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NEWSVtt ClarlalU 9ot
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Perceptions leave Center
City backers in a quandary
Continued from page 1A
are accustomed to seeing
TTiat worries Geoffrey
Brooks of Chaiiotte.
“I think the dty will put up
a front for the tournament but
will the businesses really
open up to pec^le of color?’
Broc^, a Johnson C. Smith
University graduate, said he
generally avoids uptown
when he goes out cm the town.
’ll really isn’t a lot going on
up there for African
Ammceuis? he said.
Ailer allegations surfaced
that an uptown club discrimi
nated against black patrons
following the Rivalry Classic
last month, e-mails have
swirled around casting a neg
ative light on Center City
Former Mayor Pro Tfem
Patrick Cannon said the city
council launched an investi
gation into Menage Ultra
Lounge to determine if the
city’s Public Accommodation
Ordinance has been vidated.
According to the ordinance, it
is unlawful to deny use of a
puldic facility to people based
on race, religion or national
origin
The owner, Stefan Lattore,
denied the allegations and
said the party promoter mis
represented himself
Lattore is a member of the
Chaiiotte Center City board
of directors. Smith said he
bdieves the incident is a mis
understanding
“All you can do is share the
truth and share the opportu
nity Make sure people are
aware of the amenities,” he
said. “We want people to come
here and spend time and it’s
going to be different for every
body”
Smith said uptown is
Charlotte’s back yard, and
everyone is welcome.
“We have a hospitality
forum and it is the restau
rants, clubs and hotels in
Center City and we will be
getting together in January
and that meeting will be ded
icated to ‘guys we have this
great opportunity coming
up,*” he said. “Tn a month
there’s a weeklong celebration
where there’s a lot of good
basketball, family reunions
and alumni getting te^ther.
Tbese people come to town
and theyVe here to have a
good time. It’s a great c^por-
tunity for you and it’s a differ
ent kind of customer and
BLACK OFFICIAL^
Charlotte
residents
honored
Continued from page 1A
rde that local elected leaders
can play in improving the
qxiality o£ life in their com
munities.
Giovanni, a professor at
Virginia Tfech, is winner of
the NAACP Image Award
for Literature
in 1998 and
the Langston
Hughes
award for
Distinguished
Contributions
to Arts and
Letters in
1996.
AmcHig otho* events spon
sored by NBC-LEO is a
reception recognizing excel
lence among African-
American leaders at 7:30
p.m., at the Spirit Square,
North Carc^a Blumenthal
PerfOTning Arts Center, 130
TVyon St.
Amcmg the Chariotte resi
dents to be honored include
Madine Fails, president of
the Urban League o£ Central
Carolinas; Dr. Otis Spei^t
of Piedmont Medical Center.
Lewis McKinney of
Anheuser Busch Companies;
Rai Glover of Bank of
America and Reggie
Hubbard, owner of Hubbard
Auteoootive.
Fails
they’re going to have different
kindfl of tastes and desires of
your ncHTual dientele and a
normal convention that
comes to town.’”
Smith said meetings like
the one {banned January
hai^)en whenever big events
come uptown because differ
ent groups have different
needs.
At that meeting, whidbi the
CIAA planning committee
will be a part of, Smith said
different things will be hi^-
lighted as to what businesses
can do to welcome the CIAA
fans.
Of the 120,000 fans expect
ed to attend the tournament,
the m^caity will be black.
Lenny Springs, chairman of
Charlotte’s CIAA organizing
committee, said in August,
“Fans that come to the CIAA
tournament will be treated
with the same respect and
dignity as fans that come here
for the ACC. Charlotte has a
way of doing things right.
“Tve said to the city and
county we’re going to do it
ri^t as it rdates to this tour
nament. It’s no secret that
99.9 percent of the folks com
ing to Charlotte are people of
color,” Springs said. “We’re
going to be working with the
police department as it
relates to community rela
tions and sensitivity Leave
here today assured that if
Lenny Springs has anything
to do with it, we’re going to
work in partnership to get it
ri^t.”
On Wednesday, Springs
repeated that sentimmt. “We
want Charlotte to embrace
(CIAA fans) from a diversity
standpcnnt,” he said.
Springs said businesses in
Onter C^ity stand to make a
lot of money during the week
long tournament.
Thou^ he doesn’t expect
any problems, Springs said
the (HAA committee is woik-
ing with businesses so that
they can attract the CIAA
fans.
“We want to ensure that
people feel welcomed. We’re
telling restaurants to ensure
that their menus cater to the
diets of African Americans
and that their entertainment
reflects the African American
culture,” he said.
Springs added that there
will be uptown ambassadors
stationed on the streets to
help people find their way
around
Law enforcement will
attend a session centered
around sensitivity, Springs
said
“We don't want people to
walk away thinking that
Charlotte is a racist town,
because it isn’t,” he said
Springs said any business
owner that would discriim-
nate against African
Americans is “economically
stupid”
“The C!TAA will benefit all of
us economically” he said And
Springs said discrimination of
any kind won’t be tolerated
“We’re going to make
uptown a fun place to be,” he
said.
The CIAA tournament runs
Feb. 27-March 4.
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