In Birm
ingham that led to passage of the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 were
more Important.
U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., a
national leader of the Selma
event, said an "op>en Invitation"
Is being sent to all who took part
In the local demonstrations.
"We're not refusing to Invite
anyone," the congressman said.
'We want everyone to come back
and participate In the progress
that's been made In Alabama
during the past 25 years."
A three-week commemoration
Is planned In March to coincide
with the Selma-to-Montgomery
march date. Organizers are con
sidering a variety of activities,
including workshops and
roundtable discussions with
leaders who were In Selma in
1965.
Lewis said he was unaware ol
any spreclfic event that might hi
elude Abernathy or anyone else
who took part In the Selma pro
tests.
"I'm sure there will be Ojien dls
cusslons during the celebration
and, as far as I'm concerned, our
purpose Is to Include, hot ex
clude people," Lewis said.
Abernathy was among many
who participated In the events
leading to passage of the Voting
Rights Act.
Lewis was at the front of the
first march that was turned
back at Selma's Edmund Petlus
Bridge by club-swinging state
troopers. King arrived to lead
the second march that went all
the way to Montgomery after the
path was cleared by a federal
court.
Rawls’ 'Parade Of Stars" Celebrates 10th Year On Air
HpLL’YWOOD - The United
Negro College Fund (UNCF) will
celebrate a decade of telethon
success on Saturday, December
30, when some of the entertain
ment world's top performers ap
pear on a special 10th anniver
sary edition of the "Lou Rawls
Parade of Stars" telethon. WBTV
will broadcast the telethon from
6 p.m. -1 a-m.
Led by telethon host and
Grammy-award winning singer.
Lou Rawls, the 1989 "Parade of
Stars" promises to continue Its
tradition of providing spectacu
lar entertainment during the
holiday seeison.
The telethon's 10-year mile
stone signals a successful part
nership between UNCF, Rawls,
the entertainment Industry and
leading U. S. corporations.
The 'Parade of Stars' has been
an outstanding team effort for
the past decade," says Rawls,
who provided the Initiative to
make the telethon an annual
star-studded event. "Everyone
Involved has truly made a differ
ence to help keep the doors of
opportunity open for today's
youth," Rawds noted.
Since the show's Inception In
1979, more than $65 million In
cash and pledges has been
raised to benefit the 41 private,
historically Black colleges and
universities supported by UNCF.
Celebrities from stage and
screen — singers, dancers, ac
tors and comedians - will take
center stage at the Aquarius
theatre In Hollywood and the
Desert Inn In Las Vegas for sev
en hours of nonstop energetic
performances. Among the
greats scheduled to appear will
be Bill Cosby, Bob Hope, Patti
LaBelle, Lou Gossett, Jr., Julio
Igleslas, Lola Fcdana, Frank Si
natra, Charley Pride, Anita Bak
er and Gregory Peck.
Co-hosts for the "Parade of
Stars" Include the versatile Mar
ilyn McCoo, a telethon anchor
since 1983, along with popular
teleidslon g2ime show host Alex
TTebek. Sharing co-host duties
from Las Vegas will be supreme
song stylish Nancy IVllson and
Ekl McMahon, who first served as
co-host 10 years ago.
Known for showcasing a varie
ty of talent that appeals to a
broad viewing audience, the Pa
rade of stars telethon will once
again feature contemporary art
ist along with vintage greats.
Telethon viewers will be treated
to musical soimds ranging from
adult contemporary and rhythm
and blues, to gospel, pop and
country.
Contributions to the "Lou
Rawls Parade of Stars" telethon,
the only national telethon to as
sist an educational cause, bene
fit the colleges and universities
of the United Negro College
Fund, which serve 46,000 stu
dents. Graduates of UNCF
schools, that Include such nota
bles as former Atlanta Mayor
Andrew Young and Mayor-elect
Maynard Jackson, novelists
Frank Yerby and Alice Walker,
filmmaker Spike Lee and Inter
national human rights champi
on The Reverend Dr. Martin Lu
ther King, Jr., have made
significant contributions to
America and the world.
Christopher F. Edley, presi
dent and chief executive officer
of UNCF, says the telethon h^as
significantly Increased the P’'ib-
Uc's awareness of UNCF co'^f g-
es and has also increased n-
tributlons to the College Fund.
More than 20 million people
are expiected to watch the holi
day television special, which Is
being produced by Sam Riddle
Productions.
The 10th annual "Lou Rawls
Parade of Stars" Is made possi
ble 'With the support of Its na
tional and founding sponsor,
Anheuser-Busch Companies,
Inc. Each year Anheuser Busch
underwrites the production of
the telethon and through Us
Budwelser brand, the company
provides national promotional,
advertising and marketing sup
port.
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Editorials
4 A
Entertainment
.'. 7 A
Lifestyles
IB
Church Page
3B
Sports
7B
Classifieds
12B
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