m
Oh, oh, oh! Morning show host Tom Joyner at Summerfest/Page IB
■ Cljarlotte Bosft ■
VOLUME 21 NO. 46
THE VOICE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY
THE WEEK OF AUGUST 1, 1996
75 CENTS
SERVING CABARRUS, ROWAN AND YORK COUNTIES
Office space spurs NAACP dispute
N.C. chapter moves out of Charlotte, can’t use Alexander name
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The N.C. NAACP conference
is closing its Charlotte office and
dismissing two employees based
there.
The board also ended the orga
nization’s relationship with
Linda Crites Gaines, who is
treasurer of the Charlotte-
Mecklenburg NAACP chapter.
Gaines, an accountant, was
hired to serve as bookkeeper for
the state chapter.
The move, voted on Saturday
by the state executive commit
tee, will save the organization
$3,000, according to acting pres
ident Melvin “Skip” Alston.
He said the Greensboro office,
which has one employee, will
remain open.
The action came as the state
conference continued to operate
without Kelly Alexander Jr.,
who is suspended. Alexander,
like his father before him, has
headed the state chapter since
1985. Kelly Alexander Sr. was
chairman of the national
NAACP board of directors when
he died in 1985.
The Alexander family owns
Alexander Funeral Home,
where the state conference
maintained its office. The
Charlotte-Mecklenburg chap
ter’s office there is still open.
On Saturday, the state board
replaced several committee
chairs appointed by the previ
ous board, which was ousted
last October. But they served for
several months pending an elec
tion challenge later thrown out
by national NAACP officials.
Alexander was suspended in
May pending an audit of the
state’s financial records, alleged
ly for failing to cooperate with
the incoming state treasurer,
maintaining an accoimt requir
ing only his signature and using
checks pre-signed by the previ
ous treasurer after the new
treasurer, Z. Ann Hoyle of
See N.C. NAACP on page 6A
Golden moment in Atlanta
Carolinas
connection
to mascot
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
Who the heck is Whatieit -
Izzy to those familiar with the
big blue Olympics mascot?
Actually, he’s the niece of
Bobby and Brenda Height of
Charlotte, who have sent their
daughter Bridget along to the
Games to help escort Izzy
around Atlanta.
The full-time Izzy for the past
three years has been LaTara
Bullock of Raleigh, an East
Carolina University mass com
munications graduate and for
mer Atlanta Falcons cheer
leader.
Carolina Panthers fans can
forgive her that last one.
Bullock replaced the original
Izzy, who gave up the job after
the Barcelona games, in 1993.
She was chosen for her athleti
cism and dance abilities, honed
in several music videos, early
acting experiences and as a
Falcon cheerleader
Bullock is the daughter of
Brenda Height’s brother and
cousin to Bridget, a finance
major at N.C. Central
University, who just earned her
See IZZY on page 3A
PHOTO/BRENDA HEIGHT
LaTara Bullock, aka Izzy, the
Olympic mascot, and Bridget
Height, her cousin. Bullock’s
from Raleigh, Height’s from
Charlotte.
PHOTO/WADE NASH
American sprinter Gail Devers is embraced by coach Bob Kersee after winning the
women’s 100 meter dash Saturday at Olympic Stadium. Devers, who won the same event
four years ago in Barcelona, Spain, held on to her title as “World’s fastest woman” by out
running a field that included Merlene Ottey of Jamaica and Gwen Torrence, an Atlanta res
ident. More on the Olympics can be found in Sports, page 8B.
12th District
wins reprieve
in U.S. court
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
North Carolina’s outlawed 12th congressional district can
remain for one more election.
That assures Rep. Mel Watt, a Charlotte Democrat, of re-elec
tion in November, after which the state’s 12 congressional dis
tricts will be redrawn.
A panel of federal district court judges voted 2-1 to give tbe
General Assembly until April 1, 1997 to redraw congressional
districts, which could affect all 12 N.C. representatives. After
that, the judges could impose their own plan.
Some observers believe the divided legislature will be unable to
agree on redistricting, forcing the judges to settle the issue.
Republicans control the N.C. House, while Democrats control the
Senate.
Republicans, including the panel’s Judge Richard Vorhees,
wanted to redraw districts immediately in time for the November
elections.
N.C. House Rules Committee chair Richard Morgan submitted
a plan which would create two districts with substantial, but less
than majority, African American voting-age populations.
Morgan’s plan would replace the majority-black 12th District
thrown out in June by the U.S. Supreme Court with one which
stretches from Charlotte southeast to Robeson County.
The new district would be 51.7 percent white, with 38.6 percent
See 12TH on page 6A
Parties pledge to keep
raee eard out of eleetions
By Curt Anderson
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON - Leaders of
the Republican and
Democratic parties have
pledged, at the request of the
nation’s black mayors, to dis
courage race-baiting campaign
tactics
“Unless this stops, America
will have the most divided
nation in this small and
shrinking world,” said Mayor
Emanuel Cleaver of Kansas
City, Mo., president of the
National Conference of Black
Mayors.
Republican National
Committee Chairman Haley
Barbour and Don Fowler,
chairman of the Democratic
National Committee, signed
the resolution presented
Monday by Cleaver and a
bipartisan group of black may
ors.
Both party chairmen
released letters supporting
the initiative, and Cleaver
said both had agreed that
some form of the resolution be
placed in their respective
national party platforms dur
ing the August conventions.
Cleaver is a member of the
Democratic platform commit
tee.
The resolution denounces
use of tactics that pander to
“illogical fear, mistrust and
prejudice of people” and calls
on both parties to challenge
any candidate who injects the
“desperate politics of preju
dice” in the fall elections.
“Such irresponsible cam
paigning contributes to an
environment of hate and sus
picion, not one of respect and
trust,” it states in part.
At a news coilference.
See RACE on page 2A
Diamond takes YWCA reins
PHOTO/SUE ANN JOHNSON
New YWCA executive director Judy Diamond (center) Is taking
to her position with reiish.‘Tm stiii iearning what the job is,”
Diamond says. “But it’s lots of fun. No two days are alike, it’s quite
stimulating.”
By John Minter
THE CHARLOTTE POST
The ^'WCA is having a party
of sorts Saturday to show off its
new Diamond - Judy Diamond,
the new executive director.
Diamond, who took over two
weeks ago, is taking to the job
like Dominique Dawes on the
uneven bars.
“I’m still learning what the job
is,” Diamond said Tuesday, “But
it’s lots of fun. No two days are
gQike. It’s quite stimulating.”
The YWCA’s annual open
house at its 3420 Park Road
headquarters begins at 10 a.m.
Saturday. Until 2 p.m., \dsitors
of all ages will be able to sample
the many activities available,
from swims in the pool to yoga
and Tae Kwon Do classes.
A 15 percent di.scount on
memberships is being offered
during the open house.
Diamond, born Judith
Bookhart in New York Citv.
holds a bachelor’s degree from
Boston University and a mas
ter’s in education from Harvard
University. She was completing
work on her doctoral disserta
tion and looking for a job when
the YWCA opportunity came
along. She finished her doctoral
work last week, she said.
“I’m attempting to continue
the wonderful program here
when I came,” Diamond said.
The Child and Youth
Development Programs of the
local YWCA serve 650 children
and families daily, and the
Wellness Program provides
health and fitness opportunities
for those families and more than
1 000 members. The YWCA’c
Women’s Center, including a
residential program, helps over
100 women regain their inde
pendence each year.
The YWCA’s mission is not
only the empowerment of
women, children and families,
but the elimination of racism.
Diamond’s a valuable find for
the local YWCA, with her edu-
See DIAMOND on page 3A
Inside
Editorials 4A-5A
Strictly Business 7A
Lifestyles 9A
Religion 11A
A&E IB
Regional News 6B
Sports 8B
Classified 13B
Auto Showcase 14B
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©1996 The Charlotte Post
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