state of Black Charlotte: Uncertain
Finn
Continued From Page 2A
of the Medicaid program at
the Mecklenburg Depart
ment of Social Services.
The Infant mortality rate
fell to 11.3
per 1,000
births in
1990.
"They made
all pregnant
women eligi
ble for Me
dicaid and
also all ba
bies through
the first year
of life," Cook
said. "These
are things the state has done
to increase the numbers of
people eligible ... to deal
with critical needs for chil
dren and women."
Other health Issues contin
ue, including the high inci
dence of prostate cancer
among black males and the
continued plague of hyper
tension, heart disease and
stroke cases.
And, there is the escalating
incidence of AIDS among
minorities, particularly het
erosexual women.
Minorities make up more
than 50% of active AIDS cas
es in Mecklenburg, according
to Dr. Melvin Finn of the
Neighborhood Health Center
on Alexander Street near up
town.
Finn said the health prob
lems of African Americans
have not changed, with the
exception of the Increase in
AIDS cases.
Some problems arise be
cause black men don’t visit
doctors regularly, waiting
until a conditions reaches a
crisis. This is particularly
the case with prostate can
cer, since most men avoid
the rectal examination, Finn
said.
Sexually Transmitted Dis
eases, or STDs, remain a
problem, particularly among
teenagers, according to offi
cials at the C.W. Williams
Health Center on Wilkinson
Boulevard.
Of 892 visits by teenagers in
1992, 172 Involved an STD.
officials said. The center is
also treating 60 HlV-posltive
cases.
Housing
While 83% of whites own
their own homes, only 16%
of blacks own theirs. Much
of the rental housing in in
ner city communities are
rundown eyesores. Little
housing for low-income fam
ilies is being buUt, despite ef
forts by Habitat for Humani
ty and the Charlotte Housing
Froject.
More than 4,000 families
usually await affordable
housing through the Char
lotte Housing Authority.
On an average night at the
Salvation Army's women's
shelter, 65 women and chil
dren will find a respite from
the street or domestic vio
lence. Some 67% of them
will be black.
At the George Shinn Home
less Shelter for Men, blacks
occupied 82% of the 164 beds
on Oct. 6, a t3npical night. In
1992, 65% of the shelter's
residents were black, while
30% were white, according to
shelter director Frank Man-
ville.
Manville said substance
abuse is one
of the major
problems
among those
who find
their way
into his fa
cility. Sixty
percent have
active or
past sub
stance abuse
problems, he
said.
What to do?
Madine Fails, director of
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Urban League, looked over
the horrific statistics with a
deep sigh.
"Feople will tell you pover
ty is not the only reason for
all these problems we have
in the community," she said,
alluding to violent behavior.
"I'm not being apologetic for
people doing things they
shouldn't do, but unemploy
ment and underemployment
remain a real issue in the
black community."
Fails said that even appli
cants for the Urban League's
jobs training program some
times do not have basic
skills to qualify for training,
let alone jobs.
That indicates the prob
lems begin much earlier,
within the school system.
Falls said. Some applicants
with high school diplomas
do not quality, she said.
Any recount of the nagging
problems facing the African
American community tugs at
the hearts and souls of many
middle-class blacks who
have attained success.
From their offices in up
Wiiming moment
PBOTO/PAUL WILLIAMS nt
Charlotte city council member Ella Scarborough (left) and Linda Long celebrate election re
sults Tuesday after Scarborough won an at-large bid to the board. Scarborough, a Demo
crat, is the first African American to win a city^de election since Harvey Gantt in 1985.
Scarborough built coalitions to win seat
Only Democrat
elected at-large
Continued From Page lA
Farty. She formed coalitions *
with the black community,
the Republicans and Demo
crats."
Davis said that the politi
cal climate is similar to poli-
N
P
r
Davls
tics nation
wide. "The
Republicans
dominated
across the
nation. The
president
hasn't
gained the
respect he
should
have."
The focus in Charlotte, said
Davis is on business. "There
is little feeling for the op
pressed and downtrodden.
Ella's win on council is a
gain. She has to use the same
kind of skills for forming co
alitions to get her programs
carried out. She has to keep
the coalitions going."
King’s first son makes his own mark
Continued From Page lA
national movement for ra
cial equality, earned a doc
torate and kept huge audi
ences at rapt attention with
his resonant preacher's
voice.
The younger King has a
soft-spoken, modest man
ner. He earned a bachelor's
degree at Morehouse College
in Atlanta and lists
"professional speaker" as his
occupation. On the commis
sion, he prefers consensus-
building to taking charge.
King has wanted to serve
since working as a page for
Sen. Edward Kennedy when
he was 16. Still, he has strug
gled to find his niche.
"He’s only 35," said Joseph
Lowery, head of the Southern
Christian Leadership Con
ference founded by the elder
King. "I think he's being very
wise taking his time and
feeling his way and learning
from the ground up."
The high-tech nature of to
day's campaigns doesn't jibe
with King's easygoing man
ner: He has been known to si
lently nod answers during a
live radio broadcast and pre
fers long, drawn-out re
sponses to catchy sound
bites.
King's proudest political
moment came this summer,
when he held up a deal to
build the 1996 Olympics sta
dium until the Atlanta
Braves agreed to reduce the
amount taxpayers will have
to pay for renovations after
the Games are over.
"I think that was the new
birth of political indepen
dence that he needed," Low
ery said. "He seized that mo
ment to become Martin King
the Third and not the son of
Martin Luther King Junior.
He came into his own."
The
Charlotte Post
ISSN 9655-00
Published Weekly At
1531 Camden Road
Charlotte, N.C. 28203
Phone (704) 376-0496
Second class postage paid at
Charlotte, N.C.
Subscription Rates
$21 Yearly
$18 Senior Citizens
The Publisher is not
responsible for the return of
unsolicited news, pictures or
advertising copy unless
necessaiy postage
accomfjanles said copy.
POSTBCASTER
Send address corrections to
P.O. Box 30144 Charlotte,
N.C. 28230.
town's towers or the door
ways of their own businesses,
these African Americans
watch and wonder what can
be done to lift their brothers
and sisters out of the river’s
waters.
The answers do not come
easily or cheaply.
But until the cry for a
crackdown on crime is as
loud as the cry for justice and
for cures to social and eco
nomic ills, no answer is like
ly to be found.
'The community has got to
find ways to bring these peo
ple into the job market,"
Falls said.
"Many of the social and eco
nomic problems are caused
by or result from unemploy
ment and underemployment,
a lack of marketable skills
and training."
IF YOU WOULD LIKE
TO FAX YOUR
CHURCH NEWS TO
®l)e Cliarlotte $cst Dial
342-2160
Thiusday, November 4,1993 - THE CHARLOTTE POST - Page 3A
The Charlotte Post is great reading for great
people. Call 376-0496 today to subscribe.
FRED WARREN
REALTY
NOW IS THE TIME TO BUY!
- NEW, EXISTING, HUD/VA
HOMES
LOW INTEREST RATES!!!
617 North Summit Ave. • Charlotte, NC 28216
Office: (704)333-7977 • Home (704)358-0189
Digital Pager: (704)558-3808 • Fax (704)347-3414
CUE
Braces For Children & Adults
DR. PAUL A. McGILL,
'll
D.D.S., P.A.
"Practice Limited To Orthodontics"
(704)375-7005
1404 Beatties Ford Rd. -
Northwest Gateway Professional Center
Suite 200 • Charlotte, North Carolina 28216
Kelvin Knows Pain!
"Been in a Wreck?"
"Call my Chiropractor."
Kelvin Seabrooks
Former IBF World Champion
Community Relations Director
Dr.
Dennis
Watts
CALL NOW!
PAIN FROM ACCIDENTAL
INJURIES MAY NOT START FOR
DAYS-WEEKS OR MONTHS
AFTER AN ACCIDENT • SEE US
ANYTIME YOU ARE IN AN
ACCIDENT • YOU ARE ALWAYS
WELCOME.
Three Convenient Locations
3315 Wilkmson Blvd
2501 Beatties Ford Rd
New East Office: 6035 Plaza Bd
Hampshire Hill Shopping Center
393-3333
CUNIC OF
CHIROPRACTIC
NOW 2 GREAT LOCATIONS
GRAND OPENING
SAVE 50 to 70%
New Fall Traditional-Italian Designs
The Same Quality Clothing We've Made For Better Retail Stores.
You Save When You Buy From Our Factory Showroom!
Every garment is hand tailored of the
finest quality and represents an excellent
value.
We offer low prices because we are the
manufacturer.
Use our convenient layaway plan.
We welcome group orders. NEW LOWER
Reg. Retail Price BARRY PRICE
WOOL BLEND SUITS
$150
• $89.95
ALL WOOL SUITS
$300
$136.95
WOOL BLEND TUXEDOS
$200
$99.95
DESIGNER SPORTCOATS
$120
$69.95
WOOL BLEND BLAZERS
$120
$69.95
ALL WOOL BLAZERS
$200
$99.95
ALL WEATHER COATS
$160
$99.95
ATJ. WOOT.RT.ACKS
$60
$33.95
!IEW LOC.»TSOfl
6833 N. Tryon St.
across from Famous Mart
M-Th 9-7 Fri 3-9
Sat 9-6 Sun i-6
Thousands to choose from. Sizes 48 to 60 Slightly Higher.
We Stock Reg. 36-60, Long 36-60, X-Long 40-54, Short 36-52
403^’Scuih BKd.
K iM Sli' 527-2506
^ ^ ^ 9-6 MTWS
^ il-6
FREE LAYAWAY
America’s Best Men’s Clothing Value