WiU The 90s
Bring Prosperity
To African-
Americans?
Editorials / Page 4A
Charlotte’s
Hot Spots for
Bringing In The
New Year
Entertainment / Page 7A
KWANZAA
Welcoming The
African-American
New Year
Lifestyles / Page IB
Hornets,
What Has Been
Happening
To That HQ?
Sports / Page 8B ''
Cjiarlotte
Vol. 15, No. 31 Thursday, December 28,1989
THE AWARD-WINNING "VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY" .
50 Cents
Majeed:
Count Me
In The Race
By GWENDOLYN DANIELS
Post Staff Writer
After coming within 30 votes of winning the Democratic nomina
tion for a seat on the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners
In 1988, Charlotte businessman Naslf Majeed plans to unseat In
cumbent Bob Walton In 1990.
Majeed, who plans to run for Walton's District 2 seat, said he Is
looking for voters and building his campaign for the Democratic pri
mary. He came close to an upset In 1988 when he outpolled Walton
In the primary, but lost In the runofif.
Majeed said his campaign Is already working In the district and try
ing to reach people who have been confused by what he termed
"misinformation".
"We are trying to bolster areas we were weak In and we are working
hard to educate citizens about what the Majeed
campaign Is about," he said.
Filing dates for the primary are Jan. 2 to Feb. 1.
The primary will be held In May. Majeed will make
his official announcement about the race Friday
at 11:45 a.m. at McDonald's Cafeteria on Beatties
Ford Road. Walton will be running for his seventh
term.
Crime Is a prime concern In District 2, Majeed
said, and his campaign plans to address the Issue.
To help victims of crime recover from their losses,
Majeed said he would push for an effective victim
compensation program If elected. The program Majeed
would protect those who are victimized on the street and have no
way of getting compensation for their stolen goods, he said.
Another concern of Majeed's Is housing. Currently a member of the
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housmg Commission, Majeed said work has
to be done to eradicate the shortage of affordable housing.
'We have people without houses and those who have to go outside
to use the toilet. It's going Into 1990 and we still have this kind of
thing going on," he said.
Majeed said his campaign will be geared toward people of all ages
and political positions.
"Our support Is growing. Some people say It's the old guard against
the new guard, but we call ourselves the 'vanguard,'" he said.
Majeed said there are older people who understand, support and
relate to what^the his campaign Is about.
"It's all about Ideas," he said.
Majeed said the people In District 2 are good people and act ac
cording to the Information they are exposed to and how It Is given. He
said It takes time to work with the community and learn their needs
and concerns.
"We have the time and a very positive showing for the people," he
said.
White Convictions
Are Overturned
NEW YORK (AP) — Misdemean
or riot convictions against three
teen-agers In connection with
the Howard Beach racial attack.
In which a black man was
killed, have been overturned on
appeal.
The three-page decision by a
panel of Brooklyn Appellate Di
vision judges on the three defen
dants convicted In 1988 was
handed down Dec. 11 and report
ed In today's New York Post.
Three other youths were con
victed In a separate trial of man
slaughter and assault In the fa
tal racial attack.
The case Involved an attack on
Dec. 20, 1986, by a group of white
males on sever^ blacks, one of
\ A Look Back:
1980s Brought
Change, Firsts
/7^
By HERB WHITE
Post Managing Editor
As the 1980s draw to a close,
the decade will surely be re
membered as a time of trends
for Afrlcan-Amerlcans--
worklng to reverse some while
struggling to foster new ones.
In Charlotte, black progress
can most easUy be Identified In
the political arena where the
main figure was former Mayor
Harvey Gantt. Using his experi
ence on city council as a spring
board, Gantt made local history
and national headlines two
years later when he was elected
the city's first black mayor.
Gantt, who became one of the
hottest properties In the na
tional Democratic Party while
serving two two-year terms, lost
a bruising and controversial
race to Sue Myrick In 1987. The-
campaign Is now regarded as
Charlotte's Introduction to blg-
tlme politics, with Myrick at
tacking Gantt's business activi
ty with a Belmont television sta
tion and handling of the city's
traffic woes. Out of office for two
years, Gantt's name Is promi
nently mentioned as a candi
date for the U.S. Senate, where
he would take on a growing field
of white Democrats before
meeting Rebubllcan Incumbent
Jesse Helms.
Gantt wasn't the only African-
American making headlines.
Mecklenburg County Commis
sioner Bob Walton became the
board's most experienced mem
ber, but not without struggle. In
1987, Walton, the representative
for District 2, was convicted of
assault In a sexual encounter,
threatening to end his career.
Enter Naslf Majeed, a business
man and political newcomer,
and James Baldwin, a commu
nity activist and self-
proclaimed maverick In the
See 1980b On Page 2A
Morial Dies In New Orleans
First
Black
Mayor
whom, Michael Griffith, was
chased onto a busy highway,
where he was hit by a car and
killed.
The defendants, William Bol-
lander, Thomas Farlno and
James Povinelll, were sentenced
In September 1988 to 34 days In
jail to be served on weekends
over a four-month period. They
were acquitted of a more serious
felony riot charge.
Under the ruling, the Indict
ments and convictions of the
three are thrown out. Prosecu
tors can resubmit the case to a
grand jury or drop the charges.
A lawyer for the three defen
dants, Spiros A Tslmblnos, said
See CONVICTIONS On Piq^e SA
BYUNDAASHrCN
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Ernest
Morial, New Orleans' first black
mayor who spent a lifetime
breaking down racial barriers,
has died from an apparent heart
attack after leaving a Christmas
piarty. He was 60.
Morial was found slump)ed over
the steering wheel of his car at
11 p.m. Saturday after leaving a
party, said Jinx Broussard, a
spokeswoman for Mayor Sidney
Barthelemy. Mortal apparently
had suffered a heart attack.
He was taken to Mercy Hospital
where efforts to revive him
failed, and was pronounced dead
at 1:30 a.m. Sunday, Broussard
said.
The feisty attorney became the
city's first black mayor In 1978
at a ceremony loaded with sym
bols of black-white unity and
tough promises.
He served two terms, leaving
office In 1986 after an unsuc
cessful attempt to persuade vot-
Jif ^
Banana ClauB (Hardin Minor of Charlotte) en
tertained children at the recently-opened ^jmd-
ham Garden Hotel, Each child received treats.
Pboto/REMARK
including a photo with Banana Claus and gift
book.
ers to amend the city charter to
allow him a third consecutive
term. He then practiced law.
Becoming mayor wasn't the
only time he achieved a first for
blacks.
He was the first black graduate
from Louisiana State University
law school In 1954. He was the
first black assistant U.S. attor
ney In Louisiana, serving from'
1965 to 1967. He became the first
black Louisiana legislator In
modern times, serving In the
House from 1967 to 1970, when
he was appointed to a juvenile
court judgeship. In 1973, he was
the first black elected to the
Louisiana 4th Circuit Court of
Appeal.
He also was a president of the
National Conference of Mayors,
a Democratic National Commit
tee member, and an adviser to
Democratic presidential candl
date Michael Dukakis In 1988.
Moon Landrleu, who was
mayor from 1970 to 1978, said
Sunday that Morial was a for
midable leader who left his
mark on city, state and national
politics.
Tm satisfied that when you're
the first of an3dhlng, you're long
remembered for that. 'Dutch'
was the first black Individual to
achieve high public office In this
state. ... That alone I think Is a
very significant achievement."
Landrleu said.
"I think he will also be remem
bered for his tenacity and pug
naciousness. He was certainly
controversial, and 1 think will
be remembered for that also,
and very fondly by some."
Morial was bom Ernest Na
than Morial on Oct. 9, 1929, a
son of a New Orleans cigar mak
er. Morial later had his name
changed to make his nickname,
Dutch, his second middle name.
"He was really an extraordi
nary Individual," said Arnold
Hlrsch, a professor of history
and urban studies at the Univer
sity of New Orleans.
"If there's one thing that con
stantly comes to mind about
Morial, It was his dogged refusal
to accept any of the bsurlers that
were laid In his way."
Mortal's public service career
was launched In the 1960s when
he became president of the local
chapter of the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of
Colored People.
"He had his signature on al
most every case that began to
dismantle the edifice of Jim
Crow here, brick by brick,"
Hlrsch said.
At a speech In 1967, Morial
said: "New Orleans won't have
the kind of political climate It
takes to elect a Negro mayor for
eight or 10 years." He was elected
10 years later.
As mayor. Morial dealt with
floods In 1978, a city police
strike In 1979 that effectively
shut down MardI Gras, and the
1984 Loufslema World Exposi
tion that was a financial disas
ter.
When voters rejected a charter
change that would have allowed
him to run for a third term. Mo
rtal backed Sen. Bill Jefferson
to succeed him. But Jefferson
was defeated by Sidney Barthel
emy, a former state legislator
and councilman. Barthelemy Is
up for re-election In Febmary
1990.
Morial had been considering
running against Barthelemy
and challenger Donald Mlntz.
But two weeks ago, he said the
demands on his family would be
too great.
Survivors Include his wife, Sy
bil, and five children.
Morial will lie In state Wednes
day at Galller Hall In New Or
leans. A prayer service Is sched
uled that evening In Municipal
Auditorium.
A funeral Mass will be said t o-
day at historic St. Louis Cathe
dral In the French Quarter. Buri
al wUl be In St. Louis Cemetery
No. 1.
City Is
Closed
Jan. 1
All departments of Charlotte
city government will be closed
January 1 for New Year's holi
days.
The Sanitation Division will
also observe the New Year holl
day on Monday. January 1. Cus
tomers who normally receive
Monday backyard garbage pick
up or curbside trash collection
will NOT receive that service on
Monday, Jcinuary 1.
Christmas trees placed at the
curb will be collected the week
of January 1-5 and 8-12. Collec
tion will be made from the curb.
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Animal Shelter will be closed
January 1. Only emergency cas
es will be handled by calling
334-9146.
Charlotte recreation centers
operated by the Charlotte Parks
and Recreation Department will
be closed January I for the holi
day. Check with Individual cen
ters about scheduled holiday
events.
Buses operated by the Char
lotte transit System will be on
the Sunday schedule for Janu
ary 1.
Tutu Comments Rile
Israelis At Christmas
JERUSALEM (AP) — Arch
bishop Desmond Tutu arrived
on a Christmas pilgrimage last
week after stirring einger In Is
rael by comparing Its treatment
of Palestinians with South Afri
ca's oppression of blacks.
The black Anglican archbish
op of South Africa, who won the
1984 Nobel Peace Prize, told re
porters at Ben-Gurion airport:
"It Is a great honor and experi
ence to celebrate Christmas In
the Holy Land."
In a five-day visit. Tutus plans
to visit Bethlehem In the occu
pied West Bank on Christmas
Eve and preach In Jerusalem on
Christmas Day.
At the airport. Tutu was greeted
by the head of the Anglican
church In Israel. Bishop Samir
Kafity, and two low-level Israeli
officials.
The Israeli dally Haaretz pub
lished a telephone Interview
Thursday In which Tutu was
quoted as saying: "The descrip
tion of what Is happening In the
(occupied) Gaza Strip and West
Bank could be describing what Is
hapjsenlng In South Africa."
INSIDE THIS WEEK
Editorials
4A
Lifestyles
7A
Church Page
9A
Entertainment
IB
Sports
Classifieds
12B
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