6A
NEWS/ The Charlotte Post
Thursday, July 10,1997
Race category sparks fierce debate
Continued from page 3A
cemed that such a classification
would reinforce existing societal
color discrimination.
Despite a recent Census study
saying that most minorities, espe
cially blacks and Hispanics,
wouldn’t be hurt by the multira
cial category, many civil rights
organizations and academics still
are resistant to a change.
Currently, Americans can choose
one of five classifications from
census forms: American Indian
and Alaska Native, Asian and
Pacific Islander, black, white, or
Hispanic.
As the number of children from
interracial marriages has risen to
2 million in 1990 from 500,000 in
1970, groups representing them
have been advocating the inclu
sion of the multiracial category, or
giving people the option of choos
ing more than one race on federal
forms. Susan Graham, executive
director of Project RACE
(Reclassify All Children Equally),
used her 12-year-old son, Ryan, to
show how he’s caught in the mid
dle before a Congressional sub
committee in Washington that
was examining the multiracial
category issue. Because Ryan’s
mother is white and his father is
black, he explained to conunittee
members his feeling of sadness
when he is confronted with forms
asking him to choose between the
two races; he said he is unable to
choose because he’s both. As for
selecting the option “other” when
available, the boy said that term
made him feel like a freak or
space alien because it really does
n’t describe him either.
“The reality is that not all
Americans fit neatly into one little
box,” says Graham. The reality is
that multiracial children who
wish to embrace all their heritage
should be allowed to do so.”
Harold McDougall, director of
the Washington Bureau of the
NAACP, told committee members
that he supports people’s right to
determine their own racial identi
fication, but he said Census and
federal forms may not be the
place to do that
Since Census statistics are used
to help enforce laws against dis
crimination in employment, lend
ing, housing, and schools, as well
as for the allocation of millions of
federal dollars through various
programs, McDougall pointed out
that all those areas could be
severely hampered if people
should start switching from one
racial category to the multiracial.
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS CHILD?
Her birth name is Kinara.
Grandma Jenny
misses you,
and wants you back home.
Any information leading to
the whereabouts of this child
would save continued
extreme heartbreak.
Contact Jennifer Hayes,
Maternal Grandmother at:
(704) 643-4969 PLEASE!
Child'$ biological mother is Juanita Reed.
West Charlotte choir will stay
Continued from page 1A
“I had a gospel choir at my
school in Virginia,” said Cline, an
ordained deacon who plans to
enter the ministry. “A gospel choir
is the best thing that could hap
pen to West Charlotte.
The gospel choir does not have
a sponsor now, but it will have
one, 'The community wants this
to happen. I have to find a spon
sor, I have to find a person on the
staff who will direct that.”
Since coming to Charlotte two
weeks ago, Cline has been busy
interviewing new staff and facul
ty, who mast sign a pledge of com
mitment to West Charlotte. He
said he’s nearing the end of that
process and should have
announcements soon of key
administrative posts.
Cline has said some of the
teachers who helped get
Simmons removed may be
rehired. “I do not have a list of
those who applied to leave,” Cline
said. “I can’t talk about the past. I
am the future of West Charlotte. I
am going to make sure it is the
top school in the state of North
Carolina. The gospel choir only
enhances those goals.
"Ib stop the gospel choir will be
a direct slap in God’s face,” said
Cline, who said he will give his
S.C. native is top Marine
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAMP PENDLE'TON, Calif -
Brig. Gen. Charles F. Bolden Jr.
was promoted to mqjor general in
a ceremony here, making him the
highest-ranking black officer in
the Marine Corps.
At Miramar Naval Air Station,
the 50-year-old Marine and
Columbia, S.C., native, was assis
tant commander of the 3rd
Marine Air Wing, which controls
the F/A-18 Hornet jets. He
received the second star because
of his new position as the deputy
commanding general of I Marine
Expeditionary Force, which
includes all ground, air and sup
port troops based on the West
Coast
His new assigiunent will bring
him to base here, where he will be
the right-hand man of Lt. Gen.
Carlton Fulford.
There are less than 75 generals
in the Marine Corps. 'They wear
between one and four stars,
depending on their ranking.
Bolden, who spent 14 years as
an astronaut, has become well-
mown in the San Diego commu
nity for his frequent visits to
Bolden
classrooms and
club meetings.
Bolden grew
up in the
South, attend
ing segregated
schools and
dreaming
about an
appointment to
the Naval
Academy. His
parents attended Charlotte’s
Johnson C. Smith University.
After graduating from the
Academy, he became a Marine
pilot and flew combat missions
during the Vietnam War.
He became an astronaut in 1981
and logged more than 680 hours
in space, including piloting the
1994 Discovery flight.
Before 'rhursdays frtx:king cere
mony, Bolden, dressed in camou
flage, made his way through the
room, shaking hands and intro
ducing himself as Charlie.
He and his wife, Alexis, have
two children; Anthony Che, a
Marine lieutenant stationed at
Miramar, and Kelly, a student at
Georgia Tfech University.
PHOTOS/PAUL williams III
Correction: Photographs were Inadvertentty placed on last
week's ZawadI page . The top picture is of the presentation by
Rrst Union bank employees of an Internet system to Hidden
Valley Elementary Schcral. In the bottom photo, Bernadette
Richartfs, program coordinator of NationsBank’s newest Make-
A-Oifference Center, helps Ayana HoltIns, 8, and Eli Pigford, 9,
on new computers. The Make-A-Difference Center opened June
21 In Oak Park at Nations Ford /Vpartments In southwest
Charlotte. The center is the eighth established by NationsBank
initial sermon in two weeks.
But many AfHcan Americans
are still angered by Smith’s
removal of Simmons, apparently
under pressure from white teach
ers and parents. Black Political
Caucus chair Bob Davis said
Simmons will address the caucus
on July 20.
“West Charlotte parents are not
satisfied and are not going away,”
Davis said. “They are still having
meetings. Kenny Simmons is
going to speak to the Black
Caucus to tell his side of the
story.”
Wheel appeal!
The Post’s Auto section
is a serious showcase!
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