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Volume 29 No. 30
The Voice of the Black Community
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
Danielle Smith of Washington, D.C., says she’s
forced to be color-conscious because of com
ments from African Americans about her dark
complexion.
When
Hackisiit
beautifiil
Color-consciousness
remains painful reality
By Hazel Trice Edney
NATIONAL NEWSPAPER PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION
First of two parts.
WASHINGTON - Atima Omara-Alwaia had
just left her office at the State Capitol in
Richmond, Va. and was on her way to lunch when
she heard a voice from a passing car scream,
“Blackie!”
It was the kind of insult that she has come to
expect but not accept.
A few years earlier, as a sophomore at the
University of Virginia in Charlottesville, 40 miles
away, she heard some guys in a passing car laugh
as one yelled, “Darkie!”
That anyone would stoop to that level of behav
ior was disappointing enough. But what made
these insults doubly painful was that they were
uttered by black men.
“It’s not surprising anymore. But it’s still.some
what painful,” Omara-Alwala admits. “I kind of
wince or flinch on the inside. Even when I work in
black communities. I’m always conscious that
there might be some reason that I’ll be picked on
— not because of any fault in my personality—just
the fact that I’m this complexion. And, of course.
Please see AFRICAN/7A
Allure of voting
wanes among
S. Afriean voters
By Elliott Sylvester
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAPE TOWN, South Africa - President Thabo
Mbeki’s African National Congress party is poised
to retain - or even increase - its sweeping parlia
mentary majority in Wednesday’s national elec
tion.
While the outcome is certain,
political leaders worry that inter
est in the democratic process is
waning a decade after South
Africa’s first all-race vote ended
close to half a century of white
minority rule.
Voter turnout dropped for the
second democratic election in
1999, and a further decrease is
expected in this vote to choose a Mbeki
new national parliament and
provincial assemblies.
South Africa’s lingering poverty and unemploy
ment, along with crime, corruption and a devas-
Please see ALLURE/6A
LIVING WITH
ALZHEIMER’S
HOW THE ^
OLD IS " 0
NEW AGAIN ^
Old World modem
design updates
traditional style/5C
APR 1 6 2004
www.thecharlottepost.com
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James B. Ouke Library
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Charlotte NC 28216-5302
Also serving Cabarrus, Chester, Mecklenburg, Rowan and York counties
WEEK OF APRIL 15-21, 2004
Mecklenburg County faces a massive budget deficit. The need
for services is growing. Neither can be ignored for very long.
Ends will meet, at a cost
By Herbert L. White
herh.white@thecluiiioiiepnsi.a)iit
Mecklenburg County’s fis
cal belt-tightening is bound
to hurt.
Who and how much has yet
to be calculated.
County Manager Harry
Jones’ proposed budget, to be
presented to commissioners
May 18 is expected to toe the
fiscal line between stagnant
tax revenue and growing
needs- f6r services.
Mecklenburg
faces a deficit
of up to $34
million for
fiscal year
2004-05. But
one option
for address
ing the short
fall - raising
taxes — is an
option the
majority has
pledged to leave off the table.
“I can say at this point I’m
not prepared to I’aise taxes,”
District 5 Commissioner
Ruth Samuelson said. “I
have serious concerns if we
raise property taxes there
are people who can barely
afford their homes will be
able to stay in them.”
Property owners aren’t the
only ones to consider, District
3 Commissioner Valerie
Woodard says. The working
class and low-income stand
to suffer from budget cuts or
fee increases - a real possi
bility next year.
“The conservative people
have boxed themselves in,”
said Woodard, a Democrat.
“Even they can’t see a way
out. I see a dilemma for our
conservative colleagues.”
Mecklenburg’s budget diffi
culty can be traced to a gift
from the state. Counties
were given the option of rais
ing sales taxes by a half-cent
in 2002 to increase revenue.
Mecklenburg commissioners,
with a 5-4 Republican major
ity, voted to put those pro
ceeds — $24 million — into
property tax cuts for resi
dents. Demand for programs
and services didn’t drop,
however. Even with the extra
sales tax money, the county
would still face a deficit,
albeit smaller, District 2
Commissioner Norman
PHOTOAVADE NASH
County-funded athletic leagues and use of public faciiities
couid be impacted by user fees.
Mitchell said.
“I don’t think the^ve paint
ed themselves into a comer,”
he said. “They’ve painted
themselves onto a cliff”
Samuelson
Republican
FILE PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Meckienburg tax doilars aiso pay for health programs, which
couid face county commissioners’ scrutiny.
The austerity push is
already on. Fees could
increase at some county-
funded swimming pools and
athletic programs to offset
operation costs. And Jones
wants commissioners to
allow him to evaluate the
possibility of making some
aquatic services self-sustain
ing through fees. Opponents
argue taxpayers will be
forced to foot the bill for using
resources they helped fund
through taxes or bonds.
“That’s not fair to me,”
Woodard said. “That’s dou
ble-dipping.”
There’s also the spectre of
reducing services. The coun
ty, which funds Charlotte-
Mecklenburg Schools and
the Department of Social
Services, also acts as a de
facto board of health. As
more people move into the
county, the pressure to keep
Please see BUDGET/2A
Caucus more than picking delegation
By Cynthia Dean
THE TRIANGLE TRIBUNE
RALEIGH - John Kerry has
already wrapped up the
Democratic presidential nomi
nation, but N.C. Democrats will
still get their say Saturday.
The party will hold its caucus
Sattirday from 8 a.m. -12 p.m.
There will be at least one
polling site in every county,
with four in Mecklenburg:
South Mecklenburg High
School, Barringer Elementary,
Derita Elementary and
Simmons YMCA.
John Kerry, Howard Dean, A1
Sharpton, John Edwards and
Dennis Kucinich will be on the
ballots.
Stella Adams, chair of the
African American Caucus of the
N.C. Democratic Party, said the
purpose of the caucus is to
select delegates for the
Democratic convention in July.
The caucus replaces the prima
ry originally set for May 4 but
postponed because of a redis
tricting lawsuit.
“This is the first time this has
been done in North Carolina,”
she said. “There is still a lot of
high drama going on within the
party,” adding that a vice presi
dential running mate has not
been chosen.
Adams said a strong turnout
for the caucuses would also let
the party know how much they
have to do to prepare for the
upcoming elections.
“It’s a critical barometer of
how much work we need to do,”
she said. ‘We’re really asking
people to turn out and partici
pate in the process.
“It is an opportunity to share
with the world that we are not
happy with the job losses in
North Carolina. It not only
sends a message to Democrats,
but to the Repubhcans as well
about how disappointed we are
in our leadership.”
Anti-speeding emsader takes message to schools
■ ’ 1 ■ I
, -C
i
’ f
PHOTO/CALVIN FERGUSON
Kendall Philis (center) talks to South
Mecklenburg High School students as
part of an anti-speeding campaign.
By Stacy Gibbs
SPECIAL TO THE POST
Chari otte-Mecklenburg
teens are taking a serious
trip with KendaU Philis.
Philis, whose husband
Bobby, a Charlotte Hornets
player, was killed street rac
ing four years ago premiered
an new anti-speeding film,
“Road Trip,” at South
Mecklenburg High School
last week. The film kicked off
the city’s annual “Speed a
Little, Lose a Lot” campaign,
which tries to reduce acci
dental deaths due to speed
ing.
‘Teenagers need to under
stand that sometimes the
consequences of their bad
decisions lead to death.
They are not invincible,”
Philis said. “I know because
it happened to my family.”
The six-minute film, which
features several CMS stu
dents, tells the story of
teenagers who challenge
each other to race to the local
pizzeria after playing a game
of hoops. On the way, sub-
hminal messages make the
kids stop and think about
their decision. As a result,
the teenagers decide it’s not
worth the risk, and they slow
down.
Quiet gasps were heard
throughout the auditorium
as students watched “Road
Trip” and heard Philis tell
the story of her husband rac
ing Hornets teammate
David Wesley at 107 miles
per hour.
Please see PHILLS/3A
Inside
Editorials 4A
Life 4B
Religion 8B
Sports 1C
Real Estate 5C
Business 8C
A&E ID
Happenings 4D
Classifieds 5D
•To subscribe, call (704) 376-0496 or FAX (704) 342-2160.
© 2004 The Chariotte Post Publishing Co.
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