NEWS/ The Charlotte Post
July 18, 1996
Demand
equality,
progress
We’ll have
to do it for
ourselves
MELODYE MICERE STEWART
In the
spirit of
Ma’at
“If there is no struggle, there
is no progress.”
Upwards of 50 or more black
churches have been burned
since the beginning of 1995.
These violent acts are
designed to attack the heart of
the black community - the
black church. The modern day
revival of the sport of burning
black churches should inspire
every African American to
commit to a revived struggle
for true equality. Frederick
Douglass, dedicating his life to
struggle, not only declared the
above quotation, but he also
noted that “Power concedes
nothing without a demand.”
What should we be
“demanding” in reference to
church burnings? As Mary
Frances Berry, member of the
Civil Right Commission, stat
ed to the Congressional Black
Caucus, we need to demand
that the government and the
media address and examine
the social context, complete
with its economic issues, that
continue to allow such aAs to
occur. Historically, harsh eco
nomic conditions have always
fueled the fires of racism in
America. Ann Van Dyke,
assistant director of the
Pennsylvania Human
Relations Commission, said in
a recent speech, “...some peo
ple need to say: That black
guy has my job.”
Additionally, the Southern
Poverty Law Center recently
released its report titled,
“False Patriots: The Threat of
Anti-government Extremists,”
noting that these white
Christian men are bitterly dis
appointed in the multicultural
society that America has
become.”
While authorities insist that
the church fires are unrelated,
isolated incidences of which
no conspiracy can be found,
clearly the sociopolitical foun
dation of this country needs
no organized conspiracy.
Combined with Time maga
zine’s declaration that the
country has gone back to seg
regation, African Americans
must reassess the integration
model, as encouraged by
Derrick Bell in his book
“Faces at the Bottom of the
Well: The Permanence of
Racism.”
It is a lesson-learning time
and “knowledge is the prime
need of the hour.” Mary
McLeod Bethune gave voice to
the necessity and the urgency
of our cause. Ralph Ellison
gave voice to the challenge of
racial maturity by stating, “It
takes a deep commitment to
change and an even deeper
commitment to grow.”
What will you do?
Money for college
PHOTO/CHARLOTTE-MECKLENBURG URBAN LEAGUE
William Simms, chairman of the Chariotte-Mecklenburg Urban League board of directors
(left) and John Gianakas, manager of Food Lion Stores’ Human Resources Administration
(right) presented Felicia Dozier of Garinger High School and Randy Townsend of West
Charlotte High School $1,500 scholarships for their coilege education. The schoiarships
were funded by Food Lion.
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By Jeri Young
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The good news for residents
of Hidden Valley is that vio
lent crimes are down.
The bad news is that car
thefts and break-ins are on
the rise.
These statistics and others
were offered by officers of the
Chariotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department’s Charlie Three
District which serves the area
of 2400 households.
Officers offered safety tips,
shared crime statistics and
listened to! resident’s safety
concernS'in what they hope
will help foster more open
lines of communication
between residents and police.
“I thought it was very suc
cessful,” said Gwen Wallace,
president of the Hidden Valley
Community Association.
“There were lots of new faces
there.”
The meeting, organized by
Officer C.S. Ratliff, marked
the first of what police hope to
be monthly citizens meetings.
“This something that has
been ongoing,” Ratliff said.
Ratliff, who grew up in the
Fairview Homes
explores options to
rebuild play area
Continued from page 1A
Charlotte neighborhood grant,
the Anita Stroud Foimdation and
the National Endowment of the
Arts.
The project included the planti
ng of 12-15-foot crepe myrtles,
river birches, shrubs, and flowers.
UNCe architecture students
designed the area.
“I’m disappointed and some
what angry because I saw the
spirit that was generated there,”
Fox said. “'The spirit of not just
the people in Leadership
Charlotte, but of the kids and res
idents involved out there who
came out and got dirty in the con
struction area and participated in
bringing something positive to
the neighborhood.
‘Tfis frustrating when you have
that kind of spirit and it is
destroyed by forces not contribut
ing to the positive things in the
neighborhood.”
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area, feels strongly about the
meetings and the community.
“It is important to me to con
tinue the meetings,” Ratliff
said. “To continue the contact
with the residents and the
police."
“I take this personally, I
walked the same streets,
played at Sugar Creek Park
for a good part of my youth,”
Ratliff said. “It is important
for me to see the community
prosper.”
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